**Bush invokes executive privilege to keep Justice Department documents secret**

AP ^ | 12-13-01 | John Solomon

[Oldeconomybuyer]

06:57 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has invoked executive privilege for the first time to keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from decades-old Boston murders to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe, The Associated Press has learned.

[pollwatcher]

W. didn't play the revenge game after the election mess, the office vandalism, etc.. The guy has more class and is forward thinking. He's serving notice that if the demoCrits and their allies want to continue playing smear games, he is holding all the cards.

[rdavis84]

"ranging from decades-old Boston murders to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe,"

Any doubts about using the term "Mob" along with the name "Bush" should no longer be an issue.

Of course, there's always the ones (conspiracy nuts) who see these moves as a Master Plan (conspiracy) to "Get the Bad Guys".

Then there's the ones (conspiracy nuts) who see these moves as a Master Plan (conspiracy) to "Subvert Justice".

Guess I'm a Conspiracy Nut.

[ChaseR]

"They're covering each others' tracks."

[tjg]

There is no way to defend this action. Every conservative deplored it when the Clintons did it. It's simply hypocritical to justify it when W does it.

[Ramius]

I don't see it that way... I see this as not wanting to give the perps an automatic heads-up that they need to start up the shredders. From this other side of the coin: if they WERE going to go for an indictment of someone in say, chinagate... wouldn't it be advisable to keep that fact close to the vest until the charges were let? Or... put another way: If they think that there is something worth prosecuting, but they don't yet have enough good evidence to proceed do you want to let the perp know that?

I can see what people are afraid of here, but like everything else its a knife that cuts both ways.

[NC_Libertarian]

The Bush administration is takeing advantage of the war. Especially Ashcroft. Disgusting.

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

There is no justice in America.

[rdavis84]

"It's simply hypocritical to justify it when W does it."

No. Then it's Masterful Politics. Haven't you been listening!!?? :-)

[VRWC_minion]

There is no way to defend this action

On one hand I agree that I want our Gov't to hand over its info so we can be informed on the other I want there to be a balance of power between the branches of our gov't. This requires the executive branch to draw a line in the sand and not roll every time congress makes a request.

To a certain extent I approved that Clinton fought off many attacks against his executive power even though he had selfish motives.

[ladtx]

This has nothing to do with 9/11 or terrorists.

Now how do you know that? Evidence?

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Update:

Bush Invokes Executive Privilege   (7:35 a.m. PST Dec. 13)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush invoked executive privilege for the first time Thursday to keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from decades-old Boston murders to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe.

[princess leah]

TIming here is important to note...democrats are holding up the stimulus package, now Bush invokes executive order! Hmmm! We all know that over half the congress could be indicted for a number of things if truth be known!

[SUSSA]

President Bush has invoked executive privilege for the first time to keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from decades-old Boston murders to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe, The Associated Press has learned.

The Boston murder case is the one where the FBI helped gangsters frame a couple of innocent people for a murder. The Clinton/Gore fund-raising crimes have been well documented here on FR. There is no excuse for covering up either. If Clinton did this nobody on this site would be defending the act.

How can we claim the moral high-ground if we support Bush when he does things we condemned when Clinton did them? Supporting Bush when we condemned Clinton for the same thing gives the clintonistas grounds to claim we didn't oppose Clinton because he was wrong. We opposed him because he is a Democrat.

This action is wrong. It is a slap at the rule of law and a slap at congressional oversight and separation of powers. Dan Burton should drag Bush's butt into court and get those documents.

[wwjdn]

Just another shot at destroying the Constitution and our freedoms we fought so very hard to keep. Now with the swish of a pen they are all going away.

THANK-YOU PRESIDENT BUSH, WE DIDN'T NEED THAT OLD CONSTITUTION ANYWAY

[cousair]

W has the right to do this, and truly, HE IS ONE OF US. He will put whatever he has out when the time is right. I believe we all are are all made scapegoats of the Clinton years. It has been so long since we believed what came out of the White House.

[NC_Libertarian]

Oh the hypocrisy! Never again will I beleive this crap about Republicans loveing liberty. They CHEER one constitutional violation after the other. And if you dare question anything you are practically called a traitor.

[gjenkins]

Traitor!

[sinkspur]

Any doubts about using the term "Mob" along with the name "Bush" should no longer be an issue.

If Bush releases anything to Dan Burton and Henry Waxman, he just as well hand it to AP. Those two leak like sieves.

Guess I'm a Conspiracy Nut.

A Nut? You're a bushel-basket full of 'em!

[Alberta's Child]

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. As far as I'm concerned, anything that gets released to Congress by the Justice Department should be released to the public. If Congress isn't willing to go along with that, then they have no right to complain that the information is being witheld from them.

[rdavis84]

Sorry, meant to reply to you too on #42.

Help is On the Way!!!

I can just picture GWB riding one of those "IT" scooters coming to help us.

I wonder if they're Idiot Proof.