"Executive Privilege" Alert: White House Planning Major Effort to Confuse Americans Yet Again

[Hissyspit]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20070728/cm_huffpost/058227

"Executive Privilege" Alert: White House Planning Major Effort to Confuse Americans Yet Again
Jackson Williams at Huffington Post
Sat Jul 28, 4:03 PM ET

There are reports that the White House had a Friday conference call with conservative bloggers in an effort to get them to ramp up support for the president's claim of "executive privilege" in the matter of the fired U.S. Attorneys. There is plenty of solid, factual info on this subject available to any and all, right here on George W. Bush's "internets," and there's no reason the White House should be allowed to freely spread false information on yet another subject.

- snip -

Executive privilege is A/ not in the Constitution, and B/ was only officially acknowledged by the Supreme Court for the first time in 1974 in the case of Nixon's tapes, where the Court recognized "the valid need for protection of communications between high Government officials and those who advise and assist them in the performance of their manifold duties."

Yet the Court ordered Nixon to cough over the tapes anyway, rejecting the notion that the president has an "absolute privilege" ...

- snip -

Oh, and Snow's reference to the privilege hailing all the way back to George Washington? Spin. In 1796, the House of Representatives wanted to see documents related to a treaty, and Washington reasoned that since the Constitution gives treaty approval exclusively to the Senate, the House could just buzz off. Only the Senate got the documents, so he was the first to *sort of* claim a privilege, but it never was tested in the courts, and his reasoning was -- let's face it -- based on something actually in the Constitution. Not exactly a similar analogy on Tony's part, is it?

The concept of executive privilege -- and the body of law about it -- is perhaps the thinnest and murkiest thing in all of our government, contrary to Tony Snow's spin job and what will surely be a new effort by conservative bloggers to make it otherwise.

They should not get away with it.

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[radfringe]

1. executive privilege

in the manner which bush/cheney use it, is imperial privilege.

the argument of needing confidentiality between advisors and president is understandable - however it's framed as free and open advise would not be possible if people feared being subpoenaed.

If the advice and conversations were legal and aboveboard - then what do they have to fear? What do they have to hide?

[madrchsod]

2. bush ripped up the magna carta years ago....

it`s going to take a lot to restore it

[Rageneau]

3. I thought conservatives had respect for the Constitution. Ep ain'r Constitutional.

Executive Privilege is an old, untested concept invented by Presidents desperate to keep their machinations hidden, which was taken from the closet and polished to dazzling by the old crook himself, Tricky Dick.

There's nothing about Executive Privilege in the Constitution, so people who really respect the Constitution ought to ridicule such a monarchistic concept. Executive Privilege is for kings and despots, not democratically elected presidents.

But that's how conservatives are. The same rock-solid principles they admire today, they disdain tomorrow, when circumstances change. They loooooooooovvvve the Constitution -- until it gets in their way.

[blogslut]

4. Thank you

I knew that "All the way back to Washington" line was bullshit. I also noticed the repubs inability to mention NIXON in their justifications for "executive privilege". Good old Tricky Dick - still toxic 30 years after all these years.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. "Catapulting the propaganda" eh? Can you IMAGINE the reaction if Pres. Kerry or Gore called a

meeting or conference call with atrios, kos, Skinner, Michael Moore and Air America to tell them how to comment on some controversial action or position? Sheesh.

[Ilsa]

6. Thank you. I bookmarked this and K&R'ed it. The WH has an

extensive spin machine which includes FOX Noise, OxyRush, corporate news talkers and as you said, they'll be pushing this ad nauseum. We need to be able to fight back.

[Hissyspit]

7. .