Bush claims executive privilege on CIA leak
By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer
"This unfounded assertion of executive privilege does not protect a principle; it protects a person," Waxman said. "If the vice president did nothing wrong, what is there to hide?"
There is a key document that could explain what the Vice President knew and what he
did: the report of the Vice President’s interview with FBI officials working for Mr. Fitzgerald.
If there is one document that could pierce the cloud hanging over the Vice President, this is it.http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/07/16/did-bush-invoke-executive-privilege-to-shield-cheneys-interview-with-fitzgerald/....................
WASHINGTON - President Bush has asserted executive privilege to prevent Attorney General Michael Mukasey from having to comply with a House panel subpoena for material on the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.
A House committee chairman, meanwhile, held off on a contempt citation of Mukasey — who had requested the privilege claim — but only as a courtesy to lawmakers not present.
Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, rejected Mukasey's suggestion that Vice President Dick Cheney's FBI interview on the CIA leak should be protected by the privilege claim — and therefore not turned over to the panel.
"We'll act in the reasonable and appropriate period of time," Waxman, D-Calif., said. But he made clear that he thinks Mukasey has earned a contempt citation and that he'd schedule a vote on the matter soon.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080716/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak;_ylt=Av0RsrStcyeNeS44SXUFs_ys0NUE.......................
Update: Waxman hits the right notes:
The claim of executive privilege is ludicrous.
We are not seeking access to the communications between the Vice President and the President. We are seeking access to the communications between the Vice President and FBI investigators. The Vice President talked with the FBI investigators voluntarily and he did so knowing that what he said could be disclosed publicly in a criminal trial. Mr. Fitzgerald told us that "there were no agreements, conditions and understandings" that limited Mr. Fitzgerald's use
of the interview in any way.
This unfounded assertion of executive privilege does not protect a principle; it protects a person.
The President is wrong to shield Vice President Cheney from scrutiny. In our system of government, even the Vice President should be accountable for his actions. more here:
plus docs:
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080716104053.pdfhttp://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080716101908.pdf