"House OK's bill on secrets access; Congress seeks role overseeing intelligence" by Anne Flaherty, Associated Press | July 17, 2008
WASHINGTON - The bill is the latest attempt by Democrats, struggling to challenge President Bush on major national security issues, to step up their role in overseeing an intelligence program they say has gone astray. Lawmakers complain that the Bush administration left most of them out of the loop on highly classified - and controversial - matters, including creation and destruction of CIA interrogation tapes and Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.
The White House has threatened to veto the bill. Other provisions in the House bill that provoked a veto threat include a prohibition on the use of contractors to interrogate detainees and a demand that the CIA inspector general audit all covert operations every three years. The administration contends that the required audits would "interfere with the independent judgment" of the agency.
--MORE--"
And they are going to stay in the dark, too -- WILLFULLY!!!
"Bush asserts executive privilege on compliance in CIA leak case" by Laurie Kellman, Associated Press | July 17, 2008
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. Among the documents sought by House Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman are FBI interviews of Vice President Dick Cheney.
They also include notes about the 2003 State of the Union address, during which President Bush made the case for invading Iraq in part by saying Saddam Hussein was pursuing uranium ore to make a nuclear weapon. That information turned out to be wrong.
Yeah, Bush didn't LIE or nuthin'!
Case closed on the shit AmeriKan MSM, folks! What scum bags!!!!
Waxman rejected Mukasey's suggestion that Cheney's FBI interview on the CIA leak should be protected by the privilege claim - and therefore not turned over to the panel.
Waxman, Democrat of California, made clear that he thinks Mukasey has earned a contempt citation:
"We'll act in the reasonable and appropriate period of time. This unfounded assertion of executive privilege does not protect a principle; it protects a person. If the vice president did nothing wrong, what is there to hide?"
I'm not waiting around, Hank!
You have had TWO FUCKING YEARS already, so quit shitting the BULLSHIT POLITICAL FOOLEYS, will ya?
Either SHIT or get off the pot!!!!!!
The assertion of the privilege is not about hiding anything but rather protecting the separation of powers as well as the integrity of future Justice Department investigations of the White House, Mukasey wrote to Bush in a letter dated Tuesday. Several of the subpoenaed reports, he wrote, summarize conversations between Bush and advisers and are direct presidential communications protected by the privilege.
Mukasey wrote to Bush:"I am greatly concerned about the chilling effect that compliance with the committee's subpoena would have on future White House deliberations and White House cooperation with future Justice Department investigations. I believe it is legally permissible for you to assert executive privilege with respect to the subpoenaed documents."
Yeah, well, YOU DemocraPs have NO ONE to BLAME for Mukasey EXCEPT YOURSELVES, Shumer and Feinstein!!!!!
Sig Heil, assholes!!!!!!!!!
