Executive Privilege Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry
President Bush claims that thanks to executive privilege, the Justice Department "will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials".
No word on whether or not executive privilege still works for Mr. Non-Executive Cheney.
And somewhere in an alternate universe that lags a few years behind our own, President Bill Clinton is trying the exact same trick and being raked over the coals for it by Republicans. Those Republicans claim that no White House official should be immune from Congressional oversight or potential prosecution...oh, wait. Our Republicans said that, during Clinton's impeachment. My mistake.
Oh yeah, and while they're at it, if you do anything to threaten the "peace and stability" of Iraq, the federal government can snatch your stuff. La la la toodles Fourth Amendment la la la.
Some points to ponder:
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
"It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
--James Madison, Father of the U.S. Constitution, 4th president of the United States, and the man who absolutely refused to do "violence" to the Constitution while we were at war with the superpower of the time, Great Britain, even after they invaded our shores and burned Washington D.C.
No word on whether or not executive privilege still works for Mr. Non-Executive Cheney.
And somewhere in an alternate universe that lags a few years behind our own, President Bill Clinton is trying the exact same trick and being raked over the coals for it by Republicans. Those Republicans claim that no White House official should be immune from Congressional oversight or potential prosecution...oh, wait. Our Republicans said that, during Clinton's impeachment. My mistake.
Oh yeah, and while they're at it, if you do anything to threaten the "peace and stability" of Iraq, the federal government can snatch your stuff. La la la toodles Fourth Amendment la la la.
Some points to ponder:
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
"It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
--James Madison, Father of the U.S. Constitution, 4th president of the United States, and the man who absolutely refused to do "violence" to the Constitution while we were at war with the superpower of the time, Great Britain, even after they invaded our shores and burned Washington D.C.