Ashcroft Asserts Executive Privilege Concerning Torture Memo?

[usregimechange]

I thought only the President could do that?!?!?!?

[Vickers]

1. He's a member of the Executive Branch....plus he's a good Christian

:eyes:

[pocoloco]

5. you are half right.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. AG represents both executive and legislative branch........

and because of this he is the only member of the presidents cabinet who is NOT given the title "secretary"

[Vickers]

8. How so?

He is the head of the Dept. of Justice. That falls under the Executive Branch. Right now he is being questioned by the Legislature.

He answers to the President, not a Senator or Representative.

[the Kelly Gang]

2. these people are a law unto themselves

[HootieMcBoob]

3. Where did you hear that?

Do you have a link?

The last thing I heard was that he did not assert executive privilege and that was the reason he was treading very close to being in contempt of congress.

[BurtWorm]

4. Just trust him.

Why can't you get that through your head? :spank:

[Spazito]

6. He didn't assert Executive Privilege, he stated categorically that he..

was not asserting that privilege but was also not releasing the memos to congress.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. he canNOT assert "exectuive privledge" becuse he represnts the.......

legislative branch also...that is why he is the only presidential cabinet member NOT given the title "Secretary"


opps my bad.....
At one time the Attorney General gave legal advice to Congress as well as the President but this stopped by 1819

[Gin]

10. they called him general...that sounded strange to me...

g

[Spazito]

11. It was interesting that he was asked, during the hearing, if he was...

exerting executive privilege when he has no authority to do so. I wonder if the intent was to see if the White House had exerted that privilege?

[Mel]

17. the way I heard it

Senator Kennedy was allowed to ask on Senator Biden's time if Ashcroft was exerting executive privilege directed by *Bush. Ashcroft said, "no, blah blah blah' is that where he tried to re-quote FDR's Attorney General? I found that laughable and generic (as did Biden) at least Biden said it was generic.
Biden told Ashcroft that would make him in contempt of congress if he refused to give the information in the memo. Looked to me as if Kennedy and Biden trapped him and he's jammed on the contempt of congress charge. I wish they'd of got him on the pResident told him to use Executive privilege.

[Vickers]

13. Please provide a source for that

When our country started out, the AG provided input to both the Exec. and Leg. branches, but that was changed almost 200 years ago.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. it was changed due to "work overload" in 1819

At one time the Attorney General gave legal advice to Congress as well as the President but this stopped by 1819


http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/United%20States%20Department%20of%20Justice

[Vickers]

19. Sooooo...you're agreeing with me?

:P

[ElsewheresDaughter]

20. yes vickers you were correct

:7

[Walt Starr]

12. Link please

he refused to invoke executive privelage yesterday.

[Spazito]

15. Here is a good article entitled "A Brief History of Executive Privilege...

FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON THROUGH DICK CHENEY":

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20020206.html

[supernova]

16. No, Ashcroft didn't invoke EP yesterday

I don't know exactly what he was invoking beyond his own superior obstinacy, but it wasn't Executive Privilege.

[LiberalForEver]

18. Ashcroft was envoking Exec Priv

Although only the President can envoke Executive Privledge, Ashcoft envoked the principal when he said a president should be able to get private advice from his adviors in a mannor that would ensure the confidentiality of that communication.

So Ashcroft denied producing the memos is question based on executive priviledge that he doesn't have. Bush has said he wants to get to the bottom of the abuse scandal but I guess that doesn't mean that he and his administration will follow morality and the laws.

[Tracer]

21. No. He definitely said he WASN'T invoking Executive Privilege.

The slimy creature gave as his excuse for refusing to release the memos as protecting the confidentiality of presidential advisors.

[Spazito]

22. Given that Cheney has claimed Executive Privilege re Energy Policy...

meetings and the case is before the USSC, I'd say the "jury" is still out as to who can and cannot claim the privilege.