Leahy finds chance to fight executive privilege strategy

[maddezmom]

Long after Nixon, Vt. senator leads effort against Bush


Senator Patrick Leahy, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, spoke Thursday during a hearing on Capitol Hill on the Justice Department firings of eight US attorneys. (Dennis Cook/Associated Press)
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | April 1, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Thirty-three years ago, Patrick Leahy, a local prosecutor from Vermont, was so outraged at President Nixon's attempt to use executive privilege to hide damaging revelations during the Watergate scandal that he used the issue to help him win election to the US Senate.

Now, Leahy has found a chance to strike a blow against executive privilege: As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Leahy is leading the charge against President Bush's use of the tactic as grounds for refusing to allow adviser Karl Rove and others to testify about the firing of eight US attorneys.

Bush has pilloried Democratic demands for sworn testimony as "playing politics," saying he does not want Rove to be submitted to a "show trial" under the klieg lights of Congress. Leahy, in turn, has vowed not to blink first, saying in a Globe interview that Bush's position "makes my blood boil."

Dismissing Bush's offer to have Rove and others give private statements to congressional staff members, Leahy said, "I'd rather to go court than accept that offer."

more:http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/04/01/leahy_finds_chance_to_fight_executive_privilege_strategy/

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Go Pat !!!! Expose the rat and depose the frat.

[democrank]

2. Bush will soon find out

what happens when hollow narcissism does battle with solid principle.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Fort Bush in tatters desperately looking for help / reinforcements....

General Leahy and troops surrounding the Fort with Truth Ammo....Bush in Bunker trying to weasel his solution....all the while blinking at the 57687.09 per second rate....

[texpatriot2004]

4. makes my blood boil too nm

[ClassWarrior]

5. Mine too.

:hi: you!

NGU.

[POAS]

6. My blood turned to steam long ago!

[The Doctor.]

8. "And then plasma!"

Oh... nevermind.

[The Doctor.]

7. Will SC Justices be receiving 'inappropriate'

Phone calls from the administration?

Will they go on a few hunting trips?

[Vidar]

9. Executive privilege is just the divine right of kings repackaged.