Well, that's a bit more polite than what those in this administration really are thinking. It has now reached a point where "executive privilege" really means "Fuck you, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want". Not really surprising coming from a spoiled little rich kid used to always getting his way, and surrounded by people who labor intensively to clean up his messes. Daddy must be proud. Conservatives must be proud.
So, having stacked the U.S. Justice Department with lackeys (especially in D.C.), and having had the good fortune to replace 2 Supreme Court Justices with strong executive advocates, Georgie Boy can pretty much stonewall his way till the end of his term. Now if he can just figure out a way to cancel the next election, we can officially become a Banana Republic.
Executive Privilege - Bush's New Twist
Bush administration officials introduced a bold new assertion of executive authority Thursday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege."A U.S. attorney would not be permitted to bring contempt charges or convene a grand jury in an executive privilege case," said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity and said his remarks reflect a consensus within the administration. "And a U.S. attorney wouldn't be permitted to argue against the reasoned legal opinion that the Justice Department provided. No one should expect that to happen."
Mark Rozell, a professor of public policy at George Mason University who has written a book on executive-privilege issues, called the administration's stance "astonishing."
"That's a breathtakingly broad view of the president's role in this system of separation of powers," Rozell said. "What this statement is saying is the president's claim of executive privilege trumps all."
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