Executive Privilege Is the Real Crime
Sparxafire!
Oh, for crying out loud. Sen. Patrick Leahy tells us today that the White House has failed to deliver documents (I’ve lost track of which scandal they’re about…) after two deadline extensions, and “they’re really, really in contempt now.” Well. I’m paraphrasing. He also avowed that he did not understand what was behind these great delays. Yes, statecrafters… that’s what he said: “I don’t know why it’s taken so long, but it’s a good first step.” (The first step being the acknowledgement of the existence of the documents.)
He doesn’t know why this is taking so long. HE DOESN’T KNOW WHY….???
I don’t really understand “taking the fifth” when testifying in court. I cannot imagine what that means, other than, “Yes. I am absolutely guilty, but you’ll need to find someone else to confirm that fact.” The very same goes for “executive privilege…” which means, “Yes. I have documents that demonstrate pure, unadulterated illegal activity, therefore, I’m not going to show them to you, because then you would have no choice but to convict me of a crime, and I don’t want that.”
That’s certainly what “executive privilege” meant to Nixon, who more or less invented it… except his documents were tapes of incriminating conversations.
Who on earth doesn’t know why the White House is buttoned up? Everybody knows they routinely break the law in there without answering to anyone ever. And Congress seems determined to keep it that way for reasons that elude me entirely. They have the power to check and balance the executive branch. I just wish they would reveal why they choose not to exercise it. Is it laziness? Apathy? Fear? Fear of what?
They can’t take impeachment off the table, for crying out loud. The Founding Fathers put it on the table! If the impeachment process is too cumbersome and protracted to work to do what it’s supposed to do, change the process!
Leahy went on to say that the Senate was asking questions of the vice president a couple of years ago, but that a message came back from Cheney’s office that the senators were not permitted to subpoena the office of the vice president, “Not quite sure that’s my understanding of the separation of powers, but it seemed to work at that time,” Leahy points out matter-of-factly.
I am speechless.
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