executive privilege at Brave New Films

Headzup: Everyone Has Executive Privilege!

2008-11-12T16:55:41Z

Dick Cheney is asked about Sarah Palin claiming executive privilege in not turning over emails.

Read more about it here--
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/10/palin-email-privilege/

Download daily Catch and Release Comedy™ political cartoons to your mobile phone or iPod at www.headzup.tv

Watch the video

Rep. Waxman on EPA Docs: We Haven't Seen this Since Nixon

2008-10-27T09:30:32Z

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, June 20, 2008

Watch the video

Eleanor Clift: Do Dems Have Spine To Challenge Karl Rove?

2008-10-27T03:30:00Z

Eleanor Clift: "Karl Rove's claim of executive privilege will not hold up in court if the Democrats have the spine to challenge it."

Watch the video

Mukasey lets Bolten and Miers off the hook

2008-03-18T05:01:47Z

We expected nothing less from the guy who can't figure out if waterboarding is torture or just a minor annoyance... unless it's done to him:

Attorney General Michael Mukasey refused Friday to refer the House's contempt citations against two of President Bush's top aides to a federal grand jury. Mukasey said White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former presidential counsel Harriet Miers committed no crime.

So can I refuse subpoenas too? Not that I've ever been subpoenaed, or would be, should be, could be, shall be, or expect to be subpoenaed...

As promised, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she has given the Judiciary Committee authority to file a lawsuit against Bolten and Miers in federal court.
"The House shall do so promptly," she said in a statement. [...] "The American people demand that we uphold the law," Pelosi said. "As public officials, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect our system of checks and balances and our civil lawsuit seeks to do just that."

I didn't realize we still had a system of checks and balances. On the other hand, I know we have a system of checks... and they all go out to Big Oil and Enormous Pharma. And last time I looked, I noticed that we do have a system of imbalances. And a White House full of the unbalanced.

Mukasey said Bolten and Miers were right in ignoring subpoenas to provide Congress with White House documents or testify about the firings of federal prosecutors.

And then there's the political angle, and what an angle it is!

The suit had a political purpose too. Democrats have urged that the filing occur swiftly so that a judge might rule before the November elections, when all 435 House seats and a third of the Senate are up for grabs. Criticism of Bush's use of executive power is a key tenet of the Democrats' platform, from the presidential race on down. [...]

Can you figure out who's on the right side of this one? And by "right", I mean logical, correct, ethically/morally/legally sound, not "right" as in Republican:

Democrats say Bush's instructions to Miers and Bolten to ignore the House Judiciary Committee's subpoenas was an abuse of power and an effort to block an effort to find out whether the White House directed the firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 for political reasons.

Republicans call the whole affair a political game and walked out of the House vote on the contempt citations in protest.

Oh yeah? Well, I protest the Right's contempt for contempt citations. And I'm right... as in Democrat.

Leahy: Bush not involved in U.S. Attorney firings

2008-10-28T11:19:39Z

Senator Patrick Leahy, what are you up to? Oh, this!

A Senate chairman acknowledged explicitly on Thursday that President Bush was not involved in the firings of U.S. attorneys last winter and therefore ruled illegal the president's executive privilege claims protecting his chief of staff, John Bolten, and former adviser Karl Rove.

That sly fox.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy directed Bolten, Rove, former political director Sara Taylor and her deputy, J. Scott Jennings, to comply "immediately" with their subpoenas for documents and information about the White House's role in the firings of U.S. attorneys.

If he gets them talking, no telling what might spill out.

Unlike Gonzales, Mukasey did not rule out allowing a federal prosecutor to take the case of any contempt citations passed by Congress. House leaders also have filed a contempt citation in their chamber against Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, but no floor vote has been scheduled. [...]
But Mukasey's testimony and his promise to quit if Bush ignored his legal advice gives any citation — even the threat of one — more weight.

But--and there's always that dreaded "but"-- Leahy's ruling may not amount to more than a threat before Congress adjourns next month for the holidays.

Maybe, just this once, the Dems will find a way to actually follow through on a threat.

Nixon's question for the YouTube Republican Debate

2008-10-25T15:29:38Z

The Ghost of Richard Nixon has a question for the Republican Presidential Candidates.

Download daily Catch and Release Comedy™ political cartoons to your mobile phone or iPod at www.headzup.tv

Watch the video

Olbermann Milbank on White House Contempt for Congress

2008-10-14T11:16:26Z

Aug. 2, 2007

Watch the video

Headzup: Bush Explains Executive Privilege

2008-10-14T11:29:48Z

President Bush explains why it's important to deny congress any oversight over him and his administration.

Download daily Catch and Release Comedy™ political cartoons to your mobile phone or iPod at www.headzup.tv

Watch the video

Harriet Miers Compilation

2008-10-26T09:29:57Z

A compilation of clips from Harriet Miers' House meeting.

Watch the video

Headzup: Sara Taylor's Oath

2008-10-15T09:30:38Z

Sara Taylor testifies to the Senate about her sacred oath. Download daily Catch and Release Comedy™ political cartoons to your mobile phone or iPod at www.headzup.tv

Watch the video

Sara Taylor 2

2008-10-15T09:30:58Z

Sara Taylor pleads protection via executive privilege.

Watch the video

More Bush Administration Nonsense

2008-10-16T09:29:44Z

The Young Turks: Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ben Mankiewicz. Ben makes a good point about a contradictory stance by Bush on Executive Privilege.
Watch live from 6-9AM ET on www.theyoungturks.com. Listen from 6-9AM ET on Air America Radio.

Watch the video

Old Republican Quotes

2008-10-16T03:31:58Z

The Young Turks: Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ben Mankiewicz. What they had to say during Clinton's Administration and Executive Privilege. Watch live from 6-9AM ET on www.theyoungturks.com. Listen from 6-9AM ET on Air America Radio.

Watch the video