McClellan on his testimony: I’m ‘sure’ White House will consider invoking executive privilege.
McClellan on his testimony: I’m ‘sure’ White House will consider invoking executive privilege.
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has agreed to testify, under oath, to the House Judiciary Committee on June 20. Yesterday at a book reading in Washington, DC, McClellan said that he expects the White House to think about invoking executive privilege before he goes before Congress:
When asked if his testimony next week might prompt any invoking of executive privilege – a power which can allow the president to block testimony- McClellan said, “I don’t have anything incriminating to say here if that’s what you’re looking for.
“Well I imagine if Congress tries to go into other issues, ones I haven’t spoken about in the book, I’m sure the White House would think seriously about that.“
In May, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino raised the possibility that the White House could block McClellan from testifying.
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Democracy “bush-style” hard at work.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:41 amAnd yet, Dems think it would be political suicide to put impeachment back on the table.
Just how many constitional violations, outright criminal undertakings and dead soldiers would it take to grow a backbone?
I’m disgusted with the lot of them. Except Kucinich and Wexler…
PEACE
June 11th, 2008 at 10:49 amsorry, that would be “constitutional”
June 11th, 2008 at 10:50 amExecutive privilege, telecom immunity, destroying e-mails, gutting intelligence reports, we can go on and on at how this misadministration has acted to suppress information and deceive the public.
Is impeachment back on the table YET? (Kucinich and Wexler notwithstanding)
June 11th, 2008 at 10:51 amI’m with you spencers mom. The Democrats who continue to do nothing are as complicit as the Republicans who encouraged this behavior to not harm their party.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:53 amWhat really troubles me is that HJC & John Conyers might be as disorganized in the McClellan hearing as they have noticeably been several times in the recent past. Put the egos aside and have a meeting on how the best questioners among you can best question McC, folks.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:55 amIf the Petulant Punk will invoke EP to cover up Tillman’s murder, why wouldn’t he do it to cover up his own shit trail?
Of course he will.
It could be that he was involved in Tillman’s silencing too, but we may never know because of the cover up. And the Dems in Congress are ok with this because it’s good politics?
June 11th, 2008 at 10:57 amI don’t see how shrub would be able to get away with claiming executive privilege.
Then again, I thought it was impossible for him to get away with lying to the American public and occupying a country that was not a threat to the US.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:59 amSo, if the administration invokes “Executive privileged”, what happens if McClellan ignores it and testifies anyway??
In any case, McClellan is hardly a saint. Granted, it was his job to be a professional Liar for that Administration, but there is NO WAY he was completely and innocently blindsided by the truth of the matter.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:59 amMcClellan is now a private citizen. How would BushitCo stop him from testifying, short of planting explosives in his vehicle?
June 11th, 2008 at 11:02 amMaybe they made him sign a non-disclosure agreement.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:04 amThis administration has exposed how toothless congress can be if the Whitehouse stonewalls.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:08 amWe need a new amendment or two. One should be something like this:
If the president of vice president lie to congress, impeachment must proceed immediately.
nellre:
If the president of vice president lie to congress, impeachment must proceed immediately
LOL! I share your sentiment,but that’ll never work.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:12 am“I don’t have anything incriminating to say here if that’s what you’re looking for. Well I imagine if Congress tries to go into other issues, ones I haven’t spoken about in the book, I’m sure the White House would think seriously about that.”
So is McLellan saying he has “incriminating” evidence or information that he hasn’t made public? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:18 amScott doesn’t work for them any more. EP does NOT apply. Period.
If he refuses to testify – throw his ass in JAIL.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:19 amIt’s way, way too late in the game for impeachment. We don’t need that to be the number one story going into the election. The number one story needs to be McCain’s forgetfulness, flip-flops and stupid gaffes.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:25 amPolitical Suicide should be the least of ANY politicians worries. The fact that they are putting their political careers before defending the Constitution and it’s citizens is contemptable. They are going to force us to make term limits, which I have always been for. We have seen these fat cats exploit their positions long enough. Getting rich off of earmarks and gifts.
If the administration stands in the way of Scott testifing they are admitting they have something to hide. Which I’m sure we haven’t seen all the skeletons come out of the closet yet.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:28 amIs it just me or does it sound like Scotty is having second thoughts after getting the 3AM phone call from Darth with a subtle reminder of the shotgun and the man-sized safe?
June 11th, 2008 at 11:31 amTawdry Says:
It’s way, way too late in the game for impeachment. We don’t need that to be the number one story going into the election. The number one story needs to be McCain’s forgetfulness, flip-flops and stupid gaffes.
While I don’t disagree, Tawdry, it will be almost 8 months before President Obama takes office and, by leaving this administration unchecked, we are not only leaving open the possibility to Bush to take military action against Iran, but we are also saying that it’s okay to delay having an Iraq exit strategy until 2009.
How many U.S. troop deaths, and Iraqi civilian deaths, will occur in that time? And is that okay, given the details we already know about this admin?
PEACE
June 11th, 2008 at 11:32 amTwo things come to mind here:
June 11th, 2008 at 11:44 am1) How can McC be covered under executive privelege when he wrote a damn book and the white house signed off on its contents?
2) Why the hell did they schedule his testimony so far in advance, thus giving the repukes time to concoct a lame-ass strategy of deceit?
The reason members of Bushco have gotten away with not testifying is because congress allowed it to happen. Is there really any legitimate reason why Harriett Myers and Karl Rove haven’t had testify, NO. Congress has let it happen.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:49 amThe MSM keep asserting that the Dems do not want to support impeachment because it will hinder them in the fall. The feeling is that they have the upcoming elections locked up already. As if they are ignoring the 800 lb. gorilla in the room.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:51 amThe fact is that the Dems would more than likely gain support if they grew a spine and impeached Bush and Cheney.
The entire culture in DC has it’s priorities screwed up. They are too busy campaigning instead of worrying about doing their jobs. One of them is to ensure the constitution is faithfully protected.
Jeez, guys, impeachment’s off the table because they don’t have the votes to convict!
Do you really want that? The House impeaches him, and we don’t have the 2/3 vote in the Senate, he gets acquitted. He walks. He’s exonerated.
It doesn’t matter how clear the crimes are, If we can’t convict Bush and Cheney, we’d damn well better take impeachment off the table.
THe last thing–the LAST thing I want is for George Bush to be ‘vindicated.’ Better wait until B&C are private citizens again with no privilegeand no pardons in their pockets.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:51 ampbg Says:
Jeez, guys, impeachment’s off the table because they don’t have the votes to convict!
Do you really want that? The House impeaches him, and we don’t have the 2/3 vote in the Senate, he gets acquitted. He walks. He’s exonerated.
I recently either heard or read a statement that impeachment is more about protecting the constitution than about convicting bush.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pmUpside, I think that 3AM call has more to do with a reminder that Scotty has a family.
That’s how mobsters work.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pmMs_Joanne,
Thanks for the clarification. How stoo-pid of me not to see that nuance! :-)
June 11th, 2008 at 12:49 pmMcClellan on his testimony: I’m ‘sure’ White House will consider
invoking executive privilege.
that’s not what my mind was reading at first…
probably not the only thing the WH is thinking of invoking…
watch your back, scotty… take care, man…
June 11th, 2008 at 12:50 pmbut you know that…
I’m curious, can executive privilege apply to someone who is willing to testify and would not divulge classified information?
June 11th, 2008 at 12:52 pmKucinich and Wexler , the only democrats in the congress who remember the Constitution of the United States at this late hour !Impeach and prosecute for high crimes and treason !Redeem the faith of our citizenry and our international allies . Regain the moral highground and safeguard our democracy for another generation by making “an example” of the fascists who have tried to cripple our democracy
June 11th, 2008 at 1:03 pmDemocracy Now !
I know that the President can deny testimony under executive privilege, but can he prevent testimony? What law permits that?
June 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pmIMHO since Scott’s job was to communicate the administration’s message to the public, any communications given to Scott, said to him or transmitted to him would seem to be outside any executive priviledge claim. Logically, why let a mouthpiece in on the lies? Things that Scott doesn’t know about can’t come back to hurt them, yet.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:50 pmScott McClellan is a private citizen and if he chooses to testify how can they stop him. All he has to do is show up and testify. They can’t arrest him. The WH can claim executive privlege all they want but now their only recourse is throught the courts but the horse is already out of the barn.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:11 pm