Executive Privilege Clinton vs. Bush

People seem to want to make a lot of President Bush’s decision to assert Executive Privilege when it comes to firing federal prosecutors. I guess perhaps we need to put this in context for the libs out there that either have selective memory or were in some other chemically induced state during the Clinton years.

First a comparison. Does the President have the power to fire congressional staff? Does the President have the power to fire lawyers that work for congressional committees? Does the President have the power to investigate when a congressional staffer or lawyer gets fired by a member of congress or a committee of congress? Answer, No he doesn’t. So why is it that congress thinks it has the power to investigate when the President fires people that work in the executive branch when it is clear that it doesn’t have that power?

With that in mind let us look back at the previous President and his history of asserting Executive Privilege. Since Mrs. Bill Clinton is running for President it is interesting to review the assertions made by her husband when he was President and it gives us an eye opening look at what we may be headed for in a potential Hillary administration.

Bill Clinton asserted some form of Privilege 15 times that I can find. Thanks to Alamo-Girl for her site on the Clinton Legacy.

1993 - to block an inspection of Vince Foster’s files after his suicide
1994 - to block turning over documents from its ethics review regarding Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy
1995 - to block lawyer’s notes from conversations with Hillary Clinton
1996 - to block turning over documents relating to arms shipments from Iran to Bosnia
1996 - to block turning over a memo by FBI Director Louis Freeh criticizing the drug policy
1996 - to block turning over documents subpoenaed concerning Haiti police violence
1996 - to block turning over Travel Office documents
1997 - to block turning over campaign finance related records
1997 - to block testimony of Bruce Lindsey concerning James Riady - campaign finance
1997 - to block turning over documents pertaining to cancellation of an Indian casino
1998 - to block testimony of Paul Begala - filegate
1998 - to block grand jury testimony of Bruce Lindsey and Sidney Blumenthal - Lewinsky
1998 - to block grand jury testimony of Bruce Lindsey (”attorney client”) - Lewinsky
1998 - to block Secret Service testimony - Lewinsky (new privilege, “protective function”) - Lewinksy
1998 - to block answers to 2 questions Hillary Clinton (”spousal privilege”) – Whitewater

Now the interesting thing to note from this list is that every one of these items listed is in reference to a criminal probe of some type. Bush’s assertion of executive privilege in the matter of fired prosecutors has nothing to do with any criminal investigation. These people serve at the pleasure of the President and can be replaced at anytime for any reason. There is nothing even remotely criminal that can be asserted by congress. Clinton’s assertions of privilege were all related to criminal probes. Thanks again to Alamo-Girl and her site that I stumbled upon. As we move through the next several months I will be going back to this site as we hope to bring to light again what a Clinton administration would bring back to the White House.