January 31, 2002

He's Privileged to be our Executive!
   by mike <mike@pfft.net>

Here it goes again! The White House, in its infinite wisdom, is holding information back from the public and the 107th Congress. Like THAT doesn't send up red flags. Specifically, the Bush administration is refusing to turn over meeting notes and contacts they may have had with Enron representatives prior to the poorly-run, mismanaged, doomed, f*cked-their-employees energy company's collapse.

This may seem illegal, but it's actually quite common. This is the doctrine of executive privilege, or the President's right to withhold information from other branches of government in order to preserve the integrity of executive branch operations. It's a doctrine that dates back to 1954 when President Eisenhower coined the phrase during the McCarthy Hearings of the day.

Well shit. Clinton tried this when the courts send subpoenas to his staff regarding the Monica Lewinsky embarrassment, and the courts rebuffed it. Therefore, we now have Congress (specifically the General Accounting Office - the legislative counterpart to the Office of Management and Budget) threatening to sue for the documents. I say you should!

I'm sick of pencildicks in government thinking that refusing to turn over documents in the wake of a legitimate crisis such as the fall of a major energy giant (especially one wrought with such controversy already) is okay. It raises a hell of a lot of suspicion. Cheney claims that he won't be able to have such frank discussions in the future if he has to turn over his notes. Well, if you knew something and didn't tell anyone, you're as much to blame as the Andersen loser. If you had the energy task force alter agreements to better suit Enron, you're just a dick.

Either way, the truth should come out. Let us have it, Cheney. Give it to us straight. You already promised you were in great cardiac health and then proceeded to have like three heart attacks in office, so your credibilty can't possibly be at issue. Never!

PFFT.

Published: January 31, 2002
Editor: stacy