Reply #43: Wow !!!! [View All]

[malaise]

Specter said he was incredulous that the administration would not allow the U.S. attorney to prosecute a contempt citation. He said that means the president is claiming sole authority to determine when executive privilege applies.

"That cannot stand up in a constitutional democracy," the senator said.

He said Congress at this point has several options:

-Appoint a special prosecutor to handle the criminal contempt citations.

-Switch to civil contempt proceedings.

-Impeachment, or inherent contempt proceedings.

"I would still like to see it worked out," Specter said.

He said Bush is right to fight hard for the institutional power of the executive branch, and that every branch must do this or see its powers erode. But executive privilege is "always a judgment call," Specter added, and never absolute. He said that the other branches of government must be able to have checks on them when it applies.
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popcorn time :popcorn: :popcorn: