VIDEO: Congress Can Overcome Executive Privilege if Investigating Potential Crimes

[L. Coyote]

FOCUS of this thread: Charging the President and Vice-President with criminal offenses.

QUESTION: Will Congress overcome Executive Privilege claims by focusing on potential criminal offenses.

Are we now just one step away from pulling impeachment out from under the table? Bush and Cheney know fully well that there has been a de facto impeachment in process with so many investigations and their focii. Have we reached to point where Dems can no longer keep impeachment under the table?

In this article, scholar of Constitutional Law, Jonathan Turley, points to the way around Executive privilege, "the way Congress can get around the executive privilege in court is to say, we're investigating a potential crime."

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Legal expert: White House stonewalling may force Congress to charge president with criminal offenses
David Edwards and Muriel Kane = Published: Wednesday June 27, 2007
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Law_Scholar_Wiretap_subpoenas_may_open_0627.html

... the White House is refusing on grounds of executive privilege to honor Senate subpoenas and release documents relating to its warrantless wiretapping ... Olbermann then turned to law professor Joanathan Turley, ... "But there is one thing that might concern them about the court," Turley said, "and that is, you know, for many years, since we first found out about this program, some of us have said that this was a clearly criminal act that the president called for. ... If we're right, not only did he order that crime, but it would be, in fact, an impeachable offense."

"Both sides, both Democrats and Republicans, have avoided this sort of pig in the parlor," Turley continued. "They don't want to recognize that this president may have ordered criminal offenses. But they may now be on the road to do that, because the way Congress can get around the executive privilege in court is to say, we're investigating a potential crime."

... Turley ... "The position adopted by Mr. Addington and Mr. Cheney, to put it bluntly, was absurd. ... In past administrations, if someone like Mr. Addington made such a moronic argument as this one, they would be out of a job the next week. ... I think that what it really shows is the lack of sort of adult supervision within the administration.".....

... "This administration, I have to say, has a certain contempt for the law," said Turley. "They treat it like some of my criminal defendents used to treat it. ... They come up with any argument that might work. ... It's a sort of shocking development. ... But at the end of the day, they will lose, and they're making the situation worse."

VIDEO

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

1. Thanks for finding this LCoyote! I posted about this a few minutes ago on another thread.

:hi:

[L. Coyote]

2. This is HUGE, and I wanted a thread with a focus on overcoming Executive privilege.

There is a lot to discuss outside of that focus too. I'll check it out.

On EDIT: Going to need a link. Please cross-post your thread here.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. The thread was started by someone else ...Conyer's Game On. Link to my post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1202616&mesg_id=1202858

[L. Coyote]

4. Thanks. Yes, that sums it up nicely. Dems need to come out of their corner now

and land that blow, "A crime is under investigation here, sir."

The "sir" is optional, at this point! :rofl:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. Land that blow? Someone just started a thread saying that Obama isn't interested in

Impeachment. My comment..any member of Congress who does not pursue Impeachment should be held for aiding and abetting. They are not upholding their oath to the Constitution.

Meanwhile, as to the "sir"! Very funny!!!!!

[L. Coyote]

10. Every Dem is interested in impeachment. That does not infer the best strategy

is to say so. "Let's make them call it impeachment first" is a truly admirable
strategy. If we call it impeachent, they will all start whining at once.
Leave it under the table as long as possible. Saying, "This is an investigation
of a possible criminal offense" is still an under-the-table impeachment, and suffices.

Crying impeachment now would be analgous to taking a pacifer away from a baby when you need a quite hour to work hard on impeachment!! :rofl:

[Hissyspit]

5. Video can be seen on DU here:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Hissyspit/1672

[wryter2000]

6. It's called US v. Nixon

The Court ruled that a criminal investigation trumped executive privilege. That's oversimplified, of course.

[L. Coyote]

8. Isn't that the same Nixon who was Cheney's boss? LUV the IRONY!!

[bigtree]

9. kick

:kick:

[L. Coyote]

13. Likewise

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. John Dean just said on Keith Olbermann that there is good cause for Impeachment, especially

against Cheney. I hope someone posts the video.

[L. Coyote]

12. The investigations will lead to the appropriate outcome, no doubt.

And, if the evidence justifies it, that will be impeachment. Unlike McCain investigating Abramoff, this time the object is not a cover-up.

[L. Coyote]

14. kick an R in the primary