White House seeks deal on sharing wiretap data

[Solly Mack]

The White House failed to meet a Monday deadline for turning over to Congress documents related to a secret terrorist surveillance program, but a senior Democratic lawmaker signaled a willingness to discuss an administration offer to reach a "possible accommodation."

White House officials said the documents contain sensitive national security information that is protected from disclosure by executive privilege. But White House Counsel Fred Fielding sent a letter to Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying the executive branch would be willing to work out an agreement to avoid further conflict.

"We do hope you and your committee members will consider our request to expeditiously seek a means of accommodation that will negate the need for an assertion of executive privilege," Fielding wrote.

[babylonsister]

1. They're playing games, as usual, stringing us all along. I can't imagine

Leahy's patience lasting much longer, but what do I know. I've already been surprised so many times...

[Solly Mack]

3. I can't recall a "deal" with Bush where the people ever benefited

Bush says deal and folks would do well to duck

[BOSSHOG]

2. the bush administration doesn't give a fuck about sensitve national security information

only how it can be used for political purposes. fielding your a fucking treasonous bastard. And any fucking "conservative" American citizen who supports the bush administration are traitors to our country.

"Means of accomodation" my fucking ass. Just round the bastards up, give em a fair trial, find em guilty and hang em.

[Solly Mack]

4. "means of accommodation" means give me what I want

and as Bush has usually gotten what he wanted....

[BOSSHOG]

5. Indeed

and all the trained chickenhawk trash in this country will say, see the democrats don't want to play, while our great president wants to sit down and work things out with them. We need an extremely large land fill.

[havocmom]

8. cheney already admits (via lawyer) he has some of the docs and won't turn them over

Send in the Sargent at Arms and a posse to arrest the scoff-law!

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Cheney_has_warrantless_wiretapping_documents_wont_0821.html

Vice President Dick Cheney's office has in its possession more than 50 documents related to a congressional investigation of the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program, but Cheney's lawyer on Monday refused to hand over the documents in response to a subpoena.

In a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the vice president's lawyer, Shannen W. Coffin, identified dozens of presidential authorizations of the program and Justice Department memos on its legal justifications in Cheney's possession. Coffin refused to hand over the documents, citing a president's right to keep deliberations with his advisers private.

"The Office of the Vice President possesses copies of documents ... that we understand to be of the most interest to the Committee and with respect to which a claim of Executive Privilege if made would clearly be valid," Coffin wrote in the letter Leahy released to reporters Monday.

Among the documents are "copies of Top Secret/Codeword Presidential Authorizations" issued between Oct. 4, 2001, and Dec. 8, 2006. President Bush approved the warrantless wiretapping program, which allows the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on foreign calls without prior court approval, in response to the Sept. 11 attacks. He was required to issue reauthorizations every 45 days.

Question for the BOSS, or anyone else with his common sense and dry humor: If a group of law enforcement personnel, with documents showing due process, shows up to cart the VP off, does his Secret Service Detail stand down, go peacefully with the VP to the hoosegow?

Would it be like some pro-wrestling grudge match? If so, it might actually get some air time on TV.

[BOSSHOG]

9. My best case scenario

the secret service detail assist with putting on the cuffs.

"Conservatives" in this country apparently don't care about the constitution and think this is all a big joke.

[jojo54]

6. whatever "accommodation" the W.H. agrees to

will be blacked out with no discernible facts.

[Solly Mack]

7. Of course