WASHINGTON, March 25 LawFuel Law News — Today on Fox News
Sunday, Republican Senator and minority whip Trent Lott defended President Bush’s decision to stonewall a Congressional inquiry into the scandal over the politically motivated firings of eight U.S. Attorneys by invoking executive privilege. Asked why President Bush was justified in keeping his advisors from testifying when White House advisors in previous administrations had done so, Lott-the second-ranking Republican in the Senate-said he thought those administrations were mistaken in doing so. Lott’s newfound opposition to Congressional testimony directly contradicts his previous statements during the Clinton Administration where he himself was a leading voice criticizing President Clinton’s use of executive privilege.
“If Senator Lott were truly interested in getting to the bottom of this
scandal he’d give President Bush the same advice he gave the president in
1998,” said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen
Finney. “Instead, Lott is following the rest of the Bush Republicans in
Washington who continue to distort the record and stonewall legitimate
efforts find out the truth. It is time for Republicans like Senator Lott
and the President to stop putting partisanship and cronyism ahead of the
American people.”
Lott’s Executive Privilege Hypocrisy
Trent Lott 2007: Letting White House Advisors Testify Under Oath Would Be a “Huge Mistake.” “Lott: In my mind, I think if the President would agree for his close advisors in the White House to testify before Congress under oath he’d be making a huge mistake. There is a thing called executive privilege. I do think presidents …
“Wallace: A lot of these Clinton aides testified under oath.
“Lott: Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean it was a smart thing to do or
that it should have been done. I mean, I do think that presidents should
pay attention to the precedents they set for their successors.” [Fox News
Sunday, 3/25/07]
Trent Lott 1998: Clinton Should Give Up Executive Privilege; Fight
“Give Us More Information, Not Less.” “Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader
Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said Clinton should stop the fight over executive
privilege. ‘I think he should give up that contest,’ Lott told reporters
Monday. ‘And I think he should be forthcoming. He should give us more
information, not less.'” [CNN, 6/1/98]
Trent Lott 1998: Clinton Decision to Invoke Executive Privilege
“Improper,” Echoes Watergate. “Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.)
said yesterday that President Clinton’s decision to invoke executive
privilege in connection with independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr’s
investigation was ‘improper’ and will damage the president’s credibility
because of parallels with the Watergate scandal that led to President
Richard M. Nixon’s downfall. ‘It looks like they are hiding something,’
Lott said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ one of several Sunday television
interview programs dominated by discussions of the sexual misconduct
allegations that are swirling around Clinton.” [Washington Post, 3/23/98]
Trent Lott 1998: Called for “The Whole Truth.” “[C]ome forward. Tell
the American people what has happened in these cases…What does he know?
What is the truth? What is the whole truth?” [News Conference, 3/9/98]
Trent Lott 1998: Sen. Lott Said Actions “Smack of Watergate;” Looks
Like There’s Something to Hide. [T]hey’ve taken a step that really smacks
of Watergate. It certainly looks bad — like there’s something there that
they’re trying to hide.” [Washington Times, 3/23/1998]
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