White House

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House Passes Surveillance Bill
House Passes Surveillance Bill
Aug 5, 2007 11:47 AM CDT

House Passes Surveillance Bill

White House spying powers expanded, despite Democrats' opposition

(Newser) - A bill set to expand the government's warrantless spying program cleared the House last night by a 227-183 vote, the Washington Post reports. Many Democrats put aside profound  reservations, yielding to pressure from the White House and fearing being branded "weak on terror" as the campaign heats up this...

Secret Ruling: Fed Wiretap Plan Illegal

Judge halted key overseas eavesdropping months ago

(Newser) - In a secret decision earlier this year a federal intelligence court judge ruled that a key element of the White House's massive wiretapping program was illegal, the Washington Post reports. The decision blocked NSA information collection from a large number of phone calls and emails that pass through two locations...

Bush Aide Stonewalls Senators
Bush Aide Stonewalls Senators
Aug 2, 2007 3:29 PM CDT

Bush Aide Stonewalls Senators

Rove snubs Judiciary Committee; 29-year-old staffer pleads for sympathy

(Newser) - Karl Rove didn't show up, but the White House sent a 29-year-old aide to field Senate Judiciary Committee questions about the US attorney firings today. Scott Jennings, the first administration figure to testify while still in office, followed the path laid out by ex-boss Sara Taylor in refusing to answer...

Rove Won't Testify, Citing Privilege

Counsel orders adviser to keep mum; Gonzales stands pat on testimony

(Newser) - The White House has ordered Karl Rove to keep quiet—despite a subpoena by congressional Dems probing the US Attorney firings. In a political fait accompli, counsel Fred Fielding told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the adviser is "immune from compelled congressional testimony" about White House machinations.

New Party in Japan Prompts US Anxiety

Election winners threaten to veto anti-terror measures

(Newser) - The ruling party’s losses in Japanese elections last week are causing worry in the White House and the Pentagon, says the Financial Times. An anti-terror measure that that has allowed Japanese ships to refuel American vessels is set to expire in November, and the Democratic Party of Japan is...

Thompson (Already) Falters
Thompson (Already) Falters
Aug 1, 2007 8:59 AM CDT

Thompson (Already) Falters

Campaign sinking before it starts swimming

(Newser) - Fred Thompson's White House campaign is in trouble before it has even officially begun, according to the Washington Post's campaign diary. Short of money and minus a manager, the unannounced Thompson is tied for last in the polls with the floundering John McCain.

General Faces Demotion in Tillman Probe

Six other officers will draw career-ending punishments

(Newser) - A retired three-star general who allegedly misled investigators about the death of former NFL player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan could be stripped of his stars and part of his pension, Pentagon officials told CNN. Retired Lt. Gen. Phillip Kensinger told inspectors he didn't know the Green Beret was killed by...

White House Expands Exec Privilege Claims

Congressional Dems face new obstacle in US attorneys probe

(Newser) - White House officials have made a broad new claim to executive privilege that would block the Justice Department from pursuing contempt charges initiated by Congress, the Washington Post reports. Citing a Regan-era legal opinion, they argued that "A US attorney would not be permitted to bring contempt charges or...

Fear Rules Iraq, Briefers Tell Congress

Benchmarks not likely to be met, say Crocker, Petraeus

(Newser) - Iraq is gripped by widespread fear and is unlikely to fulfill political and security goals by the pivotal September assessment, US officials told lawmakers yesterday in a briefing from Baghdad. "One word I would use to sum up the atmosphere in Iraq is 'fear,' " said ambassador Ryan...

Did Drug Officials Boost GOP Reps?
Did Drug Officials Boost GOP Reps?
Jul 18, 2007 5:16 PM CDT

Did Drug Officials Boost GOP Reps?

White House arranged appearances to prop up weak candidates, Dems charge

(Newser) - Public appearances by top guns in the Office of National Drug Control Policy may have been used to support vulnerable GOP Congressman in the run-up to the '06 elections, a Democratic lawmaker charged yesterday. Henry Waxman, chair of the House Oversight Committee, said it was part of a larger White...

Bush Satisfied With Iraq Progress
Bush Satisfied With Iraq Progress
Jul 12, 2007 4:56 PM CDT

Bush Satisfied With Iraq Progress

Acknowledging 'war fatigue,' president warns against hasty withdrawal

(Newser) - President Bush used today's interim report on the Iraq war to renew his call for Congress to withhold judgment on the troop surge until a September update, saying the military will "be in a better position to adjust" in 2 months. The report notes positive movement in eight out...

Ex-Aide Stays Tight Lipped on Attorneys

Sara Taylor respects former boss's executive privilege claim

(Newser) - Former White House political adviser Sara Taylor never discussed the ouster of nine US attorneys with President Bush, she told the Senate Judiciary Committee today. The subpoenaed Taylor said little else about the Justice Department scandal, citing executive privilege, but waffled occasionally between discretion and disclosure—for instance apologizing for...

Bush Directs Aides to Defy Subpoenas

Cites executive privilege in bid to stop Miers, Taylor testimony

(Newser) - In an aggressive use of executive privilege, President Bush instructed two of his former aides yesterday to disregard congressional subpoenas demanding they testify about the attorney firings scandal. In a letter to Congress, Bush's counsel rebuffed Democratic senators for encroaching on internal White House affairs, bringing the two branches closer...

Bush Commutes Libby Sentence
Bush Commutes Libby Sentence
Jul 2, 2007 5:41 PM CDT

Bush Commutes Libby Sentence

President spares former Cheney aide jail time; conviction remains

(Newser) - Scooter Libby won't be going to jail: President Bush commuted the former Cheney aide's 30-month sentence for perjury and obstruction of justice tonight, but stopped short of a pardon. The move came hours after a federal appeals court denied Libby's motion for bail pending his appeal.

Leahy Ready to Take White House to Court

Senator stands behind subpoenas in US attorney probe

(Newser) - Patrick Leahy has a message for White House officials who object to subpoenas issued in the US attorney firing investigation: See you in court. The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman took the dispute over executive privilege to the airwaves today, saying, "If they don't cooperate, yes, I'll go that far"...

Supremes Will Hear Gitmo Cases
Supremes Will Hear Gitmo Cases
Jun 29, 2007 10:25 AM CDT

Supremes Will Hear Gitmo Cases

Inmates seek right to challenge confinement in federal court

(Newser) - Two Guantanamo Bay detainees will have their say before the Supreme Court, which today unexpectedly agreed to hear their cases in the term that begins this fall. The prisoners want permission to challenge their indefinite confinement in federal court. The high court had rejected an identical appeal in April, and...

White House Stonewalls on Subpoenas
White House Stonewalls
on Subpoenas
Jun 28, 2007 5:35 PM CDT

White House Stonewalls on Subpoenas

Bush invokes executive privilege in Senate probe of US attorney firings

(Newser) - The White House shot down attempts to subpoena internal documents concerning the US attorney firings today by invoking executive privilege. Though not a surprise, the refusal moved the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to accuse the administration of "Nixonian stonewalling." If the committee doesn't back down, the...

Domestic Spying Probe Reaches West Wing

Frustrated Senate committee doles out subpoenas

(Newser) - Patrick Leahy came out swinging against the Bush administration's "sweeping assertions of secrecy and privilege" today, issuing subpoenas to the White House, Dick Cheney's office, the Justice Department, and the NSC. The documents demanded by the Senate Judiciary Committee relate to the warrantless wiretapping of terrorism suspects and the...

White House Budget Director Will Step Down

Surprise departure precedes expected battle over spending

(Newser) - The White House budget director will leave his post this summer after just over a year in office. Rob Portman departs the OMB at an awkward time, with Congress gearing up for a bruising fight over next year's federal budget. He enjoys bipartisan support that his successor, onetime Iowa congressman...

White House Aides Broke Rules on E-Mails

Staff used political channels for government business

(Newser) - Hundreds of thousands of White House e-mails sent on Republican National Committee accounts have been deleted or are missing, an apparent violation of the law governing presidential records. The Washington Post reports that Karl Rove personally sent or received 140,000 e-mails, more than half of which appear to be...

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