Congress Ups the Ante on Executive Privilege
Congress Ups the Ante on Executive Privilege
Circling the wagons is becoming a way of life in George W. Bush's White House as it faces fresh challenges from opponents in Congress. Some Democratic senators are calling for a special counsel to investigate whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales committed perjury when testifying about the firing of U.S. attorneys and whether there was dissent within the Bush administration over its terrorist surveillance program. On another front, the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, and the House Judiciary Committee voted to issue contempt citations for Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former legal counsel Harriet Miers—all because of growing disputes over executive privilege and the unwillingness of Bush advisers to testify before Congress. Bush's answer, as usual, was to resist what he considers congressional meddling and harassment, and to attack his opponents as political partisans seeking to undermine his presidency. Press Secretary Tony Snow called the House action "pathetic."
How to Spin a Summer Vacation
White House officials are bracing for the annual escalation of political vacation attacks as the president heads for a week or so of downtime—critics say goofing off—at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, later this month. The most recent zingers came during last week's Democratic presidential debate in Charleston, S.C., when candidate John Edwards compared Bush to the Iraqi parliament, which is taking several weeks off while U.S. troops are fighting on the steamy streets of Baghdad. A senior White House official said it's really majority Democrats in Congress who should be criticized for taking their annual monthlong recess in August while there is so much left to do on Capitol Hill. Besides, he added, Bush may cut cedar, ride his mountain bike, and stroll with his wife, Laura, at Prairie Chapel Ranch, but he can never escape from his job.
Bush Gets His Turn to Bat This Fall
White House advisers contend that, overall, things aren't as bad in Dubya's world as the critics say. "The real problem for Bush now," says a senior administration official, "is that it looks like he doesn't have control over the government." The advisers argue, however, that the president will maintain his unpopular Iraq policy almost by default, because Congress can't muster enough votes to enact an alternative. And they say Bush's fortunes will rise as he confronts the Democratic-controlled Congress with vetoes of spending bills that he considers excessive. They also expect him to get a lift in the polls for being a strong leader, at least in the view of conservatives, as he blocks antiwar legislation.
National Security Still Sticks
Bush's argument that there is a strong link between al Qaeda in Iraq and global terrorism has some Democratic strategists worried. They point out that preserving national security—the idea of "keeping us safe"—remains a potent campaign issue. The Dems sniff out that subtext in many Bush speeches, such as one last week in South Carolina where he implied that antiwar Democrats are weak on national security. "National security is still a wedge issue for the Republicans, and Democrats would be wise to pay attention," says a senior Democratic strategist.
PHOTO OP: 4:28 p.m., July 25, South Lawn of the White House
On a day in which he pushed for better care for wounded veterans, President Bush went jogging with two soldiers he met while visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center: Neil Duncan (left) and Max Ramsey. Duncan, who lost both legs in Afghanistan, called the event "the pinnacle of recovery...you couldn't ask for anything better."
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This story appears in the August 6, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.