5 responses to ““Differentiate Your Party’s Assertion of Executive Privilege From the Previous Administration’s””

1. 

   al-Ameda

   June 22, 2012 at 11:05 am

   interesting that this is only the first time that Obama has used Executive Privilege.

   Stewart almost always nails it.
   I think he’s the best political observer in the regular media rotation.
   Who’s better?
2. 

   Rob in CT

   June 22, 2012 at 11:12 am

   A good question, and one that deserves an answer (likely to include much squirming).
3. 

   mattb

   June 22, 2012 at 12:04 pm

   @al-Ameda:

   interesting that this is only the first time that Obama has used Executive Privilege.

   Correct. That said, Clinton invoked it a LOT (14 times), more than double the six times that GWB used it.

   The problem with going solely after statistics flattens out the context of each invocation. Many of Clintons invocations had to do with the Lewinsky affair. Now granted that was tied into a witch hunt, but was that more or less abusive of the Privilege than how GWB or Obama used it?

   A similar argument comes up on signing statements.

   (fyi – I’m getting those numbers from here: http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/06_-_June/Factbox__History_of_executive_privilege/ )
4. 

   Stormy Dragon

   June 22, 2012 at 3:01 pm

   @al-Ameda:

   Who’s better?

   I think Stewart’s protege Stephen Colbert has surpassed him.
5. 

   al-Ameda

   June 22, 2012 at 5:51 pm

   @Stormy Dragon:

   I agree, Colbert is good too.

   Part of the reason that Stewart and Colbert do so well is that they do not have the usual suspect pundits appear on the show to parrot the party talking points. Stewart and Colbert just use news clips and video footage to skewer these guys with their own words and actions.

   It’s sure a lot more informative that listening to George Stephanopoulis “question” John Boehner and David Axelrod.