GOP lawmakers baffled by Obama's use of executive privilege

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-- now on the East Coast and there is new fallout this morning for the White House decision a lock up documents related to.

Operation fast and furious and top Republicans in the house saying it was a calculated move by the Obama administration to cover Eric -- back.

And ultimately stymie congress.

Here's the chairman of the oversight committee Darryl -- -- talking with -- about that last.

You -- this is an eleventh hour stunt potentially.

But taking that it's serious -- seriously trying to create an executive privilege -- -- either doesn't exist or has been loosely held meaning most of these documents clue that we've asked for clearly are within that are the trip the Justice Department they're not between the president.

Now my next -- probably doesn't disagree with that South Carolina congressman trade -- members.

House Judiciary Committee in the oversight committee sir good morning -- welcome back here.

To America's news tomorrow I'll put it that the some comments that Eric Holder delivered.

Just a few hours ago he's in -- -- -- He called the move of the committee -- the -- so far by the committee unwarranted unnecessary.

And unprecedented.

Do you say to them.

Well good morning -- is hardly unprecedented -- need look no.

Further back -- the Bush Administration is seek contempt of congress being threatened and exercise on -- fairly routine basis.

Is also not unwarranted bill -- you we asked for the documents in October of 2000 -- We're in June of 2000 world I can't answer your questions about fast and furious who approved -- -- dual Baden Powell -- letter was sent to Chuck Grassley.

I don't know what's more than I did an October 2011.

If he wanted to assert executive privilege you should've done about the date.

The subpoena return was -- which was October 25 2011.

The other issue that I find vexing is that us witness after witness after what as -- -- -- the president knew nothing about fast and -- he had no conversations about it he didn't approve it.

Then how the world -- assert executive privilege over something he did have a conversation.

About -- his version of executive privilege is accurate.

There we can't get any documents from any executive branch -- because it's all protected and of course that would be in a certain.

-- what he says he's still optimistic apparently about resolving this.

And the suggestion he made in Denmark is that it could be resolved on the proposal that he offered earlier in the week.

Now it is that a possibility here is that -- -- Bill you wouldn't think very highly of us if we accepted his.

Extraordinary accommodation or proposal whatever euphemism he's going to use today what he proposed a terrible and I -- -- was to give a -- of the briefing.

No documents and you take contempt of congress all the table.

That's been a little over a year and a half since I negotiated in criminal cases that's not a very good negotiation from the states' standpoint.

We give -- our right to prosecute two or go for what contempt of congress you don't give us the documents.

That was a non shorter let me I don't know what's in these documents that he doesn't want to show us.

The contempt vote a second here okay that we expect next week in the full house before but what is your thinking.

As to why executive privilege was -- yesterday.

There's something of those documents that the the Department of Justice -- before the White House doesn't want us to have and I cannot a -- yeah I honestly -- do not think the president United States.

Knew about fast and furious before Brian -- -- -- luxury new but it.

Very quickly after Brian Terry's -- any more than George Bush -- wide receivers I don't know who they're protecting.

Or what they're protecting.

It could be Lanny brewer -- -- but if you don't go out of my head maybe won't -- you don't yes -- Lanny brewer is.

Anger French -- roll over fast and furious and gone walking.

And here's the best piece of evidence on February 4 -- you know a letter was sent to -- Chuck Grassley that was demonstrably false and later withdrawn they denied gun walking as a tactic.

Do you know where Lanny brewer was on February the fourth 2011.

The same day the letter was that he was in Mexico advocating for the tactic of gone walking.

You cannot have a -- -- -- you can't deny the tactic.

And be advocating port on exactly the same -- his liberal that's where landed -- what was his official title the administration appears to have.

-- -- -- -- For the Department of Justice it does not get any higher than that Carl is -- ball Karl Rove.

Thirty minutes ago suggested this is a distraction his theory now.

His theory to distract the American public away from the issues of the.

You -- that.

He's lost more when it comes -- politics and I am I think people were capable multitasking.

I think they know the economy's bad but they still want government to be accountable.

I don't think you have to choose just choose -- doing that is.

So there's a vote next week -- before the house.

And you could probably bet right now that Republicans to vote for Democrats to vote against -- same as the committee yesterday up and down party lines.

When -- -- you know.

You know bill I I think there's some Democrats I know there are -- -- -- -- -- conversations woman who were every bit as concerned about this.

As we are the pressure to vote the -- line is tremendous.

Particularly when you're presidents of is the one on who -- -- the -- so to speak when you -- attorney general.

What happens after that there's a what kind of contempt of congress to speaker person pursues it could be criminal could be civil look -- your Saturday.

But you're saying that -- get Democrats to vote for your.

-- -- -- What we're gonna try what we're having a congressman tickets -- not had very cordial conversations were sold more fragile illness on the this is not a political exercise to me.

It's reflect for the rule flawless the criminal justice system if we can't -- above politics here's the only bill if this were Republican attorney general.

He still needs to -- -- the documents this is not about politics to be if congress cannot stand up for its right to provide oversight.

When you have a -- former Border Patrol agent we ever going to do it.

-- -- -- a Republican congressman of South Carolina sir thank you we will follow the headlines next week when they come.

And we expecting them thank you for years and.

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GOP lawmakers baffled by Obama's use of executive privilege

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