White House Will Deny New Request In Attorneys Probe

washingtonpost.com: By Peter Baker

The White House has decided to defy Congress's latest demand for information regarding the dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys, sources familiar with the decision said yesterday. Such an action would escalate the constitutional struggle and propel it closer to a court showdown.

Senate and House committees have directed President Bush to provide by tomorrow a detailed justification of his executive privilege claims and a full accounting of the documents he is withholding. But White House counsel Fred F. Fielding plans to tell lawmakers that he has already provided the legal basis for the claims and will not provide a log of the documents, the sources said. ...

A White House spokesman declined to comment yesterday. But the White House in recent days has said that it has cooperated extensively with congressional investigators and is now standing on principle. It has also accused Congress of being more interested in investigating than legislating, noting that Democrats have held 600 oversight hearings since taking control of Capitol Hill in January.

A White House spokesman declined to comment yesterday. But the White House in recent days has said that it has cooperated extensively with congressional investigators and is now standing on principle. It has also accused Congress of being more interested in investigating than legislating, noting that Democrats have held 600 oversight hearings since taking control of Capitol Hill in January....

"This latest stonewalling attempt raises troubling questions about what the White House is trying to hide by refusing to turn over evidence it was willing to provide months ago, as long as the information was shared in secret with no opportunity for Congress to pursue the matter further," [Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.)] said through a spokeswoman.