12-15-2001, How is it not news when a Congressman calls a President from his own party a dictator on the record? Is this an example of that liberal media conservatives complain about ?

Here's the quote from Rep. Dan Burton as printed in the story on commondreams.org:

''You tell the president there's going to be war between the president and this committee,'' Dan Burton, the Indiana Republican who heads the House Government Reform Committee, told a Justice Department official during what was supposed to be a routine prehearing handshake.

''His dad was at a 90 percent approval rating and he lost, and the same thing can happen to him,'' Burton added, jabbing his finger and glaring at Carl Thorsen, a deputy assistant attorney general who was attempting to introduce a superior who was testifying.

''We've got a dictatorial president and a Justice Department that does not want Congress involved. ... Your guy's acting like he's king.''

Full Story Here:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1214-01.htm

Note: The commondreams story was quoted word for word from the boston globe story that was Published on Friday, December 14, 2001.

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The CNN Story does not even mention that anyone on Capitol Hill is upset with the Bush decision to not to turn over these documents. Here's the full text of the CNN story...

Bush rebuffs Congress on Clinton campaign documents December 14, 2001 Posted: 11:12 AM EST (1612 GMT)

By Kelly Wallace
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush has asserted "executive privilege" and is refusing to release confidential Justice Department documents related to campaign fundraising practices during the Clinton administration to a congressional oversight committee.

"It is my decision that you should not release these documents or otherwise make them available to the committee," Bush said in a memorandum to Attorney General John Ashcroft that was released by the White House on Thursday.

"Because I believe that congressional access to these documents would be contrary to the national interest, I have decided to assert executive privilege with respect to the documents and to instruct you not to release them or otherwise make them available to the committee," the president said.

The House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, chaired by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana, had subpoenaed Justice Department records, including memos to and from then-Attorney General Janet Reno on whether a special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate alleged campaign fundraising abuses by the Clinton administration and whether criminal prosecutions should be brought against any individuals.

Bush said disclosure of such documents "threatens to politicize the criminal justice process" and "would inhibit the candor necessary" for the "deliberative processes" that guide Justice Department prosecutorial decisions.

Further, he said releasing such materials would be a violation of the separation of powers set forth in the Constitution.

"Congressional pressure on executive branch prosecutorial decision making is inconsistent with separation of powers and threatens individual liberty," said Bush.

The president asked Ashcroft to notify the committee of his decision and to continue working "informally" with the committee to provide information "without violating the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers."

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Here's the text of the AP story (MSNBC and ABC ran the AP story). At least it mentions people are angry but you will notice the fact that there is no mention of the "dictator" quote within the article.

Bush Invokes Executive Privilege
Thursday December 13 12:04 PM ET

By JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush (news - web sites) invoked executive privilege for the first time Thursday to keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from a decades-old Boston murder to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe.

``I believe congressional access to these documents would be contrary to the national interest,'' Bush wrote in a memo ordering Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) to withhold the documents from a House investigative committee that subpoenaed them.

The decision institutes a dramatic change in the way the administration intends to deal with Congress after years in which the Justice Department (news - web sites), sometimes reluctantly, shared sensitive investigative documents with lawmakers.

Republicans and Democrats alike excoriated the decision, suggesting Bush was creating a ``monarchy'' or ``imperial'' presidency to keep Congress for overseeing the executive branch and guarding against corruption.

The Republican House committee chairman who sought the documents raised the possibility of taking Bush to court for contempt of Congress.

``Everyone is in agreement you guys are making a big mistake,'' Rep. Dan Burton (news - bio - voting record), R-Ind., told Justice lawyers at a hearing after the announcement. ``We might be able to go to the (House) floor and take this thing to court.''

The full House, controlled by Republicans, would have to vote to find Bush in contempt to start such a court battle.