2. Bush says Ridge will not testify

[Lutfi M. Hussein]

2. Bush says Ridge will not testify
By Keith Koffler, CongressDaily 

The White House flatly rejected congressional demands Monday that Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge come to Capitol Hill to testify, even as Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., suggested he might compel Ridge's appearance by subpoena. 

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer pointed to the tradition that the president's White House advisers do not have to testify before Congress, in contrast to Cabinet officials. 

"This is an important line to draw, and the president has drawn it," Fleischer said. "There is a longstanding bipartisan tradition that Congress should not violate." Fleischer noted that the practice had been upheld "in times of war and in times of peace." 

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0302/031902cdam1.htm 

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Lutfi M. Hussein
Department of English
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-0302, USA
Email address: lutfi.hussein at asu.edu
Homepage: http://www.public.asu.edu/~lutfiawa/
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