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(Near the back of the Nation and Politics section of administration spokespaper the Washington Post)
In addition, the White House indicated that if it failed in its defense against the GAO lawsuit, it would seek to have the statute empowering the GAO declared unconstitutional -- an action that, if successful, would sharply curtail the legislative branch's oversight of the executive branch.
Asked whether the administration would challenge the statute on constitutional grounds, the senior Bush aide said, "Yes, we would," then retreated to say that lawyers "would evaluate" the possibility. Allowing a GAO victory to stand, the official said, "would create a dangerous precedent."
The White House's willingness to escalate a battle over interpretations of a congressional statute into a constitutional test of the power of the presidency indicates it is willing to sustain a legal battle that could take months if not years to resolve. The administration previously indicated some desire to reach an accommodation with Congress over the release of information, but yesterday's statements ruled out that possibility.
Though legal experts are divided on each side's merits, the fight could present a political problem by keeping the administration's ties to the energy industry, particularly Enron Corp., in the news. Democrats in Congress are seeking to learn whether Bush campaign contributors had a disproportionate influence over the energy task force led by Vice President Cheney; representatives of Enron met six times with the task force, the White House has said.
The Bush aide acknowledged the White House position "may be harder to explain to the public" than to a court, but said: "All we're trying to do is make sure the GAO operates within its statutory authority and I think the public would certainly support that."
The public is showing increased interest in the scandal surrounding the collapse of Enron. A poll released yesterday by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press indicated that 61 percent of Americans describe themselves as attentive to the scandal, up from 43 percent in January and 34 percent in December.
In addition, the White House indicated that if it failed in its defense against the GAO lawsuit, it would seek to have the statute empowering the GAO declared unconstitutional -- an action that, if successful, would sharply curtail the legislative branch's oversight of the executive branch.
Asked whether the administration would challenge the statute on constitutional grounds, the senior Bush aide said, "Yes, we would," then retreated to say that lawyers "would evaluate" the possibility. Allowing a GAO victory to stand, the official said, "would create a dangerous precedent."
The White House's willingness to escalate a battle over interpretations of a congressional statute into a constitutional test of the power of the presidency indicates it is willing to sustain a legal battle that could take months if not years to resolve. The administration previously indicated some desire to reach an accommodation with Congress over the release of information, but yesterday's statements ruled out that possibility.
Though legal experts are divided on each side's merits, the fight could present a political problem by keeping the administration's ties to the energy industry, particularly Enron Corp., in the news. Democrats in Congress are seeking to learn whether Bush campaign contributors had a disproportionate influence over the energy task force led by Vice President Cheney; representatives of Enron met six times with the task force, the White House has said.
The Bush aide acknowledged the White House position "may be harder to explain to the public" than to a court, but said: "All we're trying to do is make sure the GAO operates within its statutory authority and I think the public would certainly support that."
The public is showing increased interest in the scandal surrounding the collapse of Enron. A poll released yesterday by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press indicated that 61 percent of Americans describe themselves as attentive to the scandal, up from 43 percent in January and 34 percent in December.
