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WASHINGTON (AP) - It's not in the Constitution and there's no law on the books. But ever since George Washington refused to release his War Department correspondence, presidents have asserted their authority to keep Congress from probing into presidential affairs.
President Bush on Thursday asserted executive privilege as he rejected congressional demands for documents regarding his administration's firings of federal prosecutors.
The skirmish is part of a long-standing power struggle between the executive and legislative branches, a fight that the courts have historically tried to avoid joining.
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