Today, President Bush invoked executive privilege in answer to congressional subpoenas related to the US Attorney purge:

President Bush invoked executive privilege Monday to deny requests by Congress for testimony from two former aides about the firings of federal prosecutors. . . . In a letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary panels, White House counsel Fred Fielding insisted that Bush was acting in good faith and refused lawmakers' demand that the president explain the basis for invoking the privilege.

At some point, if the Congress acts to enforce its subpoenas, the President will have to explain himself.

Retorted House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers[,] "Contrary what the White House may believe, it is the Congress and the courts that will decide whether an invocation of executive privilege is valid, not the White House unilaterally,"

The courts mentions Conyers. Presumably that means that Conyers is not considering either impeachment or inherent contempt proceedings at this time. This seems wise to me.

This nugget pleased me:

The privilege claim on testimony by former aides won't necessarily prevent them from appearing under oath this week, as scheduled. Leahy said that Taylor, Bush's former political director, may testify as scheduled before the Senate panel on Wednesday.

Very good Senator Leahy. Let the White House rush to court to quash the Taylor subpoena. And let Fielding see if he can NOT tell a court the basis of the President's claim of privilege.