Executive privilege, conceptually speaking, is a lot like the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution: Assert it, and folks assume that there's a coverup under way.

Not unreasonably.

So many malefactors have gone the executive-privilege route - Richard Nixon, most famously - that the public is entitled to its suspicions.

Now comes President  Obama, taking Attorney General Eric Holder's back in the seemingly endless "Fast and Furious" gun scandal.

Does he get the benefit of the doubt?

No.  He does not.  This cover-up has gone on long enough.  After saying he knew nothing about it, Obama now claims executive privilege to prevent documents being released that show...... what?

If no one in the White House knew about it, then there shouldn't be any documents showing Obama or crew did know about it, right?  So what's being hidden?