1.   Before departing for Baltimore for an environmental policy announcement earlier Thursday, the president declined to indicate whether he intended to formally invoke the privilege.

2.   A President who invokes governmental privileges that have the effect of thwarting such an investigation is even rarer.

3.   According to attorneys, Blake has expressed the same sentiments and said he will invoke privilege if ordered to testify.

4.   But Clinton signaled a shift later that year when he invoked the privilege in another case, the criminal investigation of former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy.

5.   But he said that he did not know whether the president had formally invoked the privilege in court.

6.   But, Rozell said, the administration is on weak ground if it seeks to invoke the privilege in the task force case.

7.   Clinton has invoked the privilege to block the independent counsel, Kenneth Starr, from questioning some of his top aides.

8.   Clinton has not decided whether he will invoke the privilege, aides said.

9.   Friday was not the first time Clinton had invoked the privileges in connection with the inquiries into his administration.

10.   If one of the lawyer-witnesses invoked privilege, Hyde would decide whether to allow it or pursue contempt-of-Congress sanctions.