Cheney claims power to decide his public records

[underpants]

Source: AP

By PAMELA HESS – 11 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney's lawyers are asserting that the vice president alone has the authority to determine which records, if any, from his tenure will be handed over to the National Archives when he leaves office in January.

That claim is in federal court documents asking that a lawsuit over the records be dismissed. Cheney leaves office Jan. 20, potentially taking with him millions of records that might otherwise become public record.

"The vice president alone may determine what constitutes vice presidential records or personal records, how his records will be created, maintained, managed and disposed, and are all actions that are committed to his discretion by law," according to a court filing by Cheney's office with the U.S. District Court on Dec. 8.

The 1978 Presidential Records Act requires all presidential and vice presidential records to be transferred to the National Archives immediately upon the end of the president's last term of office and gives the archivist responsibility to preserve and control access to presidential records. The law ended the tradition of private ownership of presidential papers, opening White House records to the public and historians.

But the law carves out exceptions for personal or purely partisan records.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jz2z92QFdgFrIMAJC-4GQcHOm3MgD955ETCO0

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National Archives officials have said records of Cheney's dealings with the Republican National Committee would not require preservation under the law. As of November, it had not made a final determination on the status of Cheney's records produced when he acts as president of the Senate, which he says are exempt.

[Gman]

1. Why doesn't Cheney just come out and plead the fifth amendment?

That's what he's doing anyway.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Ve republicons is special. Sneer." - VP Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

"Ve republicon homelanders are Far Far Above the laws you little American proles are subject to. So shut up and sit down, or Homeland Security vill be paying you a visit. Smirk, Sneer."

- VP Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

[Vinca]

3. Sorry, Dick. It doesn't work that way. nt

[Frustratedlady]

4. He's probably already destroyed the incriminating records.

What an evil, hateful creature.

[underpants]

6. "Man sized safe" meet Chesapeake Bay

or the Potomac
or way out at sea

[MiniMe]

10. He already burned a bunch of the records in the fire

that started in his safe

[bertman]

11. That's too quick and easy for the Dickless Wonder.

[Double T]

5. cheney wants to replace the historical truth with some made up phony..........

'corporate style' fraudulent historical shit; what else would we expect him to do? This is typical rethug made up crap similar to Ronald Reagan, the great communicator; the great communicator was sleeping through many cabinet meetings and most of his second term. History needs to tell it like it is and was; cheney was a modern day tyrant that was wholly and willfully responsible for the destruction of America and its economy and financial system. The plane to Dubai awaits Mr. VP; good riddance!

[underpants]

7. It's none of your damned business!!

and GET OFF MY LAWN or I will have the sniper in my private guard tower take you out

[Double T]

27. I'm making IT my business; YOU couldn't hit the broad side of a barn........

unless it had your friends face painted on IT.


We the people want YOU out of the country where torture is freely allowed; a little dose of your own medicine never hurts................enough.

[Connonym]

8. Fucker will probably get away with it

There aren't going to be consequences for that cabal. I'm starting to feel that democracy is a fucking joke anyway. Our votes may have been counted but it's not going to matter, we don't have any input in what really happens

[Orrex]

9. That's a load of shit

If you work at any tech or accounting firm, anything you do related to the field during your tenure with the company is probably going to be considered the intellectual property of that company; you don't get to decide what happens to it.

While serving as Vice President, pretty much everything Cheney does is, by definition, an action of the Vice President who is (nominally, perhaps) a steward of the public trust. As such, he should have no say re: what gets archived and what doesn't.

[jetphixer]

12. HOLDER?

Now we might understand why the republican's are so afraid of Holder becoming the AG. Hopefully he can figure out a way around the up coming Pardon.

[mod mom]

13. Didn't he already decide by way of a fire at his wh office?

[acmavm]

14. Bullshit. That's YOUR property. That's MY property. Fuck that

old bastard.

[underpants]

17. Eeeeexactly

If you don't want the responsibility don't take the office

[Piewhacket]

15. It won't work. The Monster Cheney is just being a MF, so what's new?

[peacetalksforall]

16. All this orders to GE, Murdoch, Time Warner, Disney, Viacom, WSJ, NYT, LAT

telling them what they could say - did they go direct or through the RNC?

We know everything else -

dealings with Khan - direct.

orders FROM the barons - direct

orders to the Pentagon - direct.

orders to the reverends - direct

orders to ceo's - direct

Oh - maybe we don't know how his order to transfer nuclear bombs for Iran got hung up at their staging point in Louisiana.

Maybe we don't know if a plan to bomb Iran before Jan 20 is still on the to=do list.

Maybe we don't know when he plans to move to Dubai or whether he will save everything in a cave or take it to his tower in the sky in Dubai.

[riverdeep]

18. How many different ways can he show contempt for the American people

than he already has? And we sit here like chumps and take it.

[Capt. America]

19. Remeber, the VP office is not in the executive nor the legislative...it simply IS.

[benld74]

20. I CALL B*LLSH*T!!!

[LiberalLovinLug]

21. But the law carves out exceptions for [...] purely partisan records

That was the purpose of every one of his dealings...so he's safe:eyes:

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. Who is man or woman enough to stand up to this son of a bitch?

Enough already!

[DeepModem Mom]

23. K&R

[Trillo]

24. I guess this comes under Cheney's theory that the Vice President

isn't part of the Executive Branch.

[bobd0]

25. A nation of laws. Right. nt

[judasdisney]

26. No "Special Rights" for fascist plutocrats

[Capt. America]

28. "Special Rights" --brilliant

[fascisthunter]

29. Cheney Should Be Forced to Become America's Bitch

It appears the man's head has grown too big for his body...

[No Elephants]

32. Well, turnabout is fair play. America has been his bitch for decades.

[classysassy]

30. Do you have

something to hide,some would say you are a war criminal, a domestic terrorist,and all around evil person.If you're not of those things,let us see your records.

[NoodleyAppendage]

31. Message to Dick Cheney's black heart..."Stop Please!!!"

This traitor is a blight upon humanity. I can't wait to see his fat ass dragged to the Hague for war crimes.

J

[annabanana]

33. L'etat, C'est Moi!

As Rachel reminded us.. the sentiment has been heard before in the halls of Power...

[ThisThreadIsSatire]

34. I don't want to jinx the country....

But as bad as things are, thank God it appears Bush will survive his term.