Cheney has declared himself to be an... exotic, extraconstitutional beast who answers to no one

[dajoki]

The Cheese Stands Alone

By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, June 26, 2007; Page A02
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/25/AR2007062501565.html?hpid=topnews

"We'll make statements only today," President Bush announced to reporters yesterday as he sat with the Estonian president in the Oval Office.

No surprise there. Vice President Cheney's recent declaration that he is not part of the executive branch has prompted hard questions, and nobody in the White House has a good answer for why Cheney -- who hovered near Bush's desk while the president spoke -- had turned himself into a fourth branch of government.

The explanatory task fell to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, whose skin reddened around her neck and collar as she pleaded ignorance during the daily briefing: "I'm not a legal scholar. . . . I'm not opining on his argument that his office is making. . . . I don't know why he made the arguments that he did."

<<snip>>

"You can't give an opinion about whether the vice president is part of the executive branch or not?" Koffler pressed. "It's a little bit like somebody saying, 'I don't know if this is my wife or not.' " Give the flushed and flustered Perino credit for trying. The vice president had put her in an impossible position. Already under fire for his secretive ways, Cheney refused to comply with an order governing the care of classified documents; his office concluded that the order did not apply because he was not "an entity within the executive branch."

That's quite opposite the argument Cheney made in 2001, when he said that a congressional probe into the workings of his energy task force "would unconstitutionally interfere with the functioning of the executive branch." Cheney has, in effect, declared himself to be neither fish nor fowl but an exotic, extraconstitutional beast who answers to no one.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. "he turned himself into a fourth branch!!!!"

chop!

[rhiannon55]

9. Haha! That tree needs to be pruned!

:)

[CoffeeCat]

2. These bastards have such contempt for us...

Cheney will say that he *isn't* part of the Executive Branch---when it helps him continue his
criminal acts. Then, he'll turn around and declare himself part of the Executive Branch, when
this position allows him to escape accountability.

These bastards have contempt for the American people. We are little mosquitoes buzzing around
their heads--while they treat our nation's capital as a petri dish for breeding their contemptible
schemes and general debauchery.

They could care less what the America people think. They could care less about our nation's forefathers
or the Constitution. They are their own bosses and they only answer to us, when they are forced.

We simply crimp their style as they do whatever the hell they please.

Dick Cheney, and the rest of these pathetic, laughable buffoons can go to hell.

[FloridaJudy]

3. Separated at birth?

[freesqueeze]

4. I overheard one of the reporters...

asking if they could get someone "out here who could answer a question."

No joke.

Cheney has become an uncontrollable force for evil.

We must stop him. Grab a pitchfork!

[FloridaJudy]

5. Pitchfork, Hell

Grab a crucifix, a wreath of garlic, and a stake.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

6. "unitary executive"

As Harry Sheerer pointed out, Cheney is the prime mover in the effort to establish the "unitary executive". Odd that after 40 years effort, it turns out that he personally is not a part of the executive. hmmmmm....

[Senator]

7. See also, "Urinary Executive"

Urinary Executive, also Urinary Authoritarian Executive (slang, DCspeak)

n., (en)title -- the "newly-discovered," or "inherent" (i.e., faith-based) Constitutional Authority for an appointed ruler (as opposed to elected leader) to piss down the back of the American People and tell them it's raining.

See also, Trickle-Down Economics

--

[JaneQPublic]

8. I agree with the "beast" part (nt)

[yodermon]

10. And even scarier: Shrub Can't Fire Him

Unlike Gonzo, dick has been duly elected in his own right, and can't be fired by the boy king.
He can ONLY be impeached, or resign, or

[ddeclue]

11. Org chart explains all: (humour)

[dajoki]

12. Very Good n/t

[n2doc]

13. If he isn't part of the Government then arrest him

Lord knows he has done enough to merit it. Send the DC cops down there and tell them to arrest him, he no longer needs protection by the SS as he isn't a member of the Executive.