FLASHBACK: Cheney Argued Energy Task Force Probe ‘Interfered With Executive Branch’

[kpete]

FLASHBACK: Cheney Argued Energy Task Force Probe ‘Interfered With Executive Branch’

The Office of the Vice President has asserted that Dick Cheney “is not an entity within the Executive Branch” in order to thwart an investigation into his handling of classified material. But there was once a time when Cheney prevented investigations by claiming they interfered with the Executive Branch.

Dana Milbank reports today in the Washington Post:

Cheney has refused to comply with an order governing the care of classified documents; his office concluded that the order does not apply because he is 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.

more at:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/26/cheney-exec-branch/

[City Lights]

1. Jon Stewart showed The Dick of Death arguing this point last night.

Every single news station should be airing all of the Dick's contradictions at the top of each hour.

Send him directly to jail!

[Solly Mack]

2. yep - he sure did

amazing what people forget in a few short years

[BOSSHOG]

3. Lets ask a flag waving bush supporter trained every day by limbaugh.

No doubt they can blithely rationalize away the contradictions.

cheney is and is not in the executive branch. He is and is not in the legislative branch. And he certainly cannot be held accountable to anybody for anything. Its really quite simple to the fucking morons who do not give a fuck about our country or our constitution. CONSERVATIVES.

[Az]

4. Careful. He didn't say he wasn't part of the executive branch

Everyone is jumping on this like he made some big tactical error. He may be a slime ball but he is a clever slime ball. What he said is that he is part of the executive and the legislative branch and thus is exempt from requests put forward to the executive branch alone.

With this tactic he gets to maintain executive privilege while avoiding executive responsibility. Dick Cheney. King of the Slime Balls.

[mediaman007]

5. The answer is "checks and balances"

Every part of the Constitution has a check and balance. The Executive is checked by Congress and the courts. The courts by Congress and the Executive. And so on.

So Mr. Cheney*, you must be checked and balanced by another branch. No matter what he chooses...let the others have at him.

[Frustratedlady]

7. How about being checked by "the people"?

We are the branch that truly matters most.

[ljm2002]

12. Yes, accuracy is important...

...and you're right that he is a clever slime ball.

See, if he had simply tried to claim he is not part of the executive branch, because of his legislative duties, then it would seem to follow that he is part of the legislative branch and thus subject to their rules. But what he argues is twofold: first, he is not an "agency" as described in the executive order; and second, executive orders do not apply to the OVP because of its unique position straddling both the executive and legislative branches. So by his reasoning, if the executive order can't touch him because he has a foot in the legislative door; then conversely, legislative rules can't touch him because he has a foot in the executive door.

Neat trick, really. And although it has generated a fair amount of outraged commentary this time, we still have not seen any credible legal challenge to his ridiculous position. I really expected to see (virtual) smoke coming out of Congress when this absurd position was taken. You'd think these people in Congress would finally be well and truly incensed at the overstepping by Cheney. I know I would be.

I really, really want to see Bush, Cheney, Rice and the whole cabal get their teeth kicked in. Metaphorically would be good; literally would be even better.

[babylonsister]

6. Nope, you can't have it both ways. nt

[Bandit]

8. Hell it was only two weeks ago Cheney made the claim he was immune

from testifying because of "Executive Privilege" in the Plame Civil suit. It sure doesn't take Americans long to forget things...

[bigmonkey]

9. Why isn't he bound by the rules of both?

That's the common-sense interpretation. If a fellow is both mayor and sheriff, doesn't he have to follow the rules applying to both of his roles? It's no wonder this feels like Wonderland - it's like the White Queen who promised Alice that if she came to work for her she could get jam every other day - as in yesterday and tomorrow, but never today. This is insanity.

[renate]

11. that's a perfect analogy!

Wonderland... that's it exactly! Down the rabbit hole...

Sometimes I try to look at current events and this administration with the mindset I had in 2000 and it is all so completely unbelievable. That the president and vice-president and all their minions would be widely acknowledged as having the opposite of the people's best interests at heart, and yet they're allowed to stay in power, whereas lies about a blow job took over the news for months. It honestly does feel like this America belongs in an evil parallel universe--I just hope we can get back to the non-evil version someday.

[symbolman]

10. Dick Cheney -

he's both a Floor Wax AND a Dessert Topping :)

For all those old Sat Nite Live buffs...