Cheney's Constitutional Crisis: Kennedy Says It All - Except Impeachment

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24032

Cheney's Constitutional Crisis: Kennedy Says It All - Except Impeachment
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2007-06-26 22:07. Congress

By Sen. Ted Kennedy

Right now, the Vice President of the United States is breaking the law.

Since 2003, Vice President Cheney has refused to comply with Executive Order 12958, which "prescribes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information."

The Vice President claims he's exempt from presidential executive orders because, as President of the Senate, he is "attached" to the legislative branch. But the Senate has even more stringent regulations on the handling of classified material -- even more rules that the Vice President hasn't followed. In typical fashion, the White House will only say that this is an "interesting constitutional question that people can debate."

Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution clearly states:

The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term, be elected ...

It's time to remind the Vice President that he can't ignore our nation's laws. We're putting together a special copy of the U.S. Constitution just for him -- one that has the 39 original signatures along with all of ours. Add your name today and send a message to Dick Cheney:

http://www.democraticmajority.com/cheney

The Bush Administration refuses to hold itself accountable for the protection of our national security, and Vice President Cheney is a key part of the problem. It was his office that leaked the identity of a CIA agent to the media. He's part of an Administration under investigation for using email accounts of the Republican National Committee to conduct official government business. According to the Washington Post:

Across the board, the vice president's office goes to unusual lengths to avoid transparency. Cheney declines to disclose the names or even the size of his staff, generally releases no public calendar and ordered the Secret Service to destroy his visitor logs.

...In the usual business of interagency consultation, proposals and information flow into the vice president's office from around the government, but high-ranking White House officials said in interviews that almost nothing flows out. Close aides to Cheney describe a similar one-way valve inside the office, with information flowing up to the vice president but little or no reaction flowing down.

Executive Order 12958 states that information must be properly maintained "to protect our citizens, our democratic institutions, and our participation within the community of nations." President Bush amended and endorsed this order, and Vice President Cheney's office complied with it until 2003. Effective oversight and transparency of our country's most important documents are essential to accountability and respect for the rule of law.

Under Dick Cheney's watch, some of our country's most disgraceful moments have happened -- from Guantanamo Bay to Abu Ghraib. Because of him, the Bush administration started in secrecy, marched to war in secrecy and will end in secrecy, all with great damage to our Constitution, to our government and to the American people.

Tell Vice President Cheney he's not above the Constitution. He can't rewrite the Constitution to suit himself.

http://www.democraticmajority.com/cheney

Sincerely,

Senator Edward M. Kennedy

[fooj]

1. I love Ted but you know what really pisses me off about this?

He has the power to do something about this. The Rule of Law. Accountablility. They have the MAJORITY. We busted our collective asses to help them get it. Now, when there is NOTHING legally we can do without THEIR LEADERSHIP...he wants us to sign ANOTHER piece of crap that isn't going to change a thing. These rat bastards need to be IMPEACHED NOW!!! WTF?

[burythehatchet]

3. my theory is that our guys must believe that when the inevitable

rock meets a hard place the brownshirts will light the fuse for a domestic conflict. That's gotta be a sobering thought. I'm ready.

[babylonsister]

5. I think they're so intent on 08 they're willing to overlook what's going on

now, and I find that really unacceptable. That's not the way it's supposed to work.

[burythehatchet]

7. It probably isn't realistic to expect them to have the same level

of committment to an ideal as we might; I suppose practicality has to take over just to make the buses run.

[MADem]

6. And how do you impeach without sufficient votes to so do? NT

[goclark]

2. Is the word IMPEACHMENT in the dictionary for Congress?

[Botany]

4. the only question left is what laws didn't he break?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1183401

Cheney acts as if he is a law onto himself. "As like as I do it it must be O.K."
But he knows that what he has done is highly illegal and down right treasonable
and that is why he has shredded documents, done things in secret, and manipulated
the media in order to hide his crimes.

Lying us into a war so he and his buddies can make more billions is beyond contempt ...
very soon the repugs will lead the charge to impeach him.

[lovuian]

8. Has anybody forgotten about a citizen's arrest???

if the justice department and other agencies don't arrest him then march in and do a citizen's arrest

[babylonsister]

9. How would anyone ever get close enough? nt

[durtee librul]

10. Invite him to go hunting? n/t