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mburbank · #1

This is from Henry Waxman's oversight commitees website

Vice President Exempts His Office from the Requirements for Protecting Classified Information

The Oversight Committee has learned that over the objections of the National Archives, Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information. The Vice President asserts that his office is not an “entity within the executive branch.”

As described in a letter from Chairman Waxman to the Vice President, the National Archives protested the Vice President's position in letters written in June 2006 and August 2006. When these letters were ignored, the National Archives wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in January 2007 to seek a resolution of the impasse. The Vice President's staff responded by seeking to abolish the agency within the Archives that is responsible for implementing the President's executive order.

In his letter to the Vice President, Chairman Waxman writes: "I question both the legality and wisdom of your actions. ... [i]t would appear particularly irresponsible to give an office with your history of security breaches an exemption from the safeguards that apply to all other executive branch officials."

Cosmo Electrolux · #2

well, if he's not part of the executive branch, he should not be able to claim executive priviledge. That means congress could subpoena him, right?

mburbank · #3

Well, there's certainly that, but if his offie is not part of the executive, what is it? There's only three branches of government, and he sure as hell isn't legislative or judiciary.

What is he claiming, that the office of the Vice President has some sort of contractor relationship with the executive, like blackwater has with the military?

I quite literally cannot imagine what's going on here.

El Blanco · #4

He may actually be saying that since his primary duty right now is as head of the senate (in case of a tie anyway), he is part of the legislative. But, thats just a guess.

Preechr · #5

Actually, the ONLY responsibility of the VP is to head the Senate, but he is not a member of the legislative branch, either, surprisingly enough. Max is gonna love this... hehe... The Vice-President of the United States is actually a bureaucratic island of himself it seems. His office is there mainly for purposes of succession and, as a Constitutional afterthought with regard to ties in the Senate. VPs have traditionally subordinated themselves to the President, so as to obtain more responsibilities through Executive assignments, but unless the President tells him to do something and the VP assents, his main function is to stand there and glower eeeevily until the President dies unexpectedly.

Cosmo Electrolux · #6

hmmm...CNN is reporting that the VP's office tried to abolish the The National Archives' Information Security Oversight Office after he refused to cooperate with them. Why would Cheny take issue with maintaining the integrity of classified documents?

mburbank · #7

Curiouser and curiouser. Preech is correct as far as official responsabilities go. I wonder if in all of American History there has been a situation that forces a definition of just what the vice presidency is, legally.

As cosmo points out, if he wants to be defned as non executive, he doesn't get to claim executive privilidge. He's elected so he's not exactly a private citizen.

He clearly means to claim the office of the VP exists outside any sort of legal authority. Well, no, what he means to do is muddy the waters sufficiently that he's out of office before he has to answer any questions about anything. And I think his plan is to be long dead before anybody gets to know what he has and hasn't done.

Plus, he totally doesn't give a fuck. I mean, he so doesn't give a fuck it's almost impossible for anybody to wrap their head around. He's going to do whatever he thinks is a good idea without reference to law or posterity or anything. There are really only two questions left where Chenney is concerned. What does he want to do, and does he have people who will do it? I mean, I assume there are lines past which people would say 'No, sir.', but where are those lines?

I like to think that this could end in the Oval office with Chenney, Bush and Rove all shooting at each other, like some mob flick. It's exciting.

Preechr · #8

I think if anybody tried to tell Cheney no, he'd just choke them with the Force until they agreed to do whatever it was.

mburbank · #9

He's really off the grid. Despite how much I hate him, I have to admire his 'I do not give even the slightest fuck about what anybody thinks I'm allowed to do.'

I mean, I don't think he even spares a thought as to whether what he does is legal. I think he sees himself as one of history's actors, unconstrained by... well, anything.He's in the end zone. He's going to run the clock down in whatever way pleases him.

Cosmo Electrolux · #10

well, as I understand it, theres a little known codicil in the constitution that, in time of national emergency, the Vice President may......

Girl Drink Drunk · #11

Im not surprised that Cheney would pull something off like that.

mburbank · #12

Oh, it gets better.

From the LA times:

" Washington - The White House said Friday that, like Vice President Dick Cheney's office, President Bush's office is not allowing an independent federal watchdog to oversee its handling of classified national security information."

So I guess the office of the President isn't aprt of the executive branch either.

Cosmo Electrolux · #13

oh, my....and it gets better still!

Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel has come up with the right response to Dick Cheney's attempt to suggest that the Office of the Vice President is not part of the executive branch.

The House Democratic Caucus chairman wants to take the Cheney at his word. Cheney says his office is "not an entity within the executive branch," so Emanuel wants to take away the tens of millions of dollars that are allocated to the White House to maintain it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20...tion/1207869_1

mburbank · #14

I'd also lie to know what becomes of Chenney's claim that he did not have to give out any info on his energy task force because of Executive privilidge.

Cosmo Electrolux · #15

well, if his claims that he is NOT part of the executive branch of governemnt is upheld, then all claims to executive priviledge should be voided and he should he forced to not only give up his claim to all of tha Vice-
presidential moolah, but he should have to produce all of the documents relating to the energy task force.

I'm sure some obscure aid will accidently delete all record of said task force.

ranxer · #16

wow, yea and this really gives me the feeling that we should be in a movie
theater watching this not living it.

Fathom Zero · #17

I'd hate to be the guy that tell's him to stop being bat-shit crazy. He'll start breaking down doors, swinging meat cleavers, and such.

El Blanco · #18

He has meat cleavers in his office? The fuck is going on in there?

Fathom Zero · #19

He cleans what he kills.

You know.

On his hunting trips.

Jeanette X · #20

Cheney scares me. He has this slight underbite that makes it look like he's going to sprout fangs at any moment. During the 2004 debates I kept thinking that he was going to reach out of the TV, grab me by the throat, and scream "VOTE BUSH/CHENEY OR I'LL RIP YOUR FACE OFF!"

He also doesn't blink. Ever notice that? My Dad says that he might be on beta blockers, but I think he's just a reptile.