Cheney Power Grab: Says White House Rules Don’t Apply to Him
Vice President Dick Cheney has asserted his office is not a part of the executive branch of the U.S. government, and therefore not bound by a presidential order governing the protection of classified information by government agencies, according to a new letter from Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to Cheney.
Bill Leonard, head of the government’s Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), told Waxman’s staff that Cheney’s office has refused to provide his staff with details regarding classified documents or submit to a routine inspection as required by presidential order, according to Waxman.
In pointed letters released today by Waxman, ISOO’s Leonard twice questioned Cheney’s office on its assertion it was exempt from the rules. He received no reply, but the vice president later tried to get rid of Leonard’s office entirely, according to Waxman.
Leonard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement e-mailed to the Blotter on ABCNews.com, Cheney spokeswoman Megan McGinn said, “We are confident that we are conducting the office properly under the law.”
As director of the tiny, 25-person Information Security Oversight Office, Leonard is responsible for keeping track of the nation’s secrets and making sure they are properly protected.
For the first two years of the George W. Bush administration, Cheney’s office complied with a presidential order that requires officials to report statistics on the number of documents it classifies and declassifies.
Since 2003, however, Cheney’s office has refused to submit the data to ISOO. And when ISOO inspectors tried in 2004 to schedule a routine inspection of the vice president’s offices, they were rebuffed, Waxman’s letter claims.
Other White House offices, including the National Security Council, did not object to similar inspections, according to Waxman.
“Serious questions can be raised about both the legality and advisability of exempting your office from the rules that apply to all other executive branch officials,” Waxman said in his letter to the vice president, and asked him to explain why he felt the rules didn’t apply to him and his staff and how he was protecting classified information in his office.
Former Cheney aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was recently convicted on several counts of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from the leak of the identity of former covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, Waxman noted, and in 2006, former Cheney aide Leandro Aragoncillo pleaded guilty to sharing classified U.S. documents with foreign nationals. Aragoncillo also worked under former Democratic Vice President Al Gore, who complied with ISOO’s requests.
Copyright © 2007 ABCNews Internet Ventures
That MONSTER needs to be TERMINATED.
Impeach Cheney!
HR 333–sponser Dennis Kucinich
After he is convicted, send him to Gitmo for waterboarding, hypothermia, and stress positions enhanced interrogation techniques. Then make sure he is kept awake with heavy metal chainsaw rock played at the volume level of a fully accelerated jet engine for 20 hours at a stretch.
Does Cheney assert there is no controlling legal authority? What did the Repugnantcans do to Gore (well deserved) when he made that assertion? What will they do to Cheney? Will this open more eyes to the dictatorial asperations of this monomaniacal paranoid? Stay tuned for more developments.
Cheney is a rogue (elephant) official. In the old days when an elephant killed a few people a public spectacle was made of its execution. Haul Cheney’s ass in front of a court.
Does this mean that Cheney has resigned from the executive branch of government?
Oh boy.. here comes martial law. Get ready. Get your money. Store some food.
“Cheney afraid of the public - Tells Bush to use his Magic Dictator Laser against the people”
The words “evil” and “Cheney” are interchangeable.
They are a sick, dangerous group.
If you’ve got a gun, keep it handy. If you don’t have one, get one. I’m all for gun control, but I’m also all for self-defense against these people. And from what the Democrats have shown us since November, they won’t be any damned help at all.
As I recall, Cheney claimed he was a part of the executive branch when it came to sealing presidential archives from the public. Time to do the perp-walk, dick!
Does anyone know what it is he’s actually claiming?
I don’t, but I’m guessing that this Machiavellian blow-hard
has actually come up with a constitutional argument
based on the fact that the VP (constitutionally speaking)
is actually the President of the Senate.
Originally the highest vote getter was President
and the second highest vote getter was President of the Senate
and next-in-line to the Presidency (Vice President).
So if Cheney is saying that he’s not part of the Executive Branch
that makes him part of the Legislative Branch,
which is now under the control of the Democrats.
So if I were Waxman, I’d take the jackass up on his claim
and - whoosh - there goes “executive privilege”
Now - where are those minutes on his “Energy Committee” from 2001?
Jim Moran
Ann Arbor
The checklist is ready and the ducks are lining up. Get ready folks for the ride of your life. The 2008 election is going on the back burner.
The House bill HR 333 suddenly becomes a very important tool in saving the way of life as we know it in this country.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with that bill, it was introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich last month, and contains three separate articles of impeachment against Vice President Cheney.
And I have just learned yesterday, that it now being co-sponsored by six other representatives. I am proud to say that my representative (Lynn Woolsey, Sonoma, Napa, Ca.)is one of the six.
The reason so many of you may not even know about this at all, is because the mainstream media didn’t cover it. Another dictatorial trait that needs to be addressed(media control)
So contact your representatives, and tell them to sign on to this bill, and save what’s left of our democracy, before Cheney and Bush make themselves king and queen (pretty much respectively)
John Nance Garner said the vice-presidency wasn’t worth “a warm bucket of spit.” Perhaps Cheney is trying to create an imperial vice-presidency.
Not bad for a twice convicted drunk driver and former lineman.
The website for the Whitehouse describes Cheney as a Chief Ranking Member of Bush’s cabinet or administration or member of the executive branch. The president’s cabinet consists of the heads of the executive departments plus a few other high-ranking executive officers. From the website usa.gov they clearly show that the vice president is part of the executive branch. Now what are we going to do about this clear abuse of power. Better catch him now before he and his cronies repeat this nonsense again and again, which is their specialty, until people get bored, or people believe him or people take him down.
Visit me at www.taureandevi.blogspot.com for more of my Modern Musings.
Didn’t we used to HANG traitors!?
“…or people take him down.”
What would be wrong with that?
Henry Waxman sure seems to be a Congresperson of substance. You don’t hear much about what he has going on, but when he does get publicity it always seems as if he is at the forefront of some key issues….issues that resonate.
Thank-you Mr. Waxman.
Sincerely,
Ken Hausle
* I support HRes333 - Impeach the VP
***** time is of the essence *****
So the Man Behind the Curtain finally drops the strings of the puppet (aka GWB) and snarls at the mob outside his door. Abuse of power? Who does anything about that in post-9/11 America?
Get ready for the Mother of all Shitstorms if anybody in D.C. has the balls to push this issue. So far, though, I haven’t seen enough balls in either the Senate or the House to stand up to a sick old man with a pace maker.(Kuchinich exempt) I like Special K. If there was any justice left in America, he would get the nomination. But he doesn’t kiss ass and, as far as I know, special interest hasn’t got it’s claws in him. I could even go for an Edwards-Kuchinich combo. How ’bout you guys?
Is someone planning an election in ‘08? That’s even more iffy now.
Cheney may claim that he is not bound by executive orders issued by the POTUS since he was not appointed to his office by the POTUS, but was elected to his office by the people. I recall reading somewhere that this idea had been discussed during either the Nixon or Reagan administrations.
Let’s see if there is a position in the Justice Department for the VP.
Now that China is locking up Iraq oil, Chaney may just leave town and the troops may just come home.
Grrrr. Scary pic.
Just look at him. Doesn’t he scare the crap out of you! How’d you like to have him as your father? As for me, I’ll run away from home.
Why didn’t the editor put a photo of Cheney in the article? That guy in the photo looks like a madman, one who would shoot someone in the face. Sure is a strange country.
Cheney will kick George into rehab and take over as the dictator. Forget about having anymore elections unless you can get HR333 passed. We will have martial law for as long as Cheney is alive and long after with the corporatacracy in charge.
whatever. this’ll be a story when waxman decides to do something about it, just like the DOJ firings will be something when leahy subpoenas rove, meiers, etc. how many years has this been going on? why is ISOO doing something about it now?
wake me up when congress gets some cajones and makes a constitutional crisis out of ANYTHING our fearless leader and his#2 have done.
In this country, I believe we have a standard of EXECUTION for treason. Cheney committed treason when he exposed a CIA agent to the mass media. Why isn’t he on trial for his life? Cheney sees himself above the law, but why does the law concur? Where is the OUTRAGE through our national media that this man OUTED a CIA AGENT in an act of personal VENGEANCE??? This is the kind of person we put in the White House? A man whose ethics of personal vendetta override the health of the NATION? Can we imagine the media outcry had CLINTON done the same thing? Our government and our mass media are a joke. Apologists for the interests of death and destruction. For greed and profit. We are killing our young people in a war for Haliburton and friends. We are killing countless people in Iraq who certainly didn’t ask for Cheney’s presence. We are KILLING on behalf of a man with the lowest ethics I have ever seen in such a high office…and that is saying something. Cheney needs to be on trial. NOW. Not in a year, when he is out of office. We need to have an official discrediting of this administration NOW, starting with Cheney’s trial for TREASON.
whack him!
I feel sorry for his daughter. You got the children you deserved but you don’t deserved the parents you have.
‘POET’ has the right idea! And so does Dennis Kucinich! What in the WORLD is our CONGRESS DOING??? I’ve yet to see ANYTHING they’ve done to put an end to this maddening Executive Branch! COME ON CONGRESS…GET US OUT OF IRAQ AND GET BUSH & CHENEY ON THE TRAIN OUT OF HERE!!!
steppenRazor: I’m with you on that thought. Edwards and Special K sounds real good, it could work.
Two easy answers if the Democrats really wanted to do anything (as opposed to their usual ‘much noise signifying nothing’ stance).
One … Contempt of Congress. Toss Cheney and his staff into a federal prison until they comply.
Two … Impeach.
If Congress does neither, Cheney will just laugh in their face like he’s been doing because he clearly reads Congress as being all bark and no bite.
To me, Cheney reads the Democrats quite well. He knows the Democrats just want some headlines and some material for campaign ads while not really doing anything. Given that read on the Democrats in Congress, he’s probably being very sensible in his reply. If Congress was truly serious about their oversight role as being an important part of the processes of government instead of just a campaign tool, then this would be suicidal as it would be immediately followed by the two steps listed above.
PS … a third option might be to completely defund the Office of the Vice President in the budget under debate.
Let him tell it to the judge! I don’t know what reality he is living in the the vice-presidency is part of the executive branch though he can also be considered part of the senate at times — at least according to that “piece of paper” called the constitution.
Message from Grandpa -
If Dickie doesn’t want to play by the rules, he should take his bat and leave the playground. Or be thrown off. Please.
Article II
Section 1. 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, as follows:
———–
Ie, the Constitution plainly seems to put the VP into the Executive Branch along with the President. They are certianly both mentioned in the first paragraph of the section of the Constitution that refers to the Executive branch.
Of course, the part I really like is the following.
————–
Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Reid, Pelosi and the rest of the leadership is the ONLY FORCE that still is propping these crooks up and keeping them in office.
We’ve had the person who was the Acting Attorney General of the United States between Ashcroft and Gonzales testify to a Senate committee that the President of the United States acted illegally while he served in that role. That statement alone should have immediately triggered impeachment hearings. And Cheney has flaunted the Constitution of the United States and had his chief aide arrested and convicted of Obstruction of Justice.
Why are Reid and Pelosi propping these people up and keeping them in office? What loyalty do Reid and Pelosi have to Bush and Cheney that supercedes their constitutionally mandated role which so plainly calls for impeachment?
Off with his ugly head.
Cheney is right, his office is NOT part of the executive branch of the US government. It is actually part of Haliburton/Blackwater and based loosly on a 1938 German Nazi Propoganda department
Sound like one or both of two things..
1) His dementia is getting out of control.
2) He is preparing for a power grab..
Watch out America..
All true patriots should be prepared to stand up and fight this.in All true patriots in the military should refuse any and all illegal orders against people and property, domestic and foreign.
It really is that easy to take back YOUR country from these barbarians.. Just stop ENABLING them..
All the best
Newsflash: “Cheney Shoots Waxman In The Face”
IMPEACH!
canuckchuck: I wish you wrote for Saturday Night Live, you are really funny and make great points while being so. Golly, someone writes an article about Cheney and does it ever get attention,, about 45 comments already.
I’m with you ricg . . . I have always hated guns, have no idea what to do with them. I’m going to ask my brothers to teach me how to use one . . . I can only hope a revolution is somewhere in the future. Problem is, nincompoop Amerikkans will fight against each other (race, immigrants, yadda yadda yadd) instead of the real enemy - the Cheney cabal of fascists. Why can’t we all get together . . . . like in V for Vendetta? Do you think this is a precursor for martial law????
The alpha pig speaks
Cheney is truly a monster, dedicated to effecting major change in the US Government to give both President and Vice President unheard of power. He must be impeached; there certainly is ample evidence now of his high-handedness and dictatorial behavior.
YOU CAN’T SHUT THIS MONGREL UP…..
In Stalinist Russia the only way the suffering plebes could get any peace was to shoot these “sons of bitches”…..
Not dissimilar to the way Cheney shot his duck hunting partner….
I have always been opposed to the death penalty but I would make an exception for Cheney. He is beyond redemption.
Evelyn Smith: canuckchuck might already be writing, for The Daily Show.
I’m with you, though–his comments are a very funny bright spot on commondreams.
Saila June 21st, 2007 5:18 pm
“Just look at him. Doesn’t he scare the crap out of you!”
That’s actually his smiling face. When he frowns, he looks like the possessed girl from The Exorcist.
Amen to sLiMsHaDy!
The bastard’s rabid! Put the mad dog down!!
Better yet, ship his fat ass off to Gitmo, which he’s fighting to keep open, so he can get a taste of what he dodged during Nam, due to “other priorities”, like being a friggin’ chicken shit!
Can you only imagine Dicky boy, or any of these whimped out neo-cons dealing with even an hour of what their sadistic bullies dish out 24-7 down on the south side of Cuba?
You wanna see the prick get torqued until his sick ole ticker pops like a waterballoon! Waterboard this, DC!!
So what part of OUR Government is he?
That claim is just absurd. His staff should walk out.
INSURGENT: I’d tell my son or daughter to go to a Wall-Mart and purchase a short barrel twelve gage, pump shotgun. Take it to a gunsmith and have them put on a longer loading tube for eight shells and a good sling. Find a rifle or gun range where you can learn gun safety and practice firing the weapon. Also take a course on how and when to use it, the NRA people will assist you.
Good people do not want to shoot another person, one must BURN it into the brain, the whys and whens it is justifiable. If you do not learn that, DON’T buy a gun, for if you do and are not prepared to use it, should it ever be necesary, you may freeze and get yourself killed. Use O buck or OO buck shot, with a pump you can load the weapon while there is a round in the chamber ready for firing. With oo buck, one can knock down a concrete wall.
Be extremely careful, guns are deadly serious.
This sounds a lot like the group of UN inspectors who were met with Iraqi resistance when looking for alleged weapons of mass destruction.
Since dip-shit Cheney won’t allow his “classified” information released, I say the government be allowed to bomb his house and torture his family to parallel what the military has done for the same reasons in the Middle East.
Obviously he has something MAJOR to hide (just like Iraqi WMDs) so let’s keep the global playing field fair, shall we, so Cheney can know what it feels like.
IMPEACH!
Hey — 99.9% of America is not part of the Executive Branch either. That mean we can all root out likely Spooks that we work with, sell national secrets, etc?
Must be nice to be law-free. I like his style. But is it something that we can all emulate, or is it just for the super-rich & build-me-a-stadium-now powerful?
Haven’t read all the comments yet, but the third one
implies Gore did the same thing. My read of the
article does not say that - Gore/Aragoncillo complied
with the law.
But the truth as everyone has said is this guy should
be in Gitmo. I was working outside today before I
read this and the “experience” set me to thinking…
Mowing lawn, ear protection on, mosquitos ravenous.
Since this is not damage to organs etc, after water-
boarding him, put some hungry mosquitos inside some
ear protection and put them on him. Can’t slap ‘em,
can’t kill ‘em, the whine and itch might drive him
crazy - or should that be sane? (Personally, I would
call it torture, but following their definitions…)
Just look at him. Doesn’t he scare the crap out of you! How’d you like to have him as your father? As for me, I’ll run away from home.
No wonder his daughter is a lesbian.
The fascist auto-coup has ALREADY happened here. We’re several years into it, but the majority of the population still doesn’t get it. The only way, I repeat only way we will get back democracy here is if there develops a huge popular movement backed by enough of the US military to drive the fascist occupiers out for good. A large percentage of the military will support the fascists unfortunately. When the real crisis arrives we will very quickly find out exactly where the military stands and who they back–the people or the fascists.
IS DARTH CHENEY SAYING THAT HE’S NOT
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN?
At this point wouldn’t be more of a shock if Cheney complied with a law — any law?
Unless any of you have lived under a rock for the past 6 years, it should be patently obvious as to why the Dems are “propping” these bastards up. The Dems want western oil corps to have free reign with Iraq’s resources just as much as Bu$hCo does, because they have seen the writing on the wall re peak oil and it ain’t pretty.
As far as who gets the blame (or credit) for the dirty work, the Dems are just as content to let this happen on the Neo Con’s shift, whether or not the D’s have a Congressional majority doesn’t matter. All the D’s have to do is pay lip service to the Constitution and a few lower level “show” prosecutions like Libby’s to give the illusion of an “opposition party”, and the GOP will do the rest.
Voila! The US has its protected oil supply in Iraq…of course until even that runs out.
Do you think that it was only Bu$hCo that was involved in or new about 9/11? Think again, and study the evidence.
Then ask yourself again which shell the ball is really under.
The problem for the Dems is keeping some control over the domestic agenda without totally upsetting the imperialist foreign policy applecart, which would occur if the Dems actually performed their Constitutional duties and started lopping off heads. The hard Right has usurped the domestic agenda - the traditional forte of the Dems - as well as the foreign policy agenda, so how to keep their hands on domestic issues while leaving their GOP “friends across the aisle” intact is the rub.
They can’t impeach Darth or Chimpy anymore than they could conduct an honest investigation into 9/11. If they did, the entire charade would be exposed and the Dems would be just as culpable as anyone.
I disagree about the military. They’ve pushed back or contradicted Cheney on Iran, Rumsfeld evidently didn’t trust them enough — so we saw photos of his visits to Iraq with Blackwater guards, our soldiers are ordinary young men and women from across the country, and many higher up are indeed where they are at because of a deep conviction to protect the Constitution.
Even Hitler didn’t trust his own military. Nazism was a primarily a political/ideological/fear-based/dirty-tricks/propaganda movement.
Everyone knew the real power resed in Cheney fom git go and most savy people knew it was Rove and Cheny who were running thngs.
Teh real show of power was right asfter he attack on towers, where was Bush.
Cheney assumed command , no legal precedent from legal means but he did and got away with it.
Oh Ya Bush was hiding.
the most obvious time was when Bush refused to talk with Congress on the book and not at all unless cheney was there.
Come now people do you honestly think Bush is mature or mentally sharp enough , his sanity can be questioned also, to actualy be a President of the United States.
I honestly believe that one reason no impeachment is forthcoming is Deos and Repubs alike do not
How do you explain to public the guy , Bush , for the last 8 years has been delusional, almost totally ignorant on ramificatins of policy decisions and has to depended upon not one coucilor such as Cheney but been upon a whole staff that has to control almost every aspect of this gusy waking life.
The thing is we know he has this staff that is three times the size of any president before him, not staf as in finding and making decison on nation but telling him what to do. Of them two are of New Yorks highest most successful ad agencys. We pretend that givng Karl Rove an office is just what all presidnets did and why do we, because we know that without Rove the Pres would be a loony tune character of a president.
Cheney has now PRACTICALLY said, “I am above the law.”
How much clearer does his disrespect for our nation and the world at large have to be before something happens?
Is this the straw that breaks the camel’s back? Has his Karma Credit Plan finally run out? This was from ABC News.
Corporate America vs American citizen’s.
http://www.freedomtofascism.com/
Ask Cheney which of the other two branches of the government he thinks he is part of since he claims to be not part of the executive branch. That assumes of course, that either of the other two branches would want him.
Doesn’t anyone else think part of the reason the Dems aren’t squawking more about the abuses of the Constitution, the power grabs, the spying, lying, the hundreds of ‘executive privilege’ claims and signing statements and all the rest is because they want to wield the same power when (if!) they get control of the presidency?
Does anyone think any of the current crop of contenders (bar several like Kucinich and Gravel)wouldn’t continue the corporate fascism and same abuses of power we’re experiencing? When has any government willingly given up powers, even if stolen as this current crowd has done. The Dems are complicit in selling We The People out as well for not impeaching at least. Somebody above had it right, there’s much kerfluffle by Waxman and some others, a few polaroid moments and sound bites of bluster and outrage and a half-assed investigation or two, and then nothing is done, no action taken. We’re still waiting to hear about Cheney’s Energy Task Force from the first term! A pox on all their houses I say!
And I’d be surprised along with others here if we actually have elections in 2008, everything is in place for martial law and a takeover–right after that grave threat to Murka, the Iranians, are nuked off the map, igniting a mess in the Middle East that will have old DC sneering even more with glee–or maybe even WW3.
Probably 90% of the posters here on CD will be rounded up and hauled off (disappeared) into Blackwater’s detention centers as enemy combatents. Meh. Annie get yer gun. A bad moon is risin’.
Hr 333 Yeah! Halve the beast!
It is time for the Terminator.
It is very apparent that Cheney is cornered and dangerous–(like a rabid animal). He is a roadblock to Iraq. For the sake of US troops, senators, congress reps. and citizens must deal with Cheney.
In honor of his withdrawal, he will now be known as Dickless Cheney.
Cheney has always seen himself (and our president) as CEOs of a business — not elected officials of an open government. From his perspective, someone lesser asking him for documents he doesn’t want to give up is like the janitor at Microsoft demanding Bill Gates account for himself. Not going to happen and it’s an affront that it was tried.
What I can’t believe is that he’s gotten away with it for so long. No matter how he sees it, he is *not* a dictator in the way a CEO is, and he is responsible to all of us, not just a few stockholders.
On 4th July 1776, Thomas Jefferson asserted the right of a nation to ‘life, liberty and the persuit of happiness’. Two searing accusations to the British monarch were: ‘ For depriving us of the benefit of trial by jury’ and : ‘… transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.’ Two hundred and thirty one years later, the clock has turned full circle.
Has America lost its ideals? And would you trust anything, yet alone a Vuce Presidency and a gun, to a man who mistakes an old friend for a bird ?? Up to you, America!
Cheney probably was handed this self proclaimed exemption from the presidential order governing the protection of classified information from his lawyer as a defense, but is not actuality.
This adds to the suspicion that he has something big to hide.
One of the more disturbing points about this story is the fact that it’s actually reported by the “main stream” American media. This isn’t some backwater independent media outlet with a bone to pick; this is ABC for God sakes.
In other words, this information (like other perversions since 2000) is readily available to the American public at large. Is anybody listening????
As a Canadian with close ties to many Americans, it’s shocking to watch all of this unfold. And what’s worse, the stupid and ignorant Canadian electorate decided to give the Reform party (aka Canadian Alliance; aka Conservative Party of Canada) a minority government. Our current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and the majority of his caucus, are Bible-thumping red-neck Christians on a mission from God. Sound familiar?
Stockwell Day, a Pentecostal minister and Canada’s Minister of Public Safety was quoted saying that he believes the world is only 6,000 years old and that Adam and Eve were real people who roamed with the dinosaurs! I feel safe knowing that the person protecting 30-million people from terrorism is a religious crackpot!
So much for all the advancements humanity has made since the Middle Ages. I guess the Enlightenment is irrelevant … What has happened to the citizenry of North America???
CHENEY TO WAXMAN: GIT’ OFF MY PROPERTY, IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU
“Vice President Dick Cheney has asserted his office is not a part of the executive branch of the U.S. government, and therefore-”
-trespassing govt. officials might get their heads blown off in another “hunting accident.”
The Vice President hunting afficionado responded to subsequent criticisms by explaining that he had been only “joshing,” and “can’t-take-a-joke” members of the press should shut their traitorous pie hole, less’n they wanted a 30 gauge in it.
Just more evidence that we are in the throes of a Fascistic Republican Party and that the military-industrial-media complex is alive and well and in greater control than ever before. This Administration is the worst in U. S. History but continues to be cheered by the evangelical, flag-waving, Bible-thumping Dupes who believe, thanks to Rove and his media acolytes’ propaganda, that Jesus is running the Country through the Cheney-Bush White House.
Let’s all recall Upon Sinclair’s 1930s warning: When Fascism arrives, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.
Cheney= Mister Secret Agent Man
Does anyone here think that Joseph Goebbels would have allowed an inspection of his office and documents? The “Fourth Reich” is alive and well and flourishing in DC. Taking back “the land of the free” becomes a more difficult and unfortunately more unlikely prospect with each day these madmen are in power. The thefts of the legitimate outcomes of both 2000 and 2004 were the greatst crimes in the history of mankind. Expecting a fair election in ‘08 is like expecting the sun to rise in the west tomorrow………and the sheeple go right on grazing contentedly on Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton etc.
DrSpock: Best guess is that if it weren’t for the corporate media moguls fertilizing that nonsense in the brains of USA’ns, Canadians, Mexicans, British and Australians — and the cooked ballots — the nutcases wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
Although there are a lot of rednecked/religious/apathetic people out there, I don’t think they have a genuine majority. They’re all on a sell-out mission. Deregulate the banks, environmental restrictions, etc. Pollute, rob from the working- and middle-class. People don’t ordinarily vote contrary to their own class interests — it takes an incredible amount of propaganda to perpetuate. There are powerful right-wing media moguls in each of our countries, and the message they hammer home is the same. Trust in God, vote contrary to your class interests.
And although they’ve made powerful inroads on their propaganda campgains, on my travels I don’t really get the feeling that the majority of Americans/Canadians buy into this. If push came to shove, they’d be shoved out: paper tigers that they are.
What a load of garbage! If Cheney isn’t part of the Executive branch, why did he run for election with Bush? Why didn’t the Sentate elect him if he’s part of the Legislative branch as his office now claims? Why does he have an office near the President and not over at the Capital? Why does he sit in on meetings of the President and his cabinet and security council if he’s not a part of the Executive branch?
Being a Vice President is as close as you can get to being THE CHIEF Executive without actually being President.
Cheney’s arguments are specious at best. Meanwhile, his attempts to dissolve the Information Security Oversight Office, the one office that can gather the evidence our nation will need to call him to account, are outrageous. Sadly, it’s also just par for course with Dick Cheney.
This dick is real swift you’ve gotta be quick to outwit him.
If he’s shufflen his feet to an unseen beat then it could be we need to commit him.
If we are focused entire on dick and his ire than something else somewhere else is amiss.
he’s big and he’s mean with a head full of steam, drawing attention away with a hisssss.
as he keeps us a looking, there’s something else cooking, covered up like a pot on a stove
while dick is a rappening, elsewhere things are happening and sooner than later it will all unfold
so don’t get annoyed by the tricks being employed just sit back and watch the show
Politics, Smoke and mirrors, vaudeville, magic, illusions, bait and switch,
“It’s time to stop hey whats that sound everybody look whats going down”
The Buffalo Springfield
Have a nice day folks, enjoy the show. LMJ
Right.
Cheney is living in Animal Farm–where he plays the role of Napoleon.
The real problem is that you folks are living there with him.
The next time people go to the polls they need to look at the person they are voting for regardless of party affiliation. 1. do they have any respect for the law in this country? 2. what kind of a job have they done in the past? 3. do they have any respect for the US Constitution? 4. do they have any respect for the American people on the whole and have the countries best interests at heart. Instead of listening to campaign rhetoric that is designed to grab as many votes as possible. They need to start opening their eyes and start using their brains when they go to the polls. We have the most lawless group of individual’s in the executive branch in the history of this country. They got there by conning people around them. In fact, they put organized crime to shame with their blatant corruption. But, I haven’t come across one who has one ounce of character! Of coarse, they spout morals and religious verses for everyone to hear. But, I have yet to see one of them actually practice what they preach. As far as I can see religion does not make for a better person. This is one of those fallacies that has fooled people for centuries. The reason we have the mess we do. People weren’t paying attention and voted them into office. They assume because they are super religious they are honest. Well grow up folks. There are as many crooks in religion as there are out of it.
There simply comes a time when those who have violated the law and their guilt plainly is evident whether it is proven inside or outside of a courtroom must face the consequences. For weeks and even months, many of us on Commondreams.Org and other websites have expressed our increasing frustration and anger with the politicians in this country, especially the arrogant Bush Administration that as Waxman put it “feels that it is above the law.” We all know this Congress will do nothing, and there is a snowball’s chance in hell of getting a conviction for any members of the Bush Administration (Libby will be pardoned and walk). It is time for the civilians of this country to stand up and do something instead of ponitificating to the choir on these blogs. The power lies among the sovereignty -the people, as the Framers wanted it. We have entirely slipped into the world of fascism, and when politicians destroy documents, it obviously is a public admission of guilt. It is time to clean house and hold these people accountable for the crimes they have committed. I know that these messages are being monitored by the powers that be, so I realize that I must be cautious with what I say. I am not advocating violating the law, but why have law when those entrusted to lead our country feel they are entitled to special privilige and therefore immune from any punishment? So I ask you, my fellow citizens, what are we going to do?
The fun part will be in now watching the Democrats resume their “submissive dog” posture. They’ll roll over on their back and wave their legs in the air and ask the big mean alpha dog not to hurt them. Please, we won’t do anything if you won’t say mean things about is the corporate media.
Oh, like any yippy little submissive dog there will be a few little barks that are meant to sound tough. But it will be clear to anyone listening that there’ no bite behind the bark, and that the bark itself will probably be done in such a way that its obvious its just a meek little bark of symbolic protest.
The part I don’t get is why the Dems keep thinking that its important to us that they ‘can win’? Who cares, if the only result of a Dem ‘win’ is a Republican agenda that proceeds unchecked?
But right now, I’d bet the house that Cheney gets away with this. The Dems are pledged not to interfere, and they’ve already foresworn actions that might actually stop this (like impeachment). And up till now, the people don’t seem to have figured out that the Dems won’t do anything, so they won’t take the actions they could take to end this. 10,000,000 angry Americans gathered around the US Naval Observatory beating pots and pans and shouting for Cheney to leave could have him on a helicopter out of town in a couple of days. That’s how people in other parts of the world solve problems like this. But it won’t happen here.
Opinionated: Good CEO personality sketch of Cheney. I’d add to it the scathing analysis presented by John Dean (”Conservatives without Conscience) on the rise of the new authoritarians. These people do not believe in accountability, they see themselves as THE authority.
Wilhelm: As for “the credit plan,” apparently extended credit has been issued by and through the dark side. If you’ve never read Nigel Ravencrofts’s, “The spear of Destiny” it raises points relevant to this group and its naked abuse of power.
Dr. Spock: History tends to recycle its themes; and we are back on the cusp of a need to reassert the important line in the sand drawn between church and state. The reasons are entombed in history.
Emkay: Your scenario is not a paranoid one given the times. Many on this site do use pen names as a good camouflage.
Dictatorship has arrived and is firmly entrenched in the US. At this point, it cannot be stopped. A state of emergency is imminent, such as another US government sponsored terrorist attack in a US city. Marshal law will be declared very soon. The Constitution will be abolished. The US is the USSR of A. Cheney must be arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison without trial or legal representation, under the rules he established for enemy combatants. Cheney is the embodiment of Hitler himself. The US administration is the Fourth Reich reincarnated. Fascism is here to stay. It is a sad time.
“Since 2003, however, Cheney’s office has refused to submit the data to ISOO”
Why was this kept silent during the 2004 election year ?
And nothing done since, “we the people” get wind of this in June 2007 ?
Even if pursued now, it will not be resolved before end of term.
Seditious post is right, Dem or GOP does not matter.
“We the people” have already lost control of America.
Check the polls, talk to people. The American people have figured this out, and Bush\Cheney has almost no support. Bush’s poll numbers are in the 20% range for christ’s sake. And its almost impossible to find people who are willing to completely support this admin.
The amazing thing to me is the way the Dems cower before a President with a 20% approval rating. They should be mopping the floor with this guy.
Given that both Bush and Cheney have taken actions that have documented proof worthy of at least an impeachment investigation, and that 80% of the country now disapproves of Bush\Cheney and also say the country is going in the wrong direction, it becomes incredibly obvious that the only people keeping Bush\Cheney in office is the Democratic leadership.
Its the leadership of the Democratic Party that have said there will be no impeachment and that constantly blocks the Congress from proceeding on that. When you look at Bush and Cheney and the damage they are doing to the country and you want it stopped, then look at Reid and Pelosi. The only force keeping them in office is Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Why isn’t Kucinich’s impeachment bill going anywhere? Its because the House Leadership of Nancy Pelosi is BLOCKING IT!
And what did the expect to happen? When Reid and Pelosi came out over a year ago and said categorically that there absolutely would be no impeachment, how did the expect Cheney to act? Of course he’s going to take full advantage of it and get away with anything he can!
Sit back and look at the big picture here. The only reason this could happen is because Reid and Pelosi gave him a ‘get out of jail free card.’ Reid and Pelosi publically announced that Cheney can do whatever he wants to do, and there still will be no impeachment. Reid and Pelosi are the people blocking impeachment.
So, stop ranting about Cheney and instead start trying to figure out how to get REID, PELOSI and the rest of the DEMOCRATS who are propping up and supportin this administration OUT OF THE CONGRESS!!!!!
The administration doesn’t do what the people want….US is not a democracy. The sooner ignorant Americans understand this, the better. They are still brainwashed into thinking they are the world’s premier democracy!! Ha! What a farce. US is fascist for Christ’s sake. Wake up, Americans, and read a book now and then. Turn off American Idol for once in your life, and see where your country is headed. See what your country does to the world. See what your terrorist country really stands for. Then take action and revolt like you did in 1776. Quit being so damn ignorant and submissive.
Rep. Kucinich and others will continue to stand up to the playground bully … as they continue to push for his impeachment we will see an increase in Cheney’s insanity … this particular move (he’s not in the executive branch) is desperate … he knows as well as anyone that positition is untenable.
The Penguin has been born again
Born with a short, wobbly body and a bird like nose, Oswald Cobblepot’s appearance made him an outcast in his rich, debutante family. Their rejection drove him to become violent criminal. In keeping with his family’s tradition of wealth, the Penguin lives a life of crime and evil, yet executes it with his own self proclaimed high society class and style. He commits crimes with the theme of the various birds he loves. Unlike most of the “Rogues Gallery,” The Penguin is in control of his own actions and perfectly sane, creating a unique relationship with his arch enemy Batman. The Penguin’s trademark are the various deadly umbrellas he uses to execute his evil plans.
Time for talk is over. We need ACTION….REVOLUTION against the american system of government. Overthrow the government as required by the constitution. That’s your duty as an american to prevent dictatorship.
So let the action begin Dave Pepper.
I am announcing the Impeach Dick Cheney YouTube campaign. You know what to do, go on youtube and start the thread, i don’t have a camera yet. But there are plenty of you out there sitting there who could easily do this task.
We need to flood the system with calls for his impeachment and trial as a traitor. Scream, write, yell it, say it, TELL everyone. The Religous right think they can scream loud, well wait till they hear the millions of us.
And guess what people. We outnumber them. So don’t give me no shit like this isn’t enough action. The ball got started by Kucinich lets roll it down the mountain. We own the internet, now lets use it.
Let’s Roll Bitches!
The picture above is worth a 1000 words!
I am minded of an incident a couple of years ago. Cheney was holding forth on something or other and a man walked by, taking his kid to school. As he passed by, he made a comment to the effect, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
After he dropped his boy at the school, he walked back home. Cheney was still in the vicinity. The SS (Secret Service) immediately arrested him, cuffed him and charged him with “stalking the VP” if my memory is correct. Apparently, he should have kept his mouth shut, or found another route home.
Now, a rousing chorus of Deutschland Uber Alles followed by the Horst Wessel song.
The old b@st@rd thinks he’s tough; is he growling and ready to bite someone? LOL A battery keeps his heart pumping, but he’s a “tough guy” who tells another old man (Leahy/Democrat) in Congress to “Go f*ck yourself!” Does he also pretend he’s a born-again, religious Christian like George Bush does? haha
Dick Cheney is a shameless liar. As vice president, he is definitely part of the Executive branch of the government. He really needs to be impeached, making statements like that. Don’t tell me Congress is going to ignore this latest BS coming from him?!
IMPEACH CHENEY, THEN BUSH!!
“…Come now people do you honestly think Bush is mature or mentally sharp enough , his sanity can be questioned also, to actualy be a President of the United States.”
Well, delusion occurs under the influence of…
Who’s his buddies? Well, let’s see… Rummy is CEO of that Pharma-corp. that is developing that lovely vaccine for avian flu virus… And then there’s all the other big buck$ drug producers. Hmmmm… got to wonder about that scene in another location. (No wonder none of “we the little people” can’t afford healthcare!)
As for Big Dick II (Cheney that is) you KNOW he gets all the “pick-me-ups he desires.
I’d wager that Georgie-boy has the “best buzz” that the pharmacy wonks can produce, readily available, (or perhaps they just administer them on schedule…). Helps him abstain from alcohol. Otherwize, how would he, as a self proclaimed Christian (not that I believe in such absolution-seeking labels, I don’t, but it seems to be a popular song and dance in this culture) justify his actions and policies. Newsflash: not georgie-boy’s policies but those of his obvious handlers who keep him “pumped up” for select occasions/showings.
Drugs are a wonderful thing, aren’t they? Gives a who new definition to “the administration”, ‘eh?
I was just wondering on what exactly is Mr. Cheney basing his claim that he is not a member of the Executive Branch??? Is there something in the Patriot Act? Admiralty Law? Roberts’ Rules Of Order? What?? I hope someone can enlighten me. I would really like to know.
Most Americans are happier keeping their noses out of it (hell, I’m one of the few who’s not afraid to use his real name here). What can any one person do anyway? Better to hold your nose, endure the stench, and hope it goes away all on its own (it never does).
Besides, with the Dems as a weak/shill opposition party, what’s the point in speaking out? You’ll have no friends in high places. Or perhaps you actually do.
There is power in numbers. And my take on the Man in the Street is that he just barely tolerates the batch in D.C. We may have no friends there, but I’ve got an awful lot of faith in my fellow American if something eventually ticks him off.
WHAT CHENEY IS REALLY SAYING IS “I’M MORALLY BANKRUPT,IMPEACH ME CONGRESS,IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS.”IF THE VICE PRESIDENCY IS NOT PART OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH,LET HIM COME PROVE THAT IN COURT.LET HIM JUSTIFY ALL THESE YEARS OF DEFYING ISOO’S REQUESTS.WHEN ONE MAKES A CLAIM AS OUTRAGEOUS AS THIS ONE,THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE GUY WHO MADE IT,NONE OF THAT OLD TIME MEDIA TWO-STEP IS APPROPRIATE HERE.THIS CRAP IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH “INTELLIGENT DESIGN,” THE PILTDOWN MAN,THE SLAM DUNK,AND THE MUSHROOM CLOUD.ITS ONE “NOBLE LIE ” TOO MANY.
I still do not get Cheney’s arrogance. What is even more troubling is the inept manner in which the leading Democrats are allowing this to happen.
I have seen this sort of thing before in elementary school when the geeky hall monitor can’t reprimand the school’s bully for loitering in the hallway because he’s scared of getting beaten up.
Waxman needs to wave the impeachment stick.
brattikat said:”I was just wondering on what exactly is Mr. Cheney basing his claim that he is not a member of the Executive Branch??? Is there something in the Patriot Act? Admiralty Law? Roberts’ Rules Of Order? What?? I hope someone can enlighten me. I would really like to know.”
Well, he’s also president of the senate. When its rules to control the executive, that’s what he is. When its rules to control the legislative branch he’s suddenly part of the executive.
Its bullshit.
Such hubris…reminds me of another VP who fell long, hard, and fast — Spiro Agnew
OK, so why don’t our representatives in Congress sign on to Kucinich’s impeachment bill?
Great idea to impeach Cheney on YouTube!! It’s like the old rock in the stream (the House and Senate). Sometimes you need to just go around it and keep going to accomplish the goal. And while we’re at it let’s impeach the ENTIRE administration, the ENTIRE Senate and House members who decided to GO ALONG TO GET ALONG. Let’s see, what shall we do with them once we’ve restored the Bill of Rights and saved the U.S. Constitution they were “supposed” to protect and defend “for us”?
We should think about that. What would the Founding Fathers suggest we do with them? Something about “quartering” comes to mind….?? Oh, maybe that’s a little over the top. Besides, it would be hard to put the grand finale of it all on Youtube. We’d need to keep it civil for the “new beginning”. Maybe life without parole would be cool. What do ya’ll think? That would put a nice “checks and balance” on the future wouldn’t it? We should show them how “civilized” human beings behave toward one another. Life without parole would at least protect us (and future generations!) from them. That is certainly a good start! I really never did believe that the death penalty was much of a deterrent….
By the way, a heads up to remember to watch “‘Lil Bush” on Comedy Central next Wednesday night. We’ll need some comic relief while we wage the U.S. Revolution of 2007 on YouTube!! Wait til you see ‘Lil Cheney….”Ra,ra,ra,ra,ra,ra,ra,ra,ra…..(with the sneer)”.
The ShadowGov is highly secretive, although it was seen in 1978 when House Democrat Jack Brooks futilely condemned it during Iran-Contra Hearings. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were Reagan’s architects of a duplicate government at Mount Weather, the FEMA command center near Bluemont, Virginia. They are institutionalizing it under G. W. - with 9-11 instead of the Cold War as excuse for subverting the Constitution– but still bypassing the nation’s legitimate duly elected representatives, and supported by their ideologically impaired Supreme Court.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_of_government
Rumsfeld still has an office near the Pentagon, all his security clearances, and a large staff working on internment and interrogation, and martial law.
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/01/25/rumsfeld-consultant/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Weather
Without so much as a press statement, Bush signed Directive NSPD-51/HSPD-20 on May 9, 2007 granting near dictatorial powers to the president in the event of a to-be-identified “national emergency” declared by the president, but makes no meaningful reference whatsoever to Congress. It puts the Homeland Security Director third in the succession chain - (not Speaker Pelosi).
Add to the pot: send the Army and National Guard out of the country; employ thousands of private security forces for foreign and domestic use (see New Orleans, and Kansas - where they practiced martial law); and, shut off habeas corpus and the Posse Comitatus law. Heckuva mise en scene for our bestseller.
The photograph accompanying this story says it all: a trapped, rabid animal.
Dick Tater
toss him in the Micro Wave
Whoopass
This is just the most recent machination of the administration to secure power before the Constitution terms them impotent.
This has all to do with a Bush/Cheny master plan which includes the recent assumption of dictatorial power by Bush by recent presidential directive. (check out the bush’s power grab subtely executed a couple of weeks ago.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55824
These men have no intention of leaving office peacefully. I have been speaking of this for weeks.
http://alexander-henderson.tripod.com/mayday/
That is a great “MUG SHOT” of Cheny. He seems an ANGRY MAN.
When will Congress slap-down our two tin-pot dictators?
Come on Dick, show us what you’re hiding.
he is also hiding his coke business with Hilary, bush sr etc.
Try getting people so worked up over a false allegation that the press will be full of it, and then go slip a few nukes into Iran…
rabblerowzer: You have asked the question of the decade, perhaps the century.
I wonder if this article has set any record for the number of comments? Cheney is a popular subject.
When a country is ruled by a King the King makes the rules. So whats wrong with that?