The odd thing about the GOP -- they're called "Republicans", when they're actually divine-right Monarchists.

How strange is that? The semantic drift of the term 'liberal' from John Stuart Mills' day to ours is remarkable, but this takes the biscuit.

The last line in the post needs to be corrected to reflect that Cheney wanted info kept from Congress rather than information not kept from Congress.

[Good catch. Thanks for pointing it out. I have made the appropriate change so it reads correctly now. --Mod]

My question is simple. By what authority in the Constitution does the VICE PRESIDENT issue orders?

I thought these guys were "strict interpretationist" or "original intenters"?

Or only when it favors them....

Cheney engineered a "silent" coup -- taking advantage of Shrub's profound stupidity and ignorance to assume the Presidency, an office to which he was NOT elected, for eight years. In any country on earth, deposing a legally elected head of state is TREASON -- except, apparently in the United States of America.

I'll bet anyone a million dollars if Al Gore had done the same thing that the temper tantrums and head spinning by the same dillweeds that don't think it was a big deal would be a sight to behold.

My question is simple. By what authority in the Constitution does the VICE PRESIDENT issue orders?

If the Sovereign is incapable, or not yet of age, a Regent usually exercises the powers of the Sovereign until such time as the Sovereign becomes capable again, or comes of age. It is natural, not constitutional, law, and derived from universal practice since the mind of man runneth not to the contrary.

If you want to understand these people, you have to trade in your Federalist Papers for the works of Bossuet.

Bad Bossuet link..

God damn Dick Cheney's shit-filled soul to hell.

Kyl, Corndawg and the joke-in-the-flannel-shirt, Lamar Alexander can tote his warm spit all they want, but it's treasonous.

Data mining foreign banks to 'track terrorists'.

There was a scandal inside the scandal of their massive internet tracking system where they brought in outside analysts to review the data, but no one seems able to say who these people were or what they were looking for.

"...On "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Cheney's decision to order the CIA not to keep information from Congress is a "big problem."

"...said Cheney's decision to *to keep* information from congress is a big problem"...fixed.

What does it matter? Even if they found out Cheney was raping little Muslim boys in the basement of the WH, Obama still would not do anything about it. Too big a mess to investigate the Cheney/Bush administration...no matter what they did.

I pray that AG Holder enforces the law and breaks away from Obama's ideology of ...."it would interfere with policy making"...so much for the rule of law when it becomes inconvenient to enforce...too big a hassel...making it clear that presidents can do what ever they want without fear of consequences.

So much for Obama's promise of transparency or holding people accountable for breaking the law.

Seems with enough money involved the guilty (AK senator Stevens) can get off but the innocent(Siegleman) cannot even get a different judge or prosecutor being judged by his political enemies. Still waiting for Holder to come up to the plate and do his job without being loyal to the president but instead, loyal to the constitution, the rule of law and Justice.

Shades of Jason Bourne. Right down to the CIA 'briefing' the Congressional committee. Deja vu all over again, or, life imitates art.
"You said I'd be saving American lives"...hmmm. Well we know how THAT turns out. Unfortunately, movie reality is far more satisfying.

Just once, I'd like one of these Repuke hacks to be asked if they'd be so sanguine if Obama started running all sorts of programs that he hid from Congress.

A few weeks ago the repubs were going around the media wringing their hands and acting horrified that Nancy Pelosi would even suggest the CIA misled her, now they are going around saying 'no big deal' now they know the CIA misled everyone. Has anyone heard any apology from the repubs to Ms Pelosi yet?

alan;you're on to it with the banks but I don't think it was just foreign banks. Total Information Awareness.

Other than casting tie-breaking votes, what authority does the vice-president have?

Why would anyone follow "orders" issued by Cheney? How were these orders issues? In writing? Is that possible? Likely?

This needs investigation and exposure, but I am almost sure that the Obama administration will make sure the truth never sees the light of day.

I'm at a loss to understand the thinking or behavior of Republican politicians, at least at the national level. When were their hearts replaced with shriveled black lumps of coal? They have become alarmingly removed from our shared heritage of democracy. They seem to have made a decision that the rule of law is an annoyance, to be derided no matter what the cost.

@JS: "A few weeks ago the repubs were going around the media wringing their hands and acting horrified that Nancy Pelosi would even suggest the CIA misled her, now they are going around saying 'no big deal' now they know the CIA misled everyone"

Yep, looks like the Democrats got their money's worth with this New York Times article. Mission accomplished.

Although, you'd take care to notice that the blame on the hush-hushing is being placed on (Dr. Evil) Dick Cheney. You'd also take care to notice that lying and keeping something secret isn't the same thing.

But then you'd not be doing what the Democrats and the New York Times (I repeat myself) want you to be doing, and we can't have that, now can we.

"Just once, I'd like one of these Repuke hacks to be asked if they'd be so sanguine if Obama started running all sorts of programs that he hid from Congress."

I'd imagine that they'd love that very much, as they believe Obama to be a pansy when it comes to national security. That would increase their opinion of him.

"Why would anyone follow "orders" issued by Cheney? How were these orders issues? In writing? Is that possible? Likely?"

Ssssh, stop injecting facts into a situation where Democrats (New York Times) are writing articles to deflect/distract from what other Democrats (Pelosi et al) are doing/have done. It's not helpful!

If I were a liberal these days, I'd be skeptical every time the media drums up a new scandal containing Cheney. You can only use Nefarious Bad Guy Number One so many times in different settings before one should start becoming aware that you're being had.

It's akin to Dan Brown writing his 50th book about Jesus blaming [insert nefarious character here] for doing nefarious things. It's akin to Pravda writing for the 45234th time that Capitalism is to blame for something or another.

Wake up sheeple, this is a Distractionâ„¢.

It's just the typical Republican damage control in action. Does anyone expect anything different from them? In this case, it seems pretty transparently feeble.

George - In what universe would Republicans give Obama credit for ANYTHING? They go to the fainting couch over what type of mustard Obama uses, what type of lettuce he orders and the fact that he uses a teleprompter. Why on earth would they ever give him credit for something of consequence?

When will a journalist ever ask the follow up question "If you have no problem with Dick Cheney making these decisions in private, can I also assume you would have no problem if Joe Biden also did the same?"

Probably never.

This incident is so instructive about Republicons and their way of handling this and similar:
1. To them, who does it is paramount.
2. They aren't bothered by a powerful, secretive government even though authentic conservatives would be (and are.)
3. They try to reframe arguments away from substantive issues, and into ad hominem temptations of attacking the messenger.

Everything I have read about Cheney after 9/11 has shown him to be nothing but a scared, cowardly, mean little old man. Nothing he did was for the country; it was to protect his cowardly fat a**.

You'd also take care to notice that lying and keeping something secret isn't the same thing.

In the abstract, it is conceivable that that could be the case in some scenarios but not in this one. That is because the CIA is required by law to inform congress of what it is doing with respect to intelligence gathering, as is the White House. They can only fail to do so by lies of omission.

You'd also take care to notice that lying and keeping something secret isn't the same thing.

When you're asked if there are other secret programs and you say "No" then you are lying AND keeping something secret.

George, distraction to what? I'm imagine Cheney had something to do with that also.

The whole of the Bush administration was from the onset a Frankenstonian conglomeration of half baked ideologues crammed into a concocted make it up as you go form of sloppy borderline constitutionality (what better Petri dish for evil Dick?) ...aided and abetted by a gung-ho complicit media to boot. All the while congress wrung their hands and or appropriated just about everything and anything that was requested, known or unknown. Many Americans waved flags, wheeled around in Hummers and made unrealistic windfall profits on the economic front. Yes, "big problem" would be a nice place to start...let's see if Senators Feinstein & Durbin lead any charges on any of these 'new revelations' of breached constitutional procedure...(i wouldn't be scanning the horizon very long for this ship)

I'm sure the liberal media merely forgot to ask these republican lawmakers if they would be OK with VP Biden sidestepping the law to decide what intelligence congress should be privy to.

This explains Failin' Palin'sconfusion about what the VP does.

"Hey! I'm shocked! Hey! Look over there! Shocked I tell you! Hey! Cheney, Cheney, Cheney!"

There will never be any investigation. There will never be a truth commission. There will never be CIA or former Bush admin. people in front of any Congressional hearing. And Cheney will never be deposed or subpoenaed for anything. Ever.

Because Pelosi, Durbin, and Rockefeller, et.al., knew what they said they did not know. (Reyes is merely an errand boy.) Ie.: they lied, and they've lied for years in order to pound Bush, undermine the NSA, and neuter the CIA. The CIA has their ass. Panetta knows it and is precisely in the Director's position he holds in order to keep a lid on Democratic Reps and Senators asses. This kerfuffle is apparently over a CIA program that was either never activated, or was legally below the covert radar for Congressional approval. (Possibly like sending some State Dept. hanger-around schmuck -- with a hot wife -- to Africa to sip chai and look for yellow cake.)

hmm, there seem to be a lot of trolls out this evening. better light some citronella candles or something.

your pal,
blake

Perhaps some sheep dip for the regulars, too.
Or something.

Your troll, bud & sensei,
tao9

We're not a nation of laws. We're a people both major parties deign to inform on a "need to know" basis. Assassination squads directed by the Executive branch? Fuck off, it's none of your business.

Is there ever a point at which we can look at our governmental institutions and say that they are irreparably damaged? When the executive branch lies to begin wars, turns the so-called Department of Justice into a political instrument, undermines the oversight powers of the legislative branch, operates in secret while colluding with corporative special interest groups, robs the middle class blind in order to enrich the wealthiest two percent of the population, has a media outlet that operates as a propaganda arm of the executive branch, spies on its own people, holds prisoners without any due process--is there anything that warrants prosecution by our judicial system? Anything? What is wrong with the Ameriucan people? Spineless? Devoid of ethics? Stupid? I rant. It is all I have left as a powerless member of this society.

The final shoe to drop will be the day we learn that Bush/Cheney phone tapped all Democratic members of congress to search for "terrorists". Surveillance activity should be pretty high around January through October of 2004.

"The real story of modern empire--of the corporatocracy that exploits desperate people and is executing history's most brutal, selfish, and ultimately self-destructive resource-grab, has little to do with what was exposed in the newspapers....the real story is we are living a lie."

From "Confessions of an Economic Hitman." John Perkins, 2004

What was Cheney's secret is absolutely about empire.

I seem to recall that DC was asked to serve on GWB's VP search committee. Amazingly enough, DC decided that HE should be the VP.

I seriously doubt that DC has acted in his country's best interests, but rather in Haliburton/Carlisle/Bush interests.

Prove me wrong.

A) George, you're an idiot.
B) So is John Cornyn.
C) Prosecute, and let the political chips fall where they may. I'm silling to bet that most Americans are so sick of Cheney and his cabal that they'd buy popcorn and sit back.

Dick Cheney's profound lack of confidence in the Constitution he took an oath to defend conclusively demonstrates he was the wrong man for the job.

I expect this from GOP conservatives. After all, they don't want Americans to know the truth about what the CIA really does so, they can repeat the silly Bush meme "Americans don't torture" or what is more sinister, the wingnuts don't really want a open republic, at least "not a government of the people, by the people, and for the people"?

"Secrecy, as journalist Taylor Branch has said, protects the American people from grisly facts at variance with their self-image".

But why did the incredulous Dem senators so willingly want to believe the Bush CIA when the CIA has always lied to our legislators? Is this part of the 'bi-partisanship', lack of scepticism, bargain with the devil, that Obama seems so unabashedly dedicated to, just so he can be re-elected more easily?

tao9,

1. YOU are sheepdip
2. YOU are an ineffective apologist
3. I know you are thick, but withholding information that you are required by LAW to reveal is called a..., say it with me now,...CRIME.

Get a clue "NON-sensei" and Get Real. The whole blogosphere is laughing at you. Tool.

Think what they would be saying if it had been Biden, not Cheney.

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