Guest Raymond Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Saturday, June 23, 2007 Maureen Dowd: A Vice President Without Borders, Bordering on Lunacy Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, June 24, 2007 WASHINGTON - It's hard to imagine how Dick Cheney could get more dastardly, unless J. K. Rowling has him knock off Harry Potter next month. Harry's cloak of invisibility would be no match for Vice's culture of invisibility. I've always thought Cheney was way out there - the most Voldemort-like official I've run across. But even in my harshest musings about the vice president, I never imagined that he would declare himself not only above the law, not only above the president, but actually his own dark planet - a separate entity from the White House. I guess a man who can wait 14 hours before he lets it dribble out that he shot his friend in the face has no limit on what he thinks he can keep secret. Still, it's quite a leap to go from hiding in a secure, undisclosed location in the capital to hiding in a secure, undisclosed location in the Constitution. Dr. No used to just blow off the public and Congress as he cooked up his shady schemes. Now, in a breathtaking act of arrant arrogance, he's blowing off his own administration. Henry Waxman, the California congressman who looks like an accountant and bites like a pit bull, is making the most of Congress's ability, at long last, to scrutinize Cheney's chicanery. On Thursday, Mr. Waxman revealed that after four years of refusing to cooperate with the government unit that oversees classified documents, the vice president tried to shut down the unit rather than comply with the law ensuring that sensitive data is protected. The National Archives appealed to the Justice Department, but who knows how much justice there is at Justice, now that the White House has so blatantly politicized it? Cheney's office denied doing anything wrong, but Cheney's office is also denying it's an office. Tricky Dick Deuce declared himself exempt from a rule that applies to everyone else in the executive branch, instructing the National Archives that the Office of the Vice President is not an "entity within the executive branch" and therefore is not subject to presidential executive orders. "It's absurd, reflecting his view from the first day he got into office that laws don't apply to him," Representative Waxman told me. "The irony is, he's taking the position that he's not part of the executive branch." Ah, if only that were true. Then maybe W. would be able to close Gitmo, which Vice has insisted he not do. And Condi wouldn't have to worry every night that she'll wake up to find crazy Dick bombing Iran, whispering to W. that they have to do it before that weak sister Hillary takes over. "Your decision to exempt your office from the president's order is problematic because it could place national security secrets at risk," Mr. Waxman, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote to Cheney. Of course, it's doubtful, now that Vice has done so much to put our national security at risk, that he'll suddenly listen to reason. Cheney and Cheney's Cheney, David Addington, his equally belligerent, ideological and shadowy lawyer and chief of staff, have no shame. After claiming executive privilege to withhold the energy task force names and protect Scooter Libby, they now act outraged that Vice should be seen as part of the executive branch. Cheney, they argue, is the president of the Senate, so he's also part of the legislative branch. Vice is casting himself as a constitutional chimera, an extralegal creature with the body of a snake and the head of a sea monster. It's a new level of gall, to avoid accountability by saying you're part of a legislative branch that you've spent six years trying to weaken. But gall is the specialty of Addington, who has done his best to give his boss the powers of a king. He was the main author of the White House memo justifying torture of terrorism suspects, and he helped stonewall the 9/11 commission. He led the fights supporting holding terrorism suspects without access to courts and against giving Congress and environmentalists access to information about the energy industry big shots who secretly advised Cheney on energy policy. Dana Perino, a White House press spokeswoman, had to go out on Friday and defend Cheney's bizarre contention that he is his own government. "This is an interesting constitutional question that legal scholars can debate," she said. I love that Cheney was able to bully Colin Powell, Pentagon generals and George Tenet when drumming up his fake case for war, but when he tried to push around the little guys, the National Archive data collectors - I'm visualizing dedicated "We the People" wonky types with glasses and pocket protectors - they pushed back. Archivists are the new macho heroes of Washington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PerfectlyAble Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 On Jun 28, 2:32 pm, Raymond <Bluerhy...@aol.com> wrote: > Saturday, June 23, 2007 > Maureen Dowd: A Vice President Without Borders, Bordering on Lunacy > > Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, June 24, 2007 > > WASHINGTON - It's hard to imagine how Dick Cheney could get more > dastardly, unless J. K. Rowling has him knock off Harry Potter next > month. > > Harry's cloak of invisibility would be no match for Vice's culture of > invisibility. > > I've always thought Cheney was way out there - the most Voldemort-like > official I've run across. But even in my harshest musings about the > vice president, I never imagined that he would declare himself not > only above the law, not only above the president, but actually his own > dark planet - a separate entity from the White House. > > I guess a man who can wait 14 hours before he lets it dribble out that > he shot his friend in the face has no limit on what he thinks he can > keep secret. Still, it's quite a leap to go from hiding in a secure, > undisclosed location in the capital to hiding in a secure, undisclosed > location in the Constitution. > > Dr. No used to just blow off the public and Congress as he cooked up > his shady schemes. Now, in a breathtaking act of arrant arrogance, > he's blowing off his own administration. > > Henry Waxman, the California congressman who looks like an accountant > and bites like a pit bull, is making the most of Congress's ability, > at long last, to scrutinize Cheney's chicanery. > > On Thursday, Mr. Waxman revealed that after four years of refusing to > cooperate with the government unit that oversees classified documents, > the vice president tried to shut down the unit rather than comply with > the law ensuring that sensitive data is protected. The National > Archives appealed to the Justice Department, but who knows how much > justice there is at Justice, now that the White House has so blatantly > politicized it? > > Cheney's office denied doing anything wrong, but Cheney's office is > also denying it's an office. Tricky Dick Deuce declared himself exempt > from a rule that applies to everyone else in the executive branch, > instructing the National Archives that the Office of the Vice > President is not an "entity within the executive branch" and therefore > is not subject to presidential executive orders. > > "It's absurd, reflecting his view from the first day he got into > office that laws don't apply to him," Representative Waxman told me. > "The irony is, he's taking the position that he's not part of the > executive branch." > > Ah, if only that were true. Then maybe W. would be able to close > Gitmo, which Vice has insisted he not do. And Condi wouldn't have to > worry every night that she'll wake up to find crazy Dick bombing Iran, > whispering to W. that they have to do it before that weak sister > Hillary takes over. > > "Your decision to exempt your office from the president's order is > problematic because it could place national security secrets at risk," > Mr. Waxman, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform > Committee, wrote to Cheney. > > Of course, it's doubtful, now that Vice has done so much to put our > national security at risk, that he'll suddenly listen to reason. > > Cheney and Cheney's Cheney, David Addington, his equally belligerent, > ideological and shadowy lawyer and chief of staff, have no shame. > After claiming executive privilege to withhold the energy task force > names and protect Scooter Libby, they now act outraged that Vice > should be seen as part of the executive branch. > > Cheney, they argue, is the president of the Senate, so he's also part > of the legislative branch. Vice is casting himself as a constitutional > chimera, an extralegal creature with the body of a snake and the head > of a sea monster. It's a new level of gall, to avoid accountability by > saying you're part of a legislative branch that you've spent six years > trying to weaken. > > But gall is the specialty of Addington, who has done his best to give > his boss the powers of a king. He was the main author of the White > House memo justifying torture of terrorism suspects, and he helped > stonewall the 9/11 commission. He led the fights supporting holding > terrorism suspects without access to courts and against giving > Congress and environmentalists access to information about the energy > industry big shots who secretly advised Cheney on energy policy. > > Dana Perino, a White House press spokeswoman, had to go out on Friday > and defend Cheney's bizarre contention that he is his own government. > "This is an interesting constitutional question that legal scholars > can debate," she said. > > I love that Cheney was able to bully Colin Powell, Pentagon generals > and George Tenet when drumming up his fake case for war, but when he > tried to push around the little guys, the National Archive data > collectors - I'm visualizing dedicated "We the People" wonky types > with glasses and pocket protectors - they pushed back. > > Archivists are the new macho heroes of Washington. Cheney has a Boss, his doormat Bush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raymond Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 On Jun 27, 10:56?pm, PerfectlyAble <j...@kol.co.nz> wrote: > On Jun 28, 2:32 pm, Raymond <Bluerhy...@aol.com> wrote: > > > > > > > Saturday, June 23, 2007 > > Maureen Dowd: A Vice President Without Borders, Bordering on Lunacy > > > Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, June 24, 2007 > > > WASHINGTON - It's hard to imagine how Dick Cheney could get more > > dastardly, unless J. K. Rowling has him knock off Harry Potter next > > month. > > > Harry's cloak of invisibility would be no match for Vice's culture of > > invisibility. > > > I've always thought Cheney was way out there - the most Voldemort-like > > official I've run across. But even in my harshest musings about the > > vice president, I never imagined that he would declare himself not > > only above the law, not only above the president, but actually his own > > dark planet - a separate entity from the White House. > > > I guess a man who can wait 14 hours before he lets it dribble out that > > he shot his friend in the face has no limit on what he thinks he can > > keep secret. Still, it's quite a leap to go from hiding in a secure, > > undisclosed location in the capital to hiding in a secure, undisclosed > > location in the Constitution. > > > Dr. No used to just blow off the public and Congress as he cooked up > > his shady schemes. Now, in a breathtaking act of arrant arrogance, > > he's blowing off his own administration. > > > Henry Waxman, the California congressman who looks like an accountant > > and bites like a pit bull, is making the most of Congress's ability, > > at long last, to scrutinize Cheney's chicanery. > > > On Thursday, Mr. Waxman revealed that after four years of refusing to > > cooperate with the government unit that oversees classified documents, > > the vice president tried to shut down the unit rather than comply with > > the law ensuring that sensitive data is protected. The National > > Archives appealed to the Justice Department, but who knows how much > > justice there is at Justice, now that the White House has so blatantly > > politicized it? > > > Cheney's office denied doing anything wrong, but Cheney's office is > > also denying it's an office. Tricky Dick Deuce declared himself exempt > > from a rule that applies to everyone else in the executive branch, > > instructing the National Archives that the Office of the Vice > > President is not an "entity within the executive branch" and therefore > > is not subject to presidential executive orders. > > > "It's absurd, reflecting his view from the first day he got into > > office that laws don't apply to him," Representative Waxman told me. > > "The irony is, he's taking the position that he's not part of the > > executive branch." > > > Ah, if only that were true. Then maybe W. would be able to close > > Gitmo, which Vice has insisted he not do. And Condi wouldn't have to > > worry every night that she'll wake up to find crazy Dick bombing Iran, > > whispering to W. that they have to do it before that weak sister > > Hillary takes over. > > > "Your decision to exempt your office from the president's order is > > problematic because it could place national security secrets at risk," > > Mr. Waxman, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform > > Committee, wrote to Cheney. > > > Of course, it's doubtful, now that Vice has done so much to put our > > national security at risk, that he'll suddenly listen to reason. > > > Cheney and Cheney's Cheney, David Addington, his equally belligerent, > > ideological and shadowy lawyer and chief of staff, have no shame. > > After claiming executive privilege to withhold the energy task force > > names and protect Scooter Libby, they now act outraged that Vice > > should be seen as part of the executive branch. > > > Cheney, they argue, is the president of the Senate, so he's also part > > of the legislative branch. Vice is casting himself as a constitutional > > chimera, an extralegal creature with the body of a snake and the head > > of a sea monster. It's a new level of gall, to avoid accountability by > > saying you're part of a legislative branch that you've spent six years > > trying to weaken. > > > But gall is the specialty of Addington, who has done his best to give > > his boss the powers of a king. He was the main author of the White > > House memo justifying torture of terrorism suspects, and he helped > > stonewall the 9/11 commission. He led the fights supporting holding > > terrorism suspects without access to courts and against giving > > Congress and environmentalists access to information about the energy > > industry big shots who secretly advised Cheney on energy policy. > > > Dana Perino, a White House press spokeswoman, had to go out on Friday > > and defend Cheney's bizarre contention that he is his own government. > > "This is an interesting constitutional question that legal scholars > > can debate," she said. > > > I love that Cheney was able to bully Colin Powell, Pentagon generals > > and George Tenet when drumming up his fake case for war, but when he > > tried to push around the little guys, the National Archive data > > collectors - I'm visualizing dedicated "We the People" wonky types > > with glasses and pocket protectors - they pushed back. > > > Archivists are the new macho heroes of Washington. > > Cheney has a Boss, his doormat Bush.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - Tell Congress to Impeach Cheney First http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/73 " No wise man ever thought that a traitor should be trusted.". [Lat., Nemo unquam sapiens proditori credendum putavit.] - Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stanley F. Nelson Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Only with the total irrationality of the Bush presidency could we have a v-p such as Cheney -- the archetypal bureaucrat, the most skilled henchman for whom "just following orders" justifies, literally, anything. Whose orders? His own, of course. Does this sound less (or more) than real? Welcome to "Through the Looking Glass" Washington DC style, circa 2007. Stanley F. Nelson Dallas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BushRuinsTheWorldandtheUSA Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 On Jun 27, 8:41 pm, "Stanley F. Nelson" <stan02...@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > Only with the total irrationality of the Bush presidency could we have a v-p > such as Cheney -- the archetypal bureaucrat, the most skilled henchman for > whom "just following orders" justifies, literally, anything. Whose orders? > His own, of course. Does this sound less (or more) than real? Welcome to > "Through the Looking Glass" Washington DC style, circa 2007. > > Stanley F. Nelson > Dallas. WASHINGTON - Unease with American foreign policy and President Bush has intensified in countries that are some of the closest U.S. allies and around the globe, while Russia and China also face growing international wariness, a survey released Wednesday said. Support for the U.S.-led war in Iraq, the NATO military action in Afghanistan and worldwide American efforts against terrorism have dropped since 2002, according to an international survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Views of the United States in much of the Muslim world remain particularly negative. In one measure of Bush's unpopularity, the poll showed he is less trusted on foreign policy than Russian President Vladimir Putin by allies Britain, Germany and Canada, even as faith in Putin has plummeted. About half in the United States say they have little or no trust in either leader's conduct of foreign affairs. Story continues below -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bush's sagging numbers partly reflect widespread opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq. Of the countries surveyed - which included the United States - more people favored the removal of American forces from Iraq in all but Israel, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. "Even though there is a mixed view of the United States around the world, there is increasing disapproval of the principal cornerstones of our foreign policy," said Pew President Andrew Kohut. Speaking at the Islamic Center of Washington on Wednesday, Bush accused religious extremists in the Middle East of seeking to fan anti- American sentiment. "This enemy falsely claims that America is at war with Muslims and the Muslim faith, when in fact it is these radicals who are Islam's true enemy," he said. The poll covered 46 countries plus the Palestinian territories. The United States is still seen favorably in most countries surveyed, including India, Japan, Italy, Israel and many countries in Africa. American culture and technology are widely admired, and many believe a better life can be had by moving to the United States. Deep concerns Yet wide-ranging majorities think the United States does not consider their interests when formulating foreign policy; worry that U.S. customs are hurting their countries; and think the United States contributes to the gap between rich and poor countries. As the U.S. has waged its war on terrorism over the past five years, its overall image has worsened. It has dropped from 75 percent favorable in Britain in 2002 to 51 percent now; from 60 percent to 30 percent in Germany; and from 64 percent to 56 percent in Mexico. Views of the United States have also slipped in Russia, Indonesia, Canada, China and India. The United States is seen favorably by 9 percent in NATO ally Turkey, the lowest of any country measured; 13 percent in the Palestinian territories; and by 15 percent in Pakistan and 20 percent in Jordan, both terror-war partners. Click for related content Gut Check America: Tell us what stories to cover Though Putin is popular in Russia, his worldwide image has declined. Only in China, Ukraine and a handful of African nations did most express trust in his foreign policy. Views of Russia are mixed, with slightly favorable opinions in the United States, China, India and South Korea. Majorities in most European countries express worries about reliance on Russian energy, following last year's Russian cutoff of natural gas to Ukraine during a clash over prices. CONTINUED -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 2 | Next > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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