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More on Our New Fourth Branch of Government
Ever-helpful White House spokesperson Dana Perino addresses the curious question of whether Dick Cheney is his own special branch of government:
Q: Do you agree with the contention that the Office of the Vice President is not part of the executive branch?
MS. PERINO: What I know -- and I am not a lawyer; and this is an interesting constitutional question that legal scholars can debate and I'm sure you'll find plenty of them inside the beltway -- is that the Vice President has a unique role in our United States government. He is not only the Vice President of the United States, but in that role he is also the President of the Senate. I will let him go ahead and --
Q: So there's a fourth branch of government.
MS. PERINO: -- I will let that debate be held.
So Cheney's not part of the executive because he's part of the legislative branch. Fascinating. And you gotta love Perino's deft use of the old "We've Made Up Our Minds, But You're Welcome to Debate This" move from the Bush Rhetorical Playbook.
Always remember to follow the money. His salary is budgeted in with the Executive Branch of the government. That is where he works.
I want the bastard Cheny impeached. If, as he claims, he is not part of the executive branch of government, then he is a part of the legislative branch of government and is not priviliged to have executive privilege; so, his workings are subject to subpena and the legislative branch in ther person of Waxman should "search so he might destroy" this bastard.
Impeach the bastard Cheny.
robert buckenmeyer, ph.d.
It should be named Bush and Cheny No Brainy.
Check out http://www.pardonlibby.net
Ida, he's paid?!? In a sane world he would be be paying big buck$ to have the Veep job for its patronage possibilities.
Oh, sorry, I forgot, it's NOT the real world, it is shrub's (surely he's barely a twig by now?)Washington
It's simple. Cheney is in the branch of government that his office is funded by. It's either the Executive or the Congressional.
If he's not in the Executive branch, then his claims of executive privilege are moot, and someone better damn well issue subpoenas and I mean yesterday.
Otherwise he's in the Executive branch and someone better damn well issue subpoenas and I mean yesterday.
But no one does anything. Remarkable.
This is classic Cheney rope-a-dope. It's amazing how easily he dupes Congress, the feds, the press, everyone. Ms. Perino is his perfect foil, almost flawless in her dissembling. Remarkable. Is it just me, or does it seem like the FBI, the Senate, the House, and pretty much everyone is doing nothing... anyone else (except Bush or Gonzales) would be immediately subjected to withering legal scrutiny and independent federal and Senate investigations.
when i was pursuing my jd at boalt hall, we spent a tremendous amount of time on the Constitution and in fact the veep is funded through the exec branch, the job description (such as it is) is spelled out in the very same Article of the Constitution that describes the duties and responsibilities of the exec branch. Article II, section 1-4, the most complete of which appears in section 1: "In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected."
as to his legislative duties, Article I, Sec. 3 reads in part that "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided." (hardly outweighs his actual duty to replace the president in the case of disease, disability, impeachment, resignation or death. indeed the very next line reads, "The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the office of President of the United States."
the VP is mentioned twice in Article I and six times Article II. hmm... wonder why?
the law does not actually bend to the will of the veep--no matter his particular need to feel otherwise. indeed, much of the law makes a broader point of not allowing folks of having it both ways, particularly those in public service (for whom stricter standards apply)
subpoena the man.
Mr. Boalt Hall, the VP has an arguable case. Let the court decide. We can try the case in the press, but that does not have the force of a court order. You did not major in Constitutional Law any more than I did. There is not the money in Constitutional Law like there is in tax law.
Cheney should be hanged.
I am appalled at the call for capital punishment by some posters. This is not being a progressive. They must be trolls.
JDESQ - make the "arguable" case then. I for one am eager to see someone try.
Cheny's attorney, Gonzalez, says that Cheny has an acceptable position. In reliance upon his attorney's opinion(Cheny not an attorney himself, but an outdoor sportsman, hunter and fisherman) Cheny refused to turn over the request information to Leonard, just like he has done for the last 4 years. Only this year did Leonard make a stink. Now if Cheny's attorney is incorrect, then disbar him(Gonzalez) like they did to Clinton. Cheny states that he would be happy to turn over the information if his attorney so instructs him.
Gonzalez was only an Affirmative Action appointee, so don't expect much out of him. In the United Mexican States, the AG does or says what ever the boss tells him to do.
While everyone is sitting around debating the issue, he has had years to have someone destroy/lose anything embarassing or incriminating. Who could go in and seize the documents and computers needed to do the forensic investigation? Congress won't do anything, since he's one of their own or it's too close to the end of his term to matter. Justice Dept. won't do anything, since he's one of their own or those who can are on notice to tow the line or be fired. Meanwhile, he's doing everything he can to ensure the vault of information we have a constitutional right to see is empty. Who do we see about that? Where is the Supreme Court when you need one?
Confused Citizen, just go back to sleep, pay your taxes so we in the gov. can give it to others. Leave the running of the gov. to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
Actually, it's MS. Boalt Hall to you.
Also, I am NOT into tax law. My area is Constitutional Law.
Bring it on.
it is very sad to see the abuse the constitution has undergone, maybe we all need to identiy a few qualitys that make a leader: Communication - a person that does not hide bad news.
Character- demand quaility of sacrifice (which would start in the oval office). from Lee Iaccoc book "Where have all the leaders gone"