"...neither Mr. Cheney or his staff is above the law or the Constitution."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/22/AR2007062201809.html

White House Defends Cheney's Refusal of Oversight

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2007; Page A02

The White House defended Vice President Cheney yesterday in a dispute over his office's refusal to comply with an executive order regulating the handling of classified information as Democrats and other critics assailed him for disregarding rules that others follow.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Cheney is not obligated to submit to oversight by an office that safeguards classified information, as other members and parts of the executive branch are. Cheney's office has contended that it does not have to comply because the vice president serves as president of the Senate, which means that his office is not an "entity within the executive branch."

"This is a little bit of a nonissue," Perino said at a briefing dominated by the issue. Cheney is not subject to the executive order, she said, "because the president gets to decide whether or not he should be treated separately, and he's decided that he should."

Democratic critics said Cheney is distorting the plain meaning of the executive order. "Vice President Cheney is expanding the administration's policy on torture to include tortured logic," said Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.). "In the end, neither Mr. Cheney or his staff is above the law or the Constitution."

The dispute stems from an executive order, issued in 1995 by President Bill Clinton and revised by President Bush in 2003, establishing a uniform, government-wide system for protecting classified information. Cheney's office, like its predecessor, filed reports about its handling of classified information to the National Archives and Records Administration oversight office in 2001 and 2002 but has refused to do so since. His office also blocked an on-site inspection to examine its handling of classified data.

The Archives' Information Security Oversight Office sent two letters to Cheney requesting compliance but never received a response. The office then asked Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales in January to decide whether Cheney was violating the executive order, but he has not responded either. Instead, according to Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Cheney's staff tried to get the oversight office abolished this year.

more...

I mean these are criminals .. They are poor role models for the nation.

was a Democratic one. How much of this shit do you think any repug would have sat still for? They would have attacked the White House with torches and pitchforks.

You are so right about them being poor role models for the nation. They are poor role models for humanity in general.

...simply are not there.

:rofl: :crazy:

:kick: & R'd

Sec. 6.2. General Provisions.

~snip~

(b) The Attorney General, upon request by the head of an agency or the Director of the Information Security Oversight Office, shall render an interpretation of this order with respect to any question arising in the course of its administration.


http://www.archives.gov/isoo/policy-documents/eo-12958-amendment.html#1.1

This all just chaps my ass.

being sarcastic. Using :sarcasm:

;)

resolution from Kucinich and get this warmongering thief out of office.

of this outrageous powergrab is due to 9/11 (which neither Bush or Cheney did a damn thing to prevent. In fact the record suggests their actions facilitated the attacks). Yet instead of calling for their resignations or impeaching them after 9/11, Congress proceeded to give them expansive unitary executive powers based on FABRICATED "lessons of 9/11." Of course it hasn't helped to have the MSM falsely imply that Bush and Cheney are "above the fray." At worst the MSM will admit to the possibility of incompetence. Never will they delve into the likely scenario, which is that the powergrab and the policies are driven by sinister motives.

And they will remain there unless and until they are impeached.

If DC Dems would do their duty to put a stop to the ongoing torture, instead of trying to be glib about it, we might be rid of this never-elected, never-legitimate regime by now.

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