President Bush and Vice President Cheney claim to be above the law - does this not frighten America?

Question

I'm trying to understand how ANYONE can defend this:

"The Office of Vice President Dick Cheney told an agency within the National Archives that for purposes of securing classified information, the Vice President's office is not an 'entity within the executive branch' according to a letter released Thursday by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform."

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Cheney_tells_agency_that_Vice_Presidents_0621.html

And this:
"Dick Cheney, who has wielded extraordinary executive power as he transformed the image of the vice presidency, is asserting that his office is not actually part of the executive branch and does not have to comply with an executive order on safeguarding classified information.

So in other words we have 4 branches of gov. : Executive, Legislative, Judicial, And Cheney. Funny how he doesn't think he has to comply - THIS document would indicate otherwise:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/bush/eoamend.html

What do you all think of this?

"If it isn't effecting you, stop worrying about it. You just want another reason to complain"

WTF are you serious? Did Clinton's BJ affect you? Does gay marriage affect you? Does someone else's right to choose affect you? No? Stop complaining then. You know what does affect us? When elected officials start chipping away at the foundations of our government and constitution. You're the perfect example of the type of empty headed individuals that keep criminals in power by your apathy. Your mentality is what the criminals are counting on to avoid oversight.

Hi laughing sprite, The point of contention here is that via this executive order is that all government agencies who are part of the executive branch are to submit to oversight. Cheney is obviously part of the executive branch, but is claiming not to be so that he doesn't have to be subject to oversight. However, parts of the document that I linked would contradict this directly, such as:
"Sec. 1.3. Classification Authority. (a) The authority to classify information originally may be exercised only by:
(1) the President and, in the performance of executive duties, the Vice President"

and

"[Sec. 1.3.(c)](2) "Top Secret" original classification authority may be delegated only by the President; in the performance of executive duties, the Vice President"

Plus this: US consitution:
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 -

Answer 1

It scares the hell out of me, all the more so because it does NOT appear to scare very many other Americans.

This should be reason enough to impeach Cheney. If Cheney's claim is permitted to go unchallenged (a Waxman lecture is NOT enough, people!), then what about the next Vice President or some future Vice President who decides to do the same thing? Left unchallenged, this ends up being a means for the Vice President (whoever he or she is) to usurp the Presidency, or at the very least to create a constitutional crisis pitting the two highest-ranking leaders of the country against one another.

Cons are down-thumbing me right now, I suppose, but this isn't about just Cheney - this is about the sanctity of the Constitution. Good Lord - from the same people who worship Alito and Scalia for being "strict constitutionalists" comes Vice President Strangelove doing exactly the opposite and expecting to get away with it.

Every single American man, woman, and child should be appalled.

Answer 2

An executive order that Bush issued in March 2003 — amending an existing order — requires all government agencies that are part of the executive branch to submit to oversight. Although it doesn’t specifically say so, Bush’s order was not meant to apply to the vice president’s office or the president’s office, a White House spokesman said…

Note that even though the law was not written the way they want it to be now, they assume they can ammend it by say-so, saying it meant this or that. Geeeeez

This proves to me that the Bush and Cheney are so crooked, they could hide in the shadow of a corkscrew.

Answer 3

Well, back in my corporate days, we always figured out
who worked in what department by which budget funds
came out of. In places where people or groups were
being funded from multiple profit-and-loss centers, we'd
use the one that provided the most money.

By that logic, Cheney is right. The office of the Vice
President does not belong to the executive branch.

It belongs to the big oil companies.

Answer 4

Well, he IS a man in the second highest seat of our government who was NOT elected by us, but appointed by Bush's advisers under the influence of big money. His position is to sculpt U.S. policy so that it benefits the military-industrial complex and other big business, whom he still gets money from every year.

Of all our officials, he is by far the slimiest and repulsive. Not an American, but a capitalist who wraps himself in the flag and uses fear to maintain his position of power.

I found it quite odd when I found out he was selected for VP over the other Republican candidates in 2000.. Seemed very fishy, and as history has turned out, not the bit surprising by the actions our country has taken since the Bush administration took office. Bunch of greedy, power-hungry, lying elitists who don't give a rat's a*s about the average American- only work to make their buddies and big business happy while keeping all of us worker bees toiling away.

I'll be glad when that scumbag leaves Washington.

Answer 5

Gore made telephone calls to raise money from the vice presidents government home which is Illegal. All he had To say was he did not know it was Illegal .but he got to keep the money.Clinton rented out the White House to the highest bidder & got away with it.These web sites you give are just a liberal mouth piece.if it makes you feel better ALL offices of the federal goverment are open to investagation , including Harry & Nancy, & yes Chaney & Gw. Only the President can refuse to give classified materal. If you want some thing that is a secret to not be secret anymore, just give it to congress & it is guarenteed to be in the press within 24 hours.

Answer 6

I actually took the time to read this document, and while I hate to admit it, Cheney's office is correct. The following excerpt does state an exception to mandatory review:

Sec. 3.5. Mandatory Declassification Review. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, all information classified under this order or predecessor orders shall be subject to a review for declassification

(b) Information originated by:
(1) the incumbent President or, in the performance of executive duties, the incumbent Vice President;
(2) the incumbent Presidents White House Staff or, in the performance of executive duties, the incumbent Vice Presidents Staff;
(3) committees, commissions, or boards appointed by the incumbent President; or
(4) other entities within the Executive Office of the President that solely advise and assist the incumbent President is exempted from the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section. However, the Archivist shall have the authority to review, downgrade, and declassify papers or records of former Presidents under the control of the Archivist pursuant to sections 2107, 2111, 2111 note, or 2203 of title 44, United States Code. Review procedures developed by the Archivist shall provide for consultation with agencies having primary subject matter interest and shall be consistent with the provisions of applicable laws or lawful agreements that pertain to the respective Presidential papers or records. Agencies with primary subject matter interest shall be notified promptly of the Archivists decision. Any final decision by the Archivist may be appealed by the requester or an agency to the Panel. The information shall remain classified pending a prompt decision on the appeal.

I know there will be sooooooo many thumbs down, but , this is the facts people. Read the document. While perhaps not ethical, it is indeed legal.

Answer 7

Yes! It is scary! We are loosing our freedom and to many people are wearing blinders! These men (Bush & Cheney) are very dangerous indeed! Cheney thinks he is above the Law and Bush makes new laws witout the athorization of Congress! Bush is so dangerous he doesn't even back down from members of his own Republican Party!

Answer 8

One more step toward the dictitorial reign of George W. Bush, American Fascist.

Answer 9

No where in the Constitution is the Executive, or anyone for that matter, given immunity. The President may pardon, but he can't pardon himself.

Honestly, that is one of the tings that makes our country unique.

Cheney should hand 'em over.

Answer 10

George Bush:

First president in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

In his first two years in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs.

Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.

Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.

Cut the taxes of the wealthiest people in America (those making over $200,000 a year).

Members of Bush Administration are the richest administration in history.

First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in U.S. history.

Cut unemployment benefits for more out-of-work Americans than any president in U.S. history.

Dissolved more international treaties than any president in U.S. history.

Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases.

First president in U.S. history to attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.

Took the biggest world sympathy for the U.S. after 9/11, and in less than a year, made the U.S. the most resented country in the world.

First U.S. president in history to have a majority of people in Europe (over 70view his presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.

In the 18 months following the 9/11 attacks, he has successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest government scam ever aka the Bush adminstration, not Osama was responsible for 9/11..truth will eventually come out *****!

George Bush is the worst president in history, followed by his father Bush Senior, and his distant relative Adolf Hitler.