Pres. Cheney: Depends What "Is" Is

It was left to Tricky Dick's Chief of Staff, David Addington, to parse the argument for why his boss falls between all of the accountability cracks.

Here's Addington's spin.... "Given that the executive order treats the Vice President like the President rather than like an 'agency' it is not necessary in these circumstances to address the subject of any alternative reasoning, based on the law and the legislative functions of the vice presidency....." (WaPo)

Ummmmmm, think I get it. Since Tricky Dick actually is the President, the order doesn't apply.

Well, at least now it's out in the open.

Actually, this tortured "I"m outside the law" reasoning has already been rejected by the director of the National Archives Information and Security Oversight Office, William Leonard.

You go Leonard!

Classify Cheney as "Arrogant"

Make it disappear......

Is this an order from Tony Soprano to his crew? In a sense.

Same mob secrecy, same ruthless response to being crossed.... the office of Vice President Cheney "has refused to comply with an executive order governing the handling of classified information for the past four years and recently tried to abolish the office that sought to enforce those rules..." (WaPo)

In 2004, when the Archives' Information Security Oversight Office tried to conduct an on-site inspection of Cheney's office to see how sensitive material was handled, they were blocked by his crew.

This January the Archives Director, William Leonard, wrote Attorney General Gonzales asking him to render a legal ruling on whether Cheney is violating the executive order. Gonzales has not replied.

Of course not, he's too busy throwing law-enforcing border agents in prison and politicizing the Justice Department.

Under this executive order, which mandates a uniform system for safeguarding government classified information, an "entity within the executive branch that comes into possession of classified information" must report each year how much it is keeping secret.

For over six years an arrogant Cheney has kept his actions from public scrutiny.... like refusing to name the industry executives who advised his energy task force, or giving up Secret Service logs showing who visits his office or official residence.... even the costs and other details about his travel.

Snarly Cheney obviously has a lot to hide. As evidenced by the conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice by his chief lieutenant, Scooter Libby, who is probably taking the fall for Cheney's misdeeds and directions.

Maybe Cheney has forgotten that he works for us.... that he can't decide which documents to withhold from our view and knowledge.

Shine a light into Cheney's murky den.