The Vices of Cheney: Where Impeachment Must Begin

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-e-jackson-jr/the-vices-of-cheney-wher_b_53491.html

The Vices of Cheney: Where Impeachment Must Begin
William E. Jackson, Jr.

Posted June 24, 2007

snip//


"Stealth is among Cheney's most effective tools. Man-size Mosler safes, used elsewhere in government for classified secrets, store the workaday business of the office of the vice president. Even talking points for reporters are sometimes stamped 'Treated As: Top Secret/SCI.' Experts in and out of government said Cheney's office appears to have invented that designation, which alludes to 'sensitive compartmented information,' the most closely guarded category of government secrets. By adding the words 'treated as,' they said, Cheney seeks to protect unclassified work as though its disclosure would cause 'exceptionally grave damage to national security.'

"Across the board, the vice president's office goes to unusual lengths to avoid transparency. Cheney declines to disclose the names or even the size of his staff, generally releases no public calendar and ordered the Secret Service to destroy his visitor logs. His general counsel has asserted that 'the vice presidency is a unique office that is neither a part of the executive branch nor a part of the legislative branch,' and is therefore exempt from rules governing either. Cheney is refusing to observe an executive order on the handling of national security secrets, and he proposed to abolish a federal office that insisted on auditing his compliance.

"In the usual business of interagency consultation, proposals and information flow into the vice president's office from around the government, but high-ranking White House officials said in interviews that almost nothing flows out. Close aides to Cheney describe a similar one-way valve inside the office, with information flowing up to the vice president but little or no reaction flowing down."

I submit that only a bunch of Congressional fools, who read The Post and The Times and McClatchy wire stories, could have failed over time to notice that the vice president has been, and still is, systematically destroying the evidence -- the paper and electronic trails -- that document his impeachable offenses. That is, dangerous acts that are high crimes against the State and that subvert the Constitution of the United States. And, moreover, that could be used as evidence, after he is removed or leaves office, when he shall "nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law."

There is a compelling and overriding national interest, if for no other reason than the above, in NOT releasing from a jail sentence, and not excusing with a presidential pardon, live witness Scooter Libby -- the former chief of staff to the vice president known as "Cheney's Cheney."

The subversion of the Republic continues, before our very eyes. What is the House Judiciary Committee under Chairman Conyers prepared to do about it?!

These are very grave matters. It does not take much imagination to draw up articles of impeachment against the vice president of the United States. And let political considerations of timing be damned!

William E. Jackson, Jr.

[Donnachaidh]

1. K&R! n/t

[Phredicles]

2. Agreed - 5th rec.;

And, as others here have pointed out, Cheney is so overwhelmingly unpopular that you'd think it'd be a politically safe enough move for even the current congress to get enthusiastic about.

[mikelgb]

3. where impeachment has begun...

333

[cassiepriam]

4. Isn't Cheney supposed to report to Bush? So isn't Bush responsible for Cheney?

You have to impeach both then.