Sunday NY Times Op/Ed: Bush's Secrets - "White House of Mirrors"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/opinion/24sun1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Editorial
White House of Mirrors

Published: June 24, 2007
President Bush has turned the executive branch into a two-way mirror. They get to see everything Americans do: our telephone calls, e-mail, and all manner of personal information. And we get to see nothing about what they do.

Everyone knows this administration has disdained openness and accountability since its first days. That is about the only thing it does not hide. But recent weeks have produced disturbing disclosures about just how far Mr. Bush’s team is willing to go to keep lawmakers and the public in the dark.

That applies to big issues — like the C.I.A.’s secret prisons — and to things that would seem too small-bore to order up a cover-up.

Vice President Dick Cheney sets the gold standard, placing himself not just above Congress and the courts but above Mr. Bush himself. For the last four years, he has been defying a presidential order requiring executive branch agencies to account for the classified information they handle. When the agency that enforces this rule tried to do its job, Mr. Cheney proposed abolishing the agency.

Mr. Cheney, who has been at the heart of the administration’s darkest episodes, has bizarre reasons for doing that. The Times reported that the vice president does not consider himself a mere member of the executive branch. No, he decided the vice president is also a lawmaker — because he is titular president of the Senate — and does not have to answer to the executive branch. That is absurd, but if that’s how he wants it, we presume Mr. Cheney will stop claiming executive privilege to withhold information from his fellow congressmen.

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[givemebackmycountry]

1. Hendrix wrote it - "Roomful of Mirrors"

The Monkey showed it to those of us who pay attention.

I HATE these bastards for what they have done.

[Faygo Kid]

2. All true. When will it matter?

Forgive me because it's past my bedtime, but when will it matter? When will I see Karl Rove's behind in a chair before a Senate committee? When will I see a Dem condemn this administration as the worst in history? When will I see them warn of what they might do? Does this criticism matter, when Bill O'Reilly is the principal speaker to a gathering of journalists? When Rupert Murdoch can laugh at us here on DU as he buys up every newspaper in sight?

When will there be CONSEQUENCES for this? Do they have to get a blow job for it to matter? I for one am sick of reading this week after week and knowing nothing will happen. Damn.

[spindrifter]

3. We should withhold funding for

the VP's office, since we don't know quite where it's supposed to be.

[Breeze54]

4. Impeach them both!!! Grrrrrrr .....

"Vice President Dick Cheney sets the gold standard, placing himself
not just above Congress and the courts but above Mr. Bush himself."

Says it all, doesn't it? What we've all been saying for a long time!!

:grr:


Good article! Thanks for posting it!
:kick: & Recommended!

[bobthedrummer]

5. Cheney et. al. have reasons galore-here are just a few reflections from the shards

"Looking for links to news stories about Afghanistan, Bin Laden, Taliban, pre 9/11" archived thread started by seemslikeadream 5-23-2007
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x949535

[bobthedrummer]

9. "A DU collaborative investigation: National Energy Policy Development Group/NEPDG"

Archived thread started 3-18-2007
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x440721

[illinoisprogressive]

6. I wish someone would write a book called Cheney on the Couch.

[bleever]

7. How about, "Cheney's Jailhouse Writings"?

Or, "Letters from the Hague" by Richard Bruce Cheney.

[KAT119]

8. K&R!! Thank you....

[aquart]

10. Criminals hide. No mystery.

[kurth]

11. Fucking cockroaches and murderous vampires

[Octafish]

12. 'They get to see everything Americans do... we get to see nothing about what they do.'

From OP:

President Bush has turned the executive branch into a two-way mirror. They get to see everything Americans do: our telephone calls, e-mail, and all manner of personal information. And we get to see nothing about what they do.

[bobthedrummer]

13. They went in together in 2004, with "no public access, no oath, no record"

of what was said before the 9/11 Commission as this Reporters Committee for Freedoom of the Press page detailed-scroll down to the entry for April 28, 2004
http://www.rcfp.org/behindthehomefront/archive/2004_04.html

"Not even a stenographer"

[Hissyspit]

14. .

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

15. Washington Post outdid them

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/cheney/

I smell impeachment.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

22. not with Pelosi and Reid in charge.

Unless we threaten them with an election disaster or anal probes
How else do we get their attention?

[Hissyspit]

16. .

[Hissyspit]

17. .

[Nikki Stone1]

18. Thanks for kicking this, Hissyspit.

:)

[Disturbed]

19. Will Congress Subpoena Darth now?

I smell a Constitutional Crisis. It is a foul odor!

[Nikki Stone1]

20. We can only hope

:kick:

[cassiepriam]

21. Cheney is supposed to report to Bush. Isn't Bush responsible for Cheney's illegalities?