NYT Edit: CHENEY Places Himself Not Just Above Congress-But Above BUSH Himself

[kpete]

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.

.................

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.

...........

Governments have to keep secrets. But this administration has grossly abused that trust, routinely using claims of national security to hide policies that are immoral and almost certainly illegal, to avoid embarrassment, and to pursue Mr. Bush’s dreams of an imperial presidency.


more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/opinion/24sun1.html/?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[cassiepriam]

1. Duh. NYT is a slow learner. Better late than never I guess.

[Solly Mack]

2. More like recent weeks have found people willing to print what they

already knew

Cheney picked himself as VP for his own reasons. He's been running his own little side government from the word Select. Bush and Cheney both benefited from the each other's little whims.

Now it's ass covering time...

Now it's time for the Press to pretend it's shocked.

[still_one]

3. It would be nice if Congress really did their job. From illegal wiretaps,

not honoring habeous corpus, outing CIA agents, pre-emptively attacking a country based on a lie, and so much more.

If ever there was an administration worthy of impeachment, this is the one, and nothing will happen, because the Congress that essentially allowed them to abuse their power, will continue to do so

Yes, they will talk the talk, but nothing more

No proviles in courage here

[illinoisprogressive]

4. You have to wonder if it is not Bush who is a presidential failure but, Cheney.

Bush was just the sock puppet. Talking head there to play dress up.
Cheney ran everything, even when the decider tried to at least make an effort at doing things.
Cheney undermined everyone and ran everything.
We suspected this all along but, it was becoming apparent when we saw the puppetmaster watching from the bushes during that press conference a few months ago.

[soothsayer]

6. I hope Georgie Porgie is feeling mightily "had." I don't think he'll enjoy these

articles revealing that Cheney has all the power (unless Cheney spins it favorably for him---"Oh, no, Mr. Prezzie, it's ALL been you!"). But I do think this will create a disturbance in the force for those evil a-hole, bwa ha ha!

[Frustratedlady]

5. Cheney has made himself an island.

Time to invade.

[cassiepriam]

7. If Cheney is out of control, Bush has permitted it to happen, Bush is responsible too.