Politics Trumps Law in Cheney Dispute

[True_Blue]

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court case involving Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites)'s efforts to fight disclosure of White House records has more to do with politics than law, say defenders and critics of the Bush administration's hard line in the dispute.

Legal experts said they doubted that the case — no matter how it turns out — will have much bearing on the broad issue of executive privilege.

A loss for the administration would make it easier for outside groups to got hold of documents or other materials from some kinds of advisory bodies now shielded from public view. But that will not allow broad new access to private or sensitive Oval Office business, most lawyers agree.

The Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on the case Tuesday, must decide a rather arcane issue of law. At most, the administration would be required to begin turning over some documents about the inner workings of a study group chaired by Cheney that came up with recommendations for a national energy policy.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=558&ncid=701&e=1&u=/ap/20040424/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_cheney

[LeftofU]

1. democracy cannot live in the dark...n/t

[1monster]

2. Government in the Sunshine. It is (or was) the law in Florida until

Jebbie and the Robber Repuberbarrons took control of the state in 1998. They have been ignoring and gutting the those laws ever since. It's the Bush way.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

3. Cry me a river

Still, the case should not be brushed off as mere politics, said law professor Douglas Kmiec at Pepperdine University. If Cheney loses "the message to the president would be clear — no one in the executive branch can rely upon outside sources, even derivatively, and that would exalt ignorance, not accountability."

What a bunch of crap. The claim is that they abused, not used outside sources. Nothing would keep them from appropriately using outside sources after this trial. They sound like a bunch of whiny little kids.

[Democat]

4. Most lawyers agree: Cheney is a crook

No one is surprised by that finding.

[shockingelk]

5. Arcane my ass

It's my government - I want to know who's influencing policy. I'm paying for the damn policy.

[nolabels]

6. This is "OUR" government

Seems us people need to do a little governing with some collective responses. I think the bell tolls for SCOTUS in the near future.

The entire apparatus of the Washington click is way out of wack, we will have to steal OUR government back