Cheney Sought Elimination of Secrecy Oversight Office

[ck4829]

Just in from Steve Aftergood's Secrecy News:

The Office of Vice President Dick Cheney proposed to abolish the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), the executive branch organization that oversees the national security classification system, after its Director insisted that the Vice President comply with reporting requirements that apply to all executive branch entities.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California), chairman of the House oversight committee, said Vice President Dick Cheney's attempt "could be construed as retaliation" against the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO). An interagency review group rejected the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) suggestion.

After continually refusing requests by ISOO for data regarding the OVP's use of its classification authority, the Director of ISOO, William Leonard, "formally asked the Attorney General in January 2007 to intervene and to render an interpretation of the executive that would resolve the dispute in one direction or another," Aftergood wrote today.

Interestingly, Vice President Cheney wants the benefits, without the accountability, of both the legislative and executive branches for himself. OVP spokeswoman Lea Ann McBride told the Chicago Tribune that, "This has been thoroughly reviewed and it's been determined that the reporting requirement does not apply to (the office of the vice president), which has both legislative and executive functions."

http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2007/06/vice-president-.html

[acmavm]

1. There are so many things wrong here but the two biggest in my mind

are 1) why can Chensaw decide what and who he's accountable to, and 2) what makes him think that he can just abolish a governmental organization if he feels like it?

Oh wait, could it be because he HAS NO OPPOSTION?

[jimshoes]

2. I guess deadeye really is

the grand High Poohbah of America. He decides everything. Ha, and chimpy thought he was the decider.

[Supersedeas]

3. and the GOP Media Establishment says shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Nikki Stone1]

4. K & R

:kick: