CREW: Is Cheney Creating A Fourth Branch Of Government?-If So He Is Subject To These Senate Rules...

[kpete]

CREW ASKS “IS THE VICE PRESIDENT CREATING A FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT?”
Contact:
Naomi Seligman Steiner

22 Jun 2007 // Washington, DC –

In light of new revelations that Vice President Cheney is claiming that his office is not subject to an executive order governing the handling of classified information because as president of the Senate he has both legislative and executive duties, CREW asks if Vice President Cheney is attempting to create a fourth branch of the government?

Under his argument, if Mr. Cheney is not subject to executive branch security requirements, surely he must be subject to Senate rules.

To safeguard sensitive information, in 1987 the Senate created the Office of Senate Security, which is part of the Secretary of the Senate. The Security Office’s standards, procedures and requirements are set out in the Senate Security Manual, which is binding on all employees of the Senate.

So, if Mr. Cheney is a member of the Senate, he must adhere to the following:

•a requirement that any of his staff needing access to classified information undergo a security clearance and complete written non-disclosure agreements;

•physical security requirements, that the Security Office is empowered to implement, including any necessary inspections;

•investigations of suspected security violations by employees, such as the security violation committed by Scooter Libby when he unlawfully disclosed the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson, then a covert CIA operative.

In addition, Mr. Cheney and his staff would be subject to investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, which has the responsibility to investigate allegations of improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate, including violations of law and the rules and regulations of the Senate.

more at:
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29166

[librechik]

1. I think Cheney's crazy lawyer Addington has painted the Veep into a corner

This story has been underground for over a year. They've been hoping it wouldn't bubble to the surface, and Cheney could just keep happily misbehaving with no consequences. Maybe there will be now...

[KharmaTrain]

3. They've Long Blurred The Lines

Now wasn't it Executive Privilidge that kept the notes of the '01 Oil meeting secret and the Supreme Court upheld it? Well obviously that ruling was superceded by Crashcart's President of the Senate Authority or maybe he just issued a signing statement of his own that overrules everything.

We also saw in the Libby case of the selective definition of what the OVP was/is. He tried to use his Executive power to selectively leak...or allow Scooter...to leak Valerie Plame's name...making it "declassified" as the wave of his finger.

Yes...hopefully this over-reach will be used by Waxman to nail crashcart and isolate him. If crashcart now claims he's not the executive, then he shouldn't have the same privilidges, no????

[Fresh_Start]

2. I agree with Cheney, he's not part of the executive branch....

Therefore no executive privilege arguments allowed.

[DURHAM D]

4. Doesn't Cheney's view regarding his autonomy

place the VP's office in a position that is greater than the President/WH?

I wonder how Bush/Rove feel about their diminished position?

Do you think Rove will rat Cheney out in order to be King of the Hill?

This can not be going over very well in the WH.

[kestrel91316]

5. Cheney can do anything he wants as long as Bush doesn't object.

Heaven knows, Congress won't bother to stand in his way.