Guess it's time to update all civics books in the US

[Pens1566]

There sure is an awful lot of Cheney defending going on in this thread

 

[imported_Shivetya]

in 2002 he claimed executive privledge to thwart attempts to peak into his energy group.

I wonder how much more sensible Bush would have been without him.

Still wished Bush had dropped him in 04

 

[OrByte]

people are defending the VPs behavior!?

*scratches head*

 

[Lemon law]

I have been mulling this problem about what to do about Cheney---and I have finally concluded that Cheney does have a point here and is correct. He is not exactly part of the executive branch or the legislative branch. And in fact is both. And therefore is subject to all the restrictive rules of both branches of government. And must comply with two sets of rules instead of just one set of rules. Simple really simple when you cut through the bull and get to the core of the argument.

And now we can get to the point that Cheney violates the rules of both branches of government. But it does bring up a now somewhat moot constitutional point. Right now it takes a 2/3 majority to ratify the impeachment of a Federal official in the Senate. And right now it takes 67 senators to slightly more than reach that 2/3's in the the Senate. But if in future we add one more State then the Senate will have 102 members. And we could conceivably have a 68 to 34 split. And could the about to be impeached VP then cast the deciding vote to save their own neck?

 

[nageov3t]

dude, he's the highlander... he's above such concepts as checks and balances.

 

[gobucks]

yeah, it definitely seems abundantly clear that he is in the executive branch. Article II sets out executive powers, and that is where you find the provisions for the VP's election, conditions for assuming the presidency, and procedure for impeachment. One would think that if the constitutional rules governing your election and possible removal are in article II, right alongside those of the President, that means you are subject to the limitations of the executive branch. That and pretty much every legal scholar on the planet agrees that he is in the executive branch.

Even if Cheney is somehow primarily part of the legislative branch, he's still full of shit. If he serves both legislative and executive functions, he should be subject to the limitations of whatever branch governs the activity in question, not neither branch. I'm pretty sure that an agency dealing with national security information has zero legislative character and is entirely executive in nature. He can't both claim to be in the legislative branch to avoid executive disclosure AND claim to be in the executive branch to avoid legislative disclosure (which he did in 2001). That's like claiming that a man with dual citizenship can't be convicted of murder in country A because he is a citizen of country B... and then that he can't be convicted in a murder in Country B because of citizenship in Country A.

This makes me want to beat him over the head with my constitutional law book... I could just tell him it was an accident and I thought he was a quail...

 

[JSt0rm]

it just all seems so surreal to me. If I read a political fiction book like this I would think there was a little to much fiction. It sure is interesting though. If Cheney is impeached and found guilty wouldn't that mean Pelosi would be vice president?

 

[Bird222]

You can't make this shit up! This administration is rediculous and what even more suprising is that there are 'republicans' still support them. These are the most un-American people I have ever heard of and people still support them.

 

[ayabe]

Guys I'm sorry but this confirms everything we've heard about Cheney for the past 6 years and the whole terror memo thing that he purposefully hid from Condi and Colin is beyond the pale.

Stovepiping WMD intelligence is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[nageov3t]

anyone else catch the daily show last night? I thought they were out of control funny...

The Fourth Branch of Government
The Mythological History of Dick Cheney

(hopefully these links actually work... I can't view them at work)

Dick Cheney exists neither in the executive branch nor the legislative, yet simultaneously in both. He is neither man nor beast, yet has elements of the twain. He is at once everything and nothing, substance without form, shape without motion, time without reason... he is the Highlander.

 

[Harvey]

The U.S. Constitution says otherwise:

Article. II. - The Executive Branch

Section 1 - The President

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:</end></div>
Dickwad Cheney says, "Constitution??? We don't need no stinking Constitution!"

It's way past time to impeach Bush and Cheney for TREASON. :thumbsdown: :| :thumbsdown: