Cheney's Office Says It Has Wiretap Documents

[sabra]

Source: WP

Vice President Cheney's office acknowledged for the first time yesterday that it has dozens of documents related to the administration's warrantless surveillance program, but it signaled that it will resist efforts by congressional Democrats to obtain them.

The disclosure by Cheney's counsel, Shannen W. Coffin, came on the day that the Senate Judiciary Committee had set as a deadline for the Bush administration to turn over documents related to the wiretapping program, which allowed the National Security Agency to monitor communications between the United States and overseas without warrants.

...

Nonetheless, Coffin identified by date a series of memos and orders that "may be responsive" to the Senate committee's demands. They include 43 separate authorizations from President Bush for the program, which had to be renewed approximately every 45 days beginning on Oct. 4, 2001.

The letter also lists dates, from October 2001 through February 2005, for 10 legal memoranda from the Justice Department. Although Cheney's office has copies of the memos, none of them "was rendered to the Office of the Vice President," Coffin wrote.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[C_U_L8R]

1. " we got the docs but you can't have them"

"Nyah-Nyah-N-Nyah-Nyah! "

[DRoseDARs]

2. The ball is back in your court, Sen. Pat "I prefer cooperation to contempt" Leahy.

They're calling your bluff, time to call theirs...

[acmavm]

3. Think he will? Or will he give 'em '12 more days'?

[radfringe]

4. 12 more days

with the option of another 12 more days followed by a 12 day extension with the provision of reviewing it for 12 more days before deciding to set a 12 more day deadline (rinse and repeat as needed)

[sutz12]

18. Call it a "Leahy Unit" of time...

like the Friedman Unit for evaluating the Iraq War progress.

[radfringe]

19. EVERYBODY SING - 12 days of extensions

on the first day of extension my senator gave to me....

[MiniMe]

5. He said in his press conference that it will be brought up before the committee

when congree reconvenes, and they will consider contempt charges. I don't think there is much he can do until they reconvene.

[ccpup]

6. if it's by Committee or the full Senate

he can call either back into Emergency Session to decide this, can't he? With everyone out on vacation, it's almost as if it's yet ANOTHER delay for the bushies. I say decide it and decide it now.

[MiniMe]

14. I don't know if he has the power or not.

I'm sure he could call the committee in, but probably not the Senate. Unfortunately, it wouldn't achieve cloture anyway, even if it gets out of committee.

[MADem]

16. He's not the majority leader. And half the Senate is in Baghdad and elsewhere. NT

[leftchick]

11. which is how long away?

three more weeks?

[MADem]

15. Oh, don't worry--the Whining Brigade will find a way to blame him for it anyway! nt

[DRoseDARs]

7. I'm not holding my breath... n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. It's time to storm Cheney's man-size safe!

[sendero]

9. This is so much nonsense..

.... IF Cheney's office had any incriminating documents, they are long gone. Now that he's had months to clean house, there is little point in playing hardball, the game is already over.

More Dem hand-sitting and the result - bad for America.

[Virginia Dare]

12. Yup...

[Vinca]

10. The other day I saw a car that had the following in huge letters

on the rear window: "This is a good day to impeach Cheney." It is.

[progressoid]

13. If the President signed them, why does the VP's office have them?

[sutz12]

17. none of them "was rendered to the Office of the Vice President," Coffin wrote.

Sounds like time for a "rendition" of those papers/documents. It's only a couple of hundred yards. They won't even need a plane.

[donkeyotay]

20. Remember when the Senate wouldn't confirm John Bolton?

He had access to NSA documents that included 8(?) domestic intercepts on Americans. The Senate wanted to see them but were denied. Bolton can see. Cheney can see. You can't.

And have you noticed that most scandals include recess appointments? I think the American people need to make a recess appointment for president.

[gatlingforme]

21. Dems have to get a backbone on this - this is BS n/t