White House lets Leahy’s deadline pass

[Trillo]

Source: The Hill


By Elana Schor
August 20, 2007
Vice President Dick Cheney’s office on Monday responded separately from the White House to a Senate subpoena for documents on warrantless wiretapping and resurrected the controversial contention that Cheney is not part of the executive branch.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) set Monday’s subpoena deadline after granting an extension request by the White House. Presidential counsel Fred Fielding, as expected, told Leahy in a letter that a second delay, until after Labor Day, would help Congress and the administration “expeditiously seek a means of accommodation that will negate the need for an assertion of executive privilege.”

But the response from the vice president was more surprising, because the White House was believed to have abandoned the argument that Cheney is a hybrid entity with both executive and legislative powers.

Cheney’s lawyers first crafted the argument to bolster his lack of compliance with an executive order on the safeguarding of classified information, a tactic that backfired amid Democratic anger and derisive jokes on late-night talk shows. Yet Cheney counsel Shannen Coffin wrote to Leahy on Monday that “the issuance of the subpoena to this office was procedurally irregular” because the judiciary panel only authorized Leahy to issue summonses to the Executive Office of the President (EOP) and the Justice Department.

Read more: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/white-house-lets-leahys-deadline-pass-2007-08-20.html

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Cheney not part of the Executive Branch!

[Homer12]

1. It Sounds

as If the Cheney and Bush are trying to seperate themselves from eachother.

Could it be that a blame game of presdient vs. vice-president is going to start to shift blame like a ball in a volley ball match?

[rodeodance]

2. oh for petey sakes. That man is insane. put a straighjacket on him!

[rodeodance]

3. this is a very weak headline!

[C_U_L8R]

4. Cheney certainly puts the Vice in Vice President

what a cynical old bat

[peacebird]

5. Cheney isn't part of Exec Branch, so go grab back the money sent to fund his office and staff

Not part of Exec Branch, then not funded by Congress. Seems pretty simple.

Oh - that and arrest his sorry ass for contempt of Congress.

Enough of extensions, and harshly worded letters. Time for action.

[acmavm]

6. We've been through the 'pull the funding' scenario before. And when

it looks like someone might really do just that, they say that he's part of the executive branch. And here we are again, back to square one. This could go on until January 2009.

[peacebird]

8. take him at his word - he says now thathe's NOT part of exec office. So - PULL FUNDING

Let him claim he IS part of exec office later and wait til next funding bill is working it's way thru congress before money goes to him.

No need to let Cheney decide the rules, its time for Congress to make the rules.

[acmavm]

9. I agree.

[Fovea]

7. Not a part of the executive

and he is claiming executive priv?

I would have him in the capital jail tonight.

[peacebird]

10. beautiful! - Not part of Exec Branch then no Exec Priv!

now if only the Dems in congress would take real action......

[Spinzonner]

11. Enough Dilly-Dallying

Tell Cheney he's not a citizen either and then just set him off shore in a rowboat and order the Coast Guard to not let him land.

[MadMaddie]

12. We are living "Groundhogs day"

Seriously....if Leahy doesn't go through with it...the Democratic party will suffer greatly.

[Maestro]

14. I agree 100%

Don't let this asshole win. He is snubbing his snout at the Senate.

[Maestro]

13. Well all this hemmin' and hawin' by Cheney just shows he is

hiding something. We all knew that, but the generally brain dead public needs to start seeing the light now. Just hand over the damn courts or accept the consequences.