Sunday, July 29, 2007
Walter Mondale slams the president
President Dickwahd, that is, not Little Boy George. And he has put his position into writing in the WaPo today. What he says has been covered before throughout the blogiverse, but he gives it context from his experience. And it is never wrong to repeat the truth.
The corollary to Cheney's zealous embrace of secrecy is his near total aversion to the notion of accountability. I've never seen a former member of the House of Representatives demonstrate such contempt for Congress -- even when it was controlled by his own party. His insistence on invoking executive privilege to block virtually every congressional request for information has been stupefying -- it's almost as if he denies the legitimacy of an equal branch of government. Nor does he exhibit much respect for public opinion, which amounts to indifference toward being held accountable by the people who elected him.Sadly, he does not answer his question. Who besides Our Dear Embattled Leader can? And wouldn't that answer reveal far too much for this misadministration to survive. Maybe that is why they are so secretive.
Whatever authority a vice president has is derived from the president under whom he serves. There are no powers inherent in the office; they must be delegated by the president. Somehow, not only has Cheney been given vast authority by President Bush -- including, apparently, the entire intelligence portfolio -- but he also pursues his own agenda. The real question is why the president allows this to happen.
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