Your story belongs on the evening news.

IMPEACH DICK CHENEY!!!

Cheney is right - he is not part of the executive branch : he is the monarch of the country!!

What?....Dick Cheney thinks he's above the law? I've never heard such an accusation about Darth...I mean, DICK Cheney!!

Cheney, you have violated the Constitution by perjuring your oath of office. That puts you in rebellion to the Constitution and makes you a domestic enemy our armed forces are sworn to protect us from. So where are they?

Oh my God ... he doesn't think he's part of the executive branch? What flippin' branch of the government does he think he belongs to??

According to the Constitution the duties of the Vice President are defined within Article I (which defines the Legislative branch) Section 3. Doesn't this make the office part of the Legislative branch, as the office has no Executive function or duties?

Not following a presidential order? Not a part of the executive branch? I beg to differ DICK, but you are required by the constitution under the seperation of powers and your oath of office. Of course we'll never hear anything from the president on this matter. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

Vice Presidents, up until Mondale, held the view that they were more a part of the legislative branch, since their only real job is to preside over the Senate.

So technically, Cheney is correct...he's not really a part of the executive branch, but on the other hand, he's not really a part of the legislative branch, either. The one office in the country where the framers really didn't think it over too much.

This is unbelievable! Seriously, did anyone think this could even happen under our Constitution? Aren't there THREE branches listed, none of them named "Dick Cheney's Branch"?

Question for Brian Ross:
So... If Cheney is not under the Executive Branch, can he still claim "executive priviledge" when he doesn't want to testify before Congress?
(and, also, thanks for this information. Keep up the great investigative work.)

According to the Constitution the duties of the Vice President are defined within Article I (which defines the Legislative branch) Section 3. Doesn't this make the office part of the Legislative branch, as the office has no Executive function or duties?

"We are confident that we are conducting the office properly under the law"

You can trust us, have we ever lied about anything before.

All Hail the Mighty Cheney, Lord of the Flies!!!!

US House Resolution 333 details the Articles of Impeachment for Cheney. Encourage your representative to support this bill. Let's now move forward with that first step and don't stop until DickNBush get on that helicopter for their farewell trip out of Washington.

Dirv - he belongs to the criminal branch .

CHENEY IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!

He is the "evil puppet master" behind much of all that has gone wrong with the HELLACIOUS Bush administration. He honed his diabolical skills as part of the perverted and evil Nixon administration and, along with Rove, has conspired to usurp power from all branches of government and from the people of this country.

We are all in grave danger. He needs to be "slapped down"

when chaney said gay rules do not include his daughter...people listen. so then he's right, he is above the law and that includes george bush

If Cheney is not part of the Executive Branch, then he cannot claim Executive Privilege on his Energy Task Force.

Time to subpoena that fat fascist.

heavens, however do you think he's above the law. he is the law and george should have been the vice president anyhow.

Dick Cheney is listed on the White House Web site as part of the Presidents Cabinet, Is the Presidents Cabinet not part of the Executive branch?

Why does he have a National Security Advisor?

Why does he have access to classified info to which Senate does not have access?

Why is he allowed to visit CIA and harangue them about yellowcake?

Dick is trying to have it both ways.

Impeach

This story should not just be on the evening news; it should be the lead story.

And so, MSM, how do you plan on following up on this type of fascist opinion? Probably nothing as usual. Back to TPM, DailyShow and Kos!

He's part of the branch that should be pruned.

Cheney has always reminded me of Mr Burns from The Simpsons...

Am I the only one who hears Stallone saying "I AM the law!" in his head whenever he reads this kinda thing about Cheney?

Not a part of the Executive Branch? Uh...ok...so what branch of the US government ARE you a part of, jackass?

Regardless of the branch of gov't the VP is under, the fact he won't comply, when he has done so in the past, makes you wonder, whats he hiding?

Cheney can argue that he is part of the legislative branch, as his only Constitutionally designated role ties him to the United States Senate. Such argument could be quite legitimate. However, if that is the case, he can't claim executive privilige any more and the rules that apply to the legislative branch will apply to him.

The VP is either in the executive or legislative branch. We'd better figure out which one the VP is in, so that we know how to properly apply the laws to his office.

"The world according to Cheney" now in theaters near you.

Robert...it is true that the VP's duties are enumerated under Article 1, which is the article laying out the legislative branch. However, the only mention of the VP is in Section 3 ("The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided...") and Section 4 ("The Senate shall choose their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of the President of the United States..."). In other words, he is only mentioned when identifying his one constitutional duty...to preside over the Senate.

Article 2, which lays out the executive branch begins with "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..." He is mentioned throughout Article 2, vis-a-vis the qualifications for the office, his role in a vacancy of the office of President, etc. So while your point is true, the VP has always been considered a member of the executive branch, even though he has legislative duties.

Didn't the president issue an exec order saying effectively that whenever Cheney acted in his official duties, he acted with the power of the President? Doesn't that perforce place him within the exec branch?

Executive branch is the president. The Vice President is a cabinet member and president of the house. This is what we call the le-gi-sla-tive branch. It's a big word can you say it. Waxman is on a witch hunt. It is sad that ABC and Ross so mislead the lemmings. The media leads the people and WOW what a job ABC has done. People!!! There are actually rules about impeachment. When you shout impeach impeach you sound like morons.

This belongs as lead story. Again, Cheney shows his disdain for the rule of law and for basic American values. He can't claim executive privilege to bar disclosure of the visitor logs to his residence and then claim that he's not part of the executive branch when it suits his purposes.

he is the most evil individual alive on the planet at this moment...all other evil pales to his...

Does this mean that he is exempt from executive privilege too?

forget impeachment...Cheney should be detained and tried as a war criminal, then suffer the same fate as war criminals...Bush and the rest of the lot should be right there with them...and just so you know I'm bipartisan about this, throw all the men and women of congress in with them, all those that voted to authorize the war and vote to keep funding it, Dems and Reps...clean house, start over...

That Cheney is even testing this shows just how far he will go to cover up the truth. What a jerk!

So cheney has once again shown that he is an egotistical huberistic IDIOT. Are not all people who think that they are better than others.?

As arrogant as this is, why are we surprised????????

OK as a member of of the legislative branch does anyone remember when they found out Jefferson had 90K in his freezer. Congress was outraged because many thought he should be exempt from the search because of Legislative privlidges. So Cheney would be entitled to these not Executive. It's pretty simple really.

Ryan's comment above summarizes it best ... The VP is part of the Executive Branch and thus subject to all rules applying to that branch. His only legislative duty is as President of the Senate, to preside and vote in the case of a tie. But I'm sure Cheney would love to have it both ways to try to avoid any accountability. [And Jay's retort above is gibberish ... there is no president of the house ... can he say ex-ec-u-tive?]

If it's true that he is part of the legislative branch of the government, Is claiming legislative priviledge? What's up with that?

IMPEACH BOTH BUSH AND CHENEY
THEY BOTH HAVE RUINED THIS COUNTRY
TOO BAD THE REPUBLICANS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH NERVE TO DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE

Larry,
can he say ex-ec-u-tive? LOL! Good one!

This blog is really slow.

Hmmm so now he is a corrupt former executive twice over?

I believe that there is a special place in Hell reserved for Cheney and Bush.

I will cheer the day when they get there!

H Res 333.

Read it.

Support its author.

Change America.

As special operations staff advisor (J-3) to Gen. Creighton Abrams in 1968-69, my father, Lt. Col. John R. Jarvis, United States Army Special Forces, senior SOG commander, lost so many men that to this day the true number remains unknown. No doubt that will forever be the case. So let me make a prediction in their name, Mr. Cheney.

Hold the presses. Waxman's website says "...Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information."

The issue of what branch he belongs do is a red herring, and we news-hounds should not follow it through the snow.

I say Cheney, comply or be impeached. The people have spoken. We've had it.

LOL, thanks Larry! Yes, Jay's comment is inaccurate. I taught American Government for a decade and, having read all of the Federalist Papers, I would hope I know what the Founding Fathers were thinking about the office of Vice President. Many people forget that the Founding Fathers were used to a parliamentary system of government, not a presidential system. So when Brian said the founders didn't think about the office of VP too much, he was really correct. They only wanted to establish an order of succession in case something happened to the President. Other than that, the VP was considered like the heir to the British throne...he/she has to depend on death to amount to anything!

Other than that, I think Cheney is silly doing this. Everyone who knew him back during his Ford/Bush 41 days says he has changed and not for the better. Like Dubya, I think 9/11 turned him into a zealot, thinking he had a divine mission to save the country. Like Dubya, I think history won't look kindly on him.

Could this be the beginning of what would be a bloodless coup?

Is Cheney actually above the law? Do we need any more evidence as to who really runs the Government, and it is not George W. Bush, when Cheney can blatantly ignore him, too!

I agree that this should be on the nightly news(or did I somehow miss it). Does cheney's claim that his office is not part of the executive branch preclude him from invoking executive privilege????????? It doesn't seem like he can have it both ways.

Please end the charade! There is a place for people such as this...and it's called IMPEACHMENT & REMOVAL! End our nightmare! NOW. Call your Congressperson and please support H Res 333 and the brilliant author of it...Kucinich. Articles have already been drawn up, so what's the hold-up....waiting for more lies, deceptions, slaps, bruises and stealing of elections in the face of Democracy? Enough of this madness. Do the right thing.

Here's a tip...

If it took you 4 years to get this story, maybe you ought to be writing ad copy for some county Penny-Saver.

Wexler

Cheney is as he appears, a Dictator with teeth. Yes America, it can happen to you.

So, Dick Cheney believes he's not part of the Executive Branch?? If so, he has NO immunity from criminal charges. He can be thus tried for HIGH TREASON with-out any impeachment proceedings, and be executed upon conviction. Therefore, Mr. Cheney, by cutting yourself off from the Executive Branch, you've just sealed your DEATH WARRANT for TREASON. In case you haven't learned, the Vice President has NO immunity from prosecu-tion for any crimes he may commit; and, you've committed many serious ones - among them, high treason and mass murder.

First he's shooting people in the face, now he doesn't realize what country he is vice President of. I think the poor chap has dementia.

This story is huge!

This is truly the most UN-AMERICAN thing that has been perpetrated on the American People. Perhaps he should read the constitution, it is, after all, the document that gave him the "power" he has.

SOMEDAY ,I hope in my time, CHENNY IS FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE 19 WTC TERRORISTS .
Look guys,this government is getting away with all kinds of dirty stuff--the problem is our lackie news media--important issue back pages, poor Isreal -front pages. Get my drift ?

Huge story is right! BIG HEADLINES.
When the Citizens hear this one, they will scream for his head.

I am glad he openly made such assertions as I regard him as one of the most dangerous people on the planet, in regards to the United States and it's citizenry.
Little by little a sordid affair is beginning to unravel. This is GOOD NEWS.

Ya know, I might be willing to cut Cheney some slack if he actually had a reason to try to get around the rules, but he doesn't even appear to have that. It seems like he's just trying to keep secrets.

Get rid of him before its too late. Remember, impeachment is not just about sex anymore.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding over the senate during an impeachment trial doesn't make him a member of the legislative branch of government any more than when the VP presides over the same. First Mr. Cheney gets it into his mind to put the U.S. and Israeli "boot" across the Arabs' necks, now, he wants to put it across ours as well. I say impeach the BUM!

Impeach!

HR 333

Well then NO executive privilege for Cheney.

All right, if Darth Cheney's office as Vice President is not part of the executive branch of government, then what part of it is the VP office?

How about the VP office be abolished altogether and put Darth Cheney out to pasture? Isn't that close to what he's saying?

Did anyone play DOOM 2 ? Remember the Sound effect of stepping in the acid ? UHHH, UHHHH or iiHH , iiHH . LoL thats Cheney from a canadian perspective

If You Have Nothing To Hide, What Are You Worried About?

How many times have we heard that about bank reconds, medical records, phone calls and emails, etc. This is done without our prior knowledge.

Cheney knew this was coming, and he works for us (at least gets somne of his pay from us) and we have the right to know what is going on. The agency needing the information is not a public clearing house, SO WHAT DOES CHENEY HAVE TO HIDE AND WHY. FIRE THEM ALL AND LET THEM COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT, NOT PENSIONS.

"This is slavery:
not to speak one's thought."
-Euripedes

THANKS folks for telling it like it sadly is.

NOW - will Congress get off the corporatist payroll... and do their DUTY like IMPEACH?
STOP more wars for profit... like IRAN?

NOT "business as usual" people!

"...Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information."

Is this so he can leak secure information at will to silence his critics without those pesky laws getting in the way? Why can't we find a woman for him to cum over? Clearly lying to invade foreign nations and breaking national security laws is nowhere near serious enough to get anyone impeached these days.

the people of america are now experience the collateral damage of ultra liberalism,an another branch of absolute monarchy,with a messianic message,god tell me to attack this country,that's georges bush role,and the market and american entreprise need a new war that's big dick role,at the end they told that is to protect their people,but in fact they first try to protect their interest and the lobby who strongly backing them,america is not the choosen nation,and the cowboys dreams are over

Impeach, trial, convict him, Bush, and all the other neocons. Both are War Criminals of the worst kind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When do people wake up and get it?

We got a dictator as a VP and an idiot as a president. Yes, it's happening to US. Our boys and girls should be fighting for OUR freedom HERE and NOW, not following some crazy apocalyptic secret agenda and killing innocents in the process.
This is the US not frikkin' Oceania!!!

If the office is executive in any context then it needs to be bound by executive rules. Being legislative does not preclude being bound by executive rules in the same manner that being executive does not preclude being bound by legislative rules. If it were so, then all branches of government could conceivably do a part of everyone else's job and claim to be bound by no rules at all. If anything, Cheney's office should be held to an even higher level of accountability than either branch alone because he is working within more than one context. Hands in more than one cookie jar equals more accountability.

Apparently Megan McGinn doesn't believe in basic math. She's added 1+1 and come up with zero. But I think she and the rest of the criminals she works with know exactly what they're doing, which is attempting to pull the wool over Americans' eyes with a flimsy sophist argument-- suitable, perhaps, for fooling a third or fourth grader.

-Paul Ronco
Fredericksburg, VA

Hello America... World calling, with a message to all the good people of that once fine land.
Please take ownership of your country and give us the rest of the planet a break from WAR! many of us are at best tired and very upset and at worst living in hell.
Your controllers use your TAX to kill us by the thousand every month in places like AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA and yes the Middle East.
Action on your part is required now. We stand in line every day against the anger of dark forces. We now ask you to stand with us. As one peolpe united in peace you can do this.

Ones upon a time there was a real American people live they dreams,land of opportunity & welcomes the others.
Those Americans would not tolerate Cheney type of puppet masters & patronised the real Americans.
Weak up America.
American interest on the line.
Get on the street & stay there until Cheney forced to out.
If you terrorised the whole world how can you live your dream ? You can only live your nightmare.
This two people (Cheney & Bush ) can not be a leader. We know leaders when we see one. Not these two.

Cheney is obviously hiding something.
I heard that he was seen with a large
vehicle in front of his home which contained a shredding machine.
As this is hearsay, I don't know but
I wouldn't put it past him. He is crazy
and dangerous.

Is this what I was fighting in Iraq for? I didn't realize we had a new aristocracy in America, above the law, exempt from the rules and accountable to none. This guy makes even Richard Nixon look honest. I'm not sure if it's the severity of his law breaking or just his arrogance.

As you may have noticed, you are seriously outnumbered by the rational, thinking Americans who have had enough of the NWO man behind the curtain bull. Keep your blinders on and you can be one of their slaves, the rest of us are going to head for the hills and wait for our chance to take back our country from these

Who does Dick Cheney think he is Bill or Hillary Clinton, enough is enough.

One set of rules for the 'leaders' and another for the 'commoners', yet more infringements on our rights by the gov't. Add it to the ever-growing list of violations:
They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like "America Deceived" from Amazon.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina.
They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps.
They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus.
They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting 2 illegal wars based on lies and on behalf of a foriegn gov't.
Support Dr. Ron Paul and end this madness.

CHENEY is a warmonger evil man. Kucinich
was right when he introduced the IMPEACHMENT BILL.
IMPEACH CHENEY NOW.

IMPEACH!ARREST HIM FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

Step by little step, slice by tiny slice, Law is made to disappear.

Is it safe to say that he's running out of room to maneuver?

I am not above the law, I am the law. So don't make me angry or I'll shoot you in the face.

Fear is the mind killer, I am simply just a killer

Truth is knowledge We see the deception wrapped around this issue.Remember to use the VEil to deceive the masses.That internationally is called the EVil.Time creates justice of light.Cross bone that ^

We can't understand why Bush hasn't had Cheney removed from office. His office has not complied to anything that concerns Federal ethic checks or for audits to ensure that he is not in violations of national security. Him removing the entrance log so that the Feds can monitor his activity, I believe, is enought for him to be brought under investigation. He has isolated his office from all access from Federal agencies that should be able to monitor his illegal activitys.

Bush hasn't been able to control Cheney's illegal activities. The third in command should mave a meeting with the directors of the FBI and the CIA and secretly raid his office in the middle of the night. Evidence should be evaluated and appropiate charges should be filed accordingly on him and his staff. I recommended the rade to be in the middle of the night so that there would be less employees working to destroy evidence. I have a feel that Karl and he both will be spending time in Federal prisons fo treason.

Cheney is a very close associate of G. Bush senior whom I believe is the real President and Cheney is the father's control agent over the son Dubya.
Cheney's reward for his service to Bush Sr. are the financial rewards from his stock holdings he has in Halliburton & KBR.
Cheney needs to be arrested and tried for treason!

I am ashamed to be an American with the criminal and complete idiot that are our Vice President and President respectively. At no time in the history of the United States, have men so low held positions so high. Dick Cheney typifies everything wrong with the United States. The same power structure that was responsible for murdering John F. Kennedy are making decisions that affect all of our lives yet we let them go on day after day wasting trillions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives. I wish somebody in higher government who could publicly confront this Mad Man would. It is too bad that the days of duels are a thing of history. Can anyone say Alexander Hamilton?