A Look At Cheney’s Relentless Pursuit of Executive Power

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/16/4562/

A Look At Cheney’s Relentless Pursuit of Executive Power
by Sam Allis

snip//


That said, we learn more about David Addington, Cheney’s shadowy and powerful legal counsel who has worked seamlessly with Cheney to push his agenda. (With the departure of Scooter Libby, Addington is now Cheney’s chief of staff.) A former CIA lawyer, he is, in the words of New Yorker writer Jane Mayer, “the Picasso of signing statements,” referring to the documents signed by presidents that negate parts of completed legislation.

Kirk also gives us a clear view of the axis between Cheney/Addington and John Yoo. Yoo was the young Justice Department lawyer whom, according to New York Times reporter Scott Shane, Ashcroft called “Dr. Yes” for his pliancy to accommodate White House demands for legal opinions supporting its actions. It remains altogether unnerving to hear Yoo dismiss the relevance of the Geneva Convention in much the same way someone argues about the right-on-red traffic rule.

Ashcroft is a more complicated case. Legions of civil libertarians despise him for his actions while attorney general. But his detractors may find themselves wondering: Do we have to like him now?

Ashcroft showed great integrity while gravely ill with acute pancreatitis. He held strong in his hospital bed against pressure from White House emissaries Andrew Card and Alberto Gonzales for him to reauthorize a statute permitting eavesdropping on Americans by the federal government without a court order.

Jack Goldsmith, who briefly ran the powerful Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department before leaving at the end of Bush’s first term, was also there. He recalls Ashcroft, looking ghastly, rising up in his hospital bed and with great clarity explaining to Card and Gonzales why he would not approve the program. “He read them a bit of the riot act,” says Goldsmith.

In the end, notes The New Yorker’s Mayer, while the Oval Office is traditionally the center of action, “The strange thing about this administration is all of the most crucial decisions seem to be taking place in the vice president’s office, or even the vice president’s counsel’s office.”

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. delete

delete

[BridgeTheGap]

2. You know, I have a difficult time accepting the fact that Ashcroft stood up

to Bush on illegal wiretaps, but so many in Congress will not. In fact, they gave bush permission. Why did Ashcroft think it was bad (illegal) but congress says: go ahead with it?

[liberal N proud]

3. PBS Frontline will have a documentary tonight CHENEY'S LAW

Tuesday, October 16, 2007, at 9 P.M. ET on PBS

www.pbs.org/frontline/cheney

[OzarkDem]

4. Think about it

The other person that Cheney and Addington work "seamlessly" with is married to Hillary's campaign manager.

I'll state again, I haven't made a decision about any candidates for 08, but this disturbs the heck out of me.

[hedda_foil]

5. Who are you referring to?

[OzarkDem]

6. Mary Matalin

who is married to James Carville.