The Oversight Committee has learned that over the objections of the National Archives, Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information. The Vice President asserts that his office is not an “entity within the executive branch.”
As described in a letter from Chairman Waxman to the Vice President, the National Archives protested the Vice President’s position in letters written in June 2006 and August 2006. When these letters were ignored, the National Archives wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in January 2007 to seek a resolution of the impasse. The Vice President’s staff responded by seeking to abolish the agency within the Archives that is responsible for implementing the President’s executive order.
In his letter to the Vice President, Chairman Waxman writes: “I question both the legality and wisdom of your actions. … [I]t would appear particularly irresponsible to give an office with your history of security breaches an exemption from the safeguards that apply to all other executive branch officials.”
Gonna do anything about it, or just send me emails?
Maybe it’s time for a no confidence vote against Cheney. /snark
But only if it’s non-binding.
For some reason I have this mental picture of Cheney lighting his stogie with a burning copy of Waxman’s letter. Not sure why.
Yeah he woulda used the Constitution or the Bill of Rights but he already burned those up ignoring other requests.
I’m going to choose “just send emails”.
That way, I won’t be disappointed when Waxman just sends emails, and I’ll get to be pleasantly surprised if he actually does something real.
And people call me a pessimist.
Nah, emails rock, dude. Confrontations over illegal activity are so not in vogue. Talk tough and carry a cool-looking Blackberry, I say.
It is always better to look like you’re doing something about a problem than to actually do anything substantive.
[/snark]