Actually that should read “Cheney More Powerful than a Donkey Congress!” How do I know this? Because Cheney’s lawyer told me so, and she told the donkeys in Congress, too, in a letter written in response to the House Judiciary Committee’s request that Cheney’s Chief of Staff, David Addington, voluntarily agree to appear before the Committee and testify about his role in promoting the use of torture at Gitmo:
(cont.)
The letter of April 11, 2008 from the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives (“Committee request”) informed the Office of the Vice President that the Committee plans to hold a hearing on May 6 to explore: (1) “issues regarding the nature and scope of Presidential power in a time of war,” (2) “the Administration’s approach to these questions under US and international law;” and (3) “United States policies regarding interrogation of persons in the custody of the nation’s intelligence services and armed forces.” The letter invited the Chief of Staff to the Vice President to appear at the hearing. […]
As the U.S. Supreme Court made clear in Barenblatt V. United States, 460 U.S. 109 (1959), the power of Congress under the Constitution to inquire (which Members of Congress and congressional employees often refer to by the term “oversight”) is coextensive with its power to legislate. The power of Congress to legislate is not limitless and therefore is neither the power to inquire. For example, Congress lacks the constitutional power to regulate by a law what a Vice President communicates in the performance of the Vice President’s official duties, or what a Vice President recommends that a President communicate in the President’s performance of official duties, and therefore those matters are not within the Committee’s power of inquiry. In addition to a constitutional basis for a House inquiry, a particularly committee of the House also needs jurisdiction assigned by the House for the inquiry. It would be helpful to know from the Committee the scope of the Committee’s inquiry and the legal basis for it.
That’s the great thing about lawyers. They know so many different ways to say “F*** you!” without actually coming out and saying it so directly. Certainly more ways than the Vice President himself apparently knows. So I suppose the Honorable John Conyers should count his lucky stars Cheney delegated this response to his legal staff. He could have delivered it personally.
And please, no jokes about torturing Cheney’s staff. This is a family values blog after all.
