Cheney exposes are coming out like weeds. The Washington Post, Salon, and Huffington Post all have "important" stories about Dick Cheney's Vice-Presidency in recent editions. Despite the interesting detail about Cheney's machinations, all of these stories are disappointing. Much like there's always been a Hitler romance among journalists and historians, the current stories have a "Cheney romance." In the Hitler romance, writers are suitably horrified by Hitler's overthrow of democracy, the monumental violence of WWII, and the genocide of the Jews and other populations, but they're just "fascinated" about the manuevers through which Hitler accumulated all that power. The writer's shocked, but shocked in an awe-struck, titillating kind of way. Hitler's a monster, but they love watching him rise before he falls.
It's the same with Cheney. Even though the Washington Post writers are repulsed by Cheney's pursuit of a torture agenda, they're extremely impressed by the way that Cheney cut John Aschcroft, Colin Powell, and Condoleeza Rice out of the decision-making process. What a slick manuever! We may not like Dick Cheney's policies on interrogation, warrantless wiretapping, and capital gains taxes, but we have to admire Cheney as the zen master of bureaucratic manuevering. Look how Cheney fooled all those people!
It's all nonsense. Dick Cheney has been an enormous failure as a vice-president. The Iraq War is probably the biggest mistake ever made by an American government and much of the blame for the war rests with Dick Cheney. The current journalism doesn't investigate Dick Cheney's role in promoting the Iraq War, but Cheney must have been just as central to the decision to invade and the conduct of the occupation as he was to everything else. Consequently, much of the responsibility for the dismal failure of the war rests with Cheney.
The same is the case with Cheney's signature effort to concentrate as much power as possible in the office of the President (through the Office of the Vice-President). It's been a failure. After six years in office, George W. Bush has less power than his father did. Bush and Cheney can barely fend off all of the investigations of their abuses let alone exercise any power to control the agenda, launch initiatives, and control events. One could say that passing immigration legislation would be a manifestation of political strength, but Bush is completely dependent on the Democrats to get any kind of legislation passed. Even Harry Reid can smell out the president's weakness and call him to task for it.
In many ways, Dick Cheney has been a danger to American democracy. However, with the failure of Cheney's program, the danger has passed.
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It is time for a new exit strategy, one that removes the Vice President of the United States from office, voluntarily, if he chooses, but by impeachment if he stonewalls. The time has come for the Vice President to go. Our Nation and our national security interests at home and abroad cannot afford to have this Vice President one heartbeat away from the Presidency. As it stands now, the Vice President's damage to U.S. interests, security, system of government and our position at home and abroad will take years to overcome. The intent of this administration and this Vice President has been to silence all dissent, and it always happens the same way; relentless attacks until people ask themselves, do I want to subject myself to that kind of hell if I speak out? Fear is what kept this administration in office in 2004, and fear is the only public discourse this administration understands and practices. Why debate, when you can dictate? Why follow the law, when you can act like you are above the law? The Founders intended impeachment to be used when those running the government forgot that they worked for the people, and the Founders intended impeachment to be used when those running the government acted as though they were above the law.
When you look at the record, you have to conclude that the Vice President has placed himself above the law. He holds himself accountable only to special interests, who meet with him in secret with no record kept of who was there, what was discussed or what promises the Vice President made.
For the last 4 years, the Vice President has refused to allow routine office inspections by a Federal agency regarding the safe handling of America's secrets. The Vice President defies the Information Security Oversight Agency, claiming he is not part of the executive branch of government. When a sitting Vice President claims that he is not part of the executive branch of government to which he was elected, it is time to remove him.
The Vice President holds himself accountable to no one. He ordered the Secret Service to destroy visitors logs, and we have learned in the Washington Post recently, that the Vice President circumvented every check and balance inside the White House to force through his own agenda, to spy on Americans through illegal wire traps, creating the gulag at Guantanamo, and subverting civil liberties and free speech at every turn. Since the President permits the flagrant disregard of the Constitution, it is up to the Congress to act and defend the American people. With each new revelation, America has seen only glints of what has been done totally in secret. For all we don't know, this much we do know: The Vice President holds himself above the law, and it is time for the Congress to enforce the law. I believe the evidence is overwhelming and the articles of impeachment against the Vice President should be drawn up.
The Vice President likes to say the military option is on the table. It is past time to say the impeachment option is on the table. The Vice President must either resign or face impeachment.
The Vice President actively and systematically sought to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States about an alleged threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Here are some examples of Cheney's lies: "We know they have biological and chemical weapons." March 17, 2002, Press Conference by Vice President Dick Cheney and His Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain at Shaikh Hamad Palace. And this:"...we know they are pursuing nuclear weapons." March 19, 2002, Press Briefing by Vice President Dick Cheney and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem. Or how about this: "...And he is actively pursuing nuclear weapons at this time." March 24, 2002, CNN Late Edition interview with Vice President Cheney. Here's more: "We know he's got chemicals and biological and we know he's working on nuclear." May 19, 2002, NBC Meet the Press interview with Vice President Cheney. "But we now know that Saddam has resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons . . . Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us." August 26, 2002, Speech of Vice President Cheney at VFW National Convention. There's more: "Based on intelligence that's becoming available, some of it has been made public, more of it hopefully will be, that he has indeed stepped up his capacity to produce and deliver biological weapons, that he has reconstituted his nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon, that there are efforts under way inside Iraq to significantly expand his capability." September, 2002,Meet the Press. And this: "And we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." March 16, 2003, Meet the Press interview with Dick Cheney. In all of this, Dick Cheney has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, and subversive of our constitutional government.
And so with the aid of warrants, impeachment and trial, Dick Cheney should be removed from office.
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