Silence Broken, More Negligence Revealed, But Is There More To The Agenda?
Silence Broken as Cheney Points Only to Himself - New York Times
Some of us that have been following this "story" are beginning to wonder whether or not the follow-up and spin on Cheney are not designed to take the heat off of other scandals and stories in the realm of the Bush administration, the White House and the congress. After all, it is during the fallout of "Cheney Gate" that the congress is backing off of the NSA investigation, there is a compromise on the USA Patriot Act renewal (with very little revision), there are reports of other (deeper) NSA spying programs that violate the Constitution, and the Valerie Plame outing is taking a back seat as well.
Further, nobody seems to have noticed that the big scare about another terrorist attack on the Library Tower in LA was a distraction that really had no merit. No one seems to have noticed the age of the "incident," the fact that it did not involve any intelligence garnered by wiretapping, that the intelligence was largely collected by cooperating allies, and was part of the original plans for 9-11. Despite these facts the administration has touted this as a success of the administrations efforts to thwart terrorism on our shores... even though the terrorists involved were apprehended in Asia. Continuing the practice of making a big noise in the east and attacking in the west, the Bush administration continues to keep our attention on things that cause us to neglect the serious lack of preparedness for a genuine attack involving our railroads, subways, fuel depots, nuclear plants, waterways, transportation & cargo depots, ports, etc.
Additionally, the Bush administration is implementing "rules" that would give greater immunity from legal cases against car manufacturers, FDA approved drugs, and other cases involving consumer safety issues. These rules are bypassing congress and limiting the right to access the courts--in direct opposition to the constitutional guarantee of the right to a jury trial in all matters of equity over $20--as well as usurping the role of congress in making laws.
Additionally, no one seems to be noticing that the Bush administration is seeking to spend MILLIONS of dollars in Iran to promote democracy and undermine the the current Iranian regime. There are hundreds of questions and concerns arising out of this initiative being spearheaded by Secretary Rice.
Taking the distraction a bit further, congress is actually talking about making it illegal to do anything in support of China's human rights and censorship while specifically limiting the manner in which American IT companies can conduct business in China, Iran, Vietnam. What is important is that congress doesn't have the authority to do what is proposed in the bill. Congress and the executive branch can place embargoes on conducting business with those countries. There can be limits on the use of certain technologies. But once an American company sets up shop IN a foreign country, the laws of that country are applicable to the business entity--even if it is owned by an American company--and US laws have no authority in that sovereign nation. So, either order the embargo outright or stop wasting our time with yet another silly distraction.
As a follow up to my post on Cheney's negligence, this revelation adds fuel to the fire. Cheney is taking a handful of medications that all bear the warning of not drinking alcoholic beverages and another of being careful while operating machines or tools (a firearm is a machine and a tool). All heart patients take these sort of medications and all of these meds have these warnings. It is clear that Cheney is a take-charge personality and is an educated and well-informed person. So merely drinking a single beer while taking these medications and then going out hunting is inherently negligent, even if he only had one beer (as if that hasn't been heard before) and it was during lunch. What does that say about the vice president?
My review of the transcript of the Britt Hume/Fox interview with Cheney leaves me with a concern. The entire dialogue is rambling, vague and unfocused. Cheney seems to struggle with the facts, timeline and rationale for not getting in front of the story.
Other things that are not getting our attention include the role big business has had in our society. While Martha Stewart getting carted off to prison remained front-page news for months, the scandals of Enron seem to have taken a place on page ten, below the fold, despite the fact that President Bush had direct contact and long-term connections with Enron's top executives. So, too, have we forgotten the scandals of Tyco, Adelphia, WorldCom and are not paying attention to the fact that the oil companies are reaping HUGE profits while not submitting overdue royalty payments and getting another round of corporate welfare in the form of royalty-free exploration grants.
Meanwhile, the DOJ is beginning to take a look at itself and the role it played in advising the administration on the NSA spying efforts. But can the fox really check out the hen house?
While the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility is busy getting the cold shoulder from its own leadership, congress is getting closed out by the claim of excutive privilege. Where, oh where, has Justice gone?
"Mr. Cheney's decision to submit to an interview was an effort to contain the political fallout and to try to end an episode that has knocked the entire White House off stride. But it did not obscure the tensions that have riven the administration since the accident on Saturday, and in a sign of disagreement at the very top, the White House signaled that President Bush wished that Mr. Cheney had made the news public more quickly."
Some of us that have been following this "story" are beginning to wonder whether or not the follow-up and spin on Cheney are not designed to take the heat off of other scandals and stories in the realm of the Bush administration, the White House and the congress. After all, it is during the fallout of "Cheney Gate" that the congress is backing off of the NSA investigation, there is a compromise on the USA Patriot Act renewal (with very little revision), there are reports of other (deeper) NSA spying programs that violate the Constitution, and the Valerie Plame outing is taking a back seat as well.
Further, nobody seems to have noticed that the big scare about another terrorist attack on the Library Tower in LA was a distraction that really had no merit. No one seems to have noticed the age of the "incident," the fact that it did not involve any intelligence garnered by wiretapping, that the intelligence was largely collected by cooperating allies, and was part of the original plans for 9-11. Despite these facts the administration has touted this as a success of the administrations efforts to thwart terrorism on our shores... even though the terrorists involved were apprehended in Asia. Continuing the practice of making a big noise in the east and attacking in the west, the Bush administration continues to keep our attention on things that cause us to neglect the serious lack of preparedness for a genuine attack involving our railroads, subways, fuel depots, nuclear plants, waterways, transportation & cargo depots, ports, etc.
Additionally, the Bush administration is implementing "rules" that would give greater immunity from legal cases against car manufacturers, FDA approved drugs, and other cases involving consumer safety issues. These rules are bypassing congress and limiting the right to access the courts--in direct opposition to the constitutional guarantee of the right to a jury trial in all matters of equity over $20--as well as usurping the role of congress in making laws.
Additionally, no one seems to be noticing that the Bush administration is seeking to spend MILLIONS of dollars in Iran to promote democracy and undermine the the current Iranian regime. There are hundreds of questions and concerns arising out of this initiative being spearheaded by Secretary Rice.
Taking the distraction a bit further, congress is actually talking about making it illegal to do anything in support of China's human rights and censorship while specifically limiting the manner in which American IT companies can conduct business in China, Iran, Vietnam. What is important is that congress doesn't have the authority to do what is proposed in the bill. Congress and the executive branch can place embargoes on conducting business with those countries. There can be limits on the use of certain technologies. But once an American company sets up shop IN a foreign country, the laws of that country are applicable to the business entity--even if it is owned by an American company--and US laws have no authority in that sovereign nation. So, either order the embargo outright or stop wasting our time with yet another silly distraction.
"Answering questions from Brit Hume, Mr. Cheney said that he consumed "a beer at lunch" on Saturday under an old oak tree, but that the accident occurred hours later, and "nobody was under the influence" of alcohol. He said no one had intended to blame the hunting partner, Harry M. Whittington, for being in the line of fire after coming up unannounced about 30 yards from Mr. Cheney."
As a follow up to my post on Cheney's negligence, this revelation adds fuel to the fire. Cheney is taking a handful of medications that all bear the warning of not drinking alcoholic beverages and another of being careful while operating machines or tools (a firearm is a machine and a tool). All heart patients take these sort of medications and all of these meds have these warnings. It is clear that Cheney is a take-charge personality and is an educated and well-informed person. So merely drinking a single beer while taking these medications and then going out hunting is inherently negligent, even if he only had one beer (as if that hasn't been heard before) and it was during lunch. What does that say about the vice president?
My review of the transcript of the Britt Hume/Fox interview with Cheney leaves me with a concern. The entire dialogue is rambling, vague and unfocused. Cheney seems to struggle with the facts, timeline and rationale for not getting in front of the story.
Other things that are not getting our attention include the role big business has had in our society. While Martha Stewart getting carted off to prison remained front-page news for months, the scandals of Enron seem to have taken a place on page ten, below the fold, despite the fact that President Bush had direct contact and long-term connections with Enron's top executives. So, too, have we forgotten the scandals of Tyco, Adelphia, WorldCom and are not paying attention to the fact that the oil companies are reaping HUGE profits while not submitting overdue royalty payments and getting another round of corporate welfare in the form of royalty-free exploration grants.
Meanwhile, the DOJ is beginning to take a look at itself and the role it played in advising the administration on the NSA spying efforts. But can the fox really check out the hen house?
"The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility has opened an internal investigation into the department's role in approving the Bush administration's warrantless domestic eavesdropping program, officials said yesterday. In addition, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales signaled in an interview with The Washington Post yesterday that the administration will sharply limit the testimony of former attorney general John D. Ashcroft and former deputy attorney general James B. Comey, both of whom have been asked to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the program. 'Clearly, there are privilege issues that have to be considered,' Gonzales said. 'As a general matter, we would not be disclosing internal deliberations, internal recommendations. That's not something we'd do as a general matter, whether or not you're a current member of the administration or a former member of the administration.'" Dan Eggin - Washington Post
While the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility is busy getting the cold shoulder from its own leadership, congress is getting closed out by the claim of excutive privilege. Where, oh where, has Justice gone?
posted by Jim Downey at 10:10 AM
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