Recording the Falsehoods

A Law Unto Himself - Andrew Sullivan

It's unsurprising that Vice President Cheney has taken it upon himself to expand the powers of the executive branch but the argument that neither the president or the vice president belong to the executive branch belies a fundamental misunderstanding of our system. I don't honestly believe that VP Cheney does not know which branch of government he belongs to. Of course he does, but that he is willing to make such an argument is all the more frightening with that knowledge. I sincerely doubt that VP Cheney will take this as far as it can go since impeachment becomes an all too real option but he does want to stall as long as possible. If no new law or court ruling is made about the matter of executive branch papers then other presidents in the future still have the option of making this argument. Unless the argument is knocked down in court or through legislation then the informal assumption of presidential prerogative remains. I do believe in the necessity of keeping some information away from the public for the sake of clear advice and national security. At the same time, I do believe that maintaining records is necessary for later scholars to pour over and examine.