White House backs Cheney in latest document dispute

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House appeared to back Vice President Dick Cheney's argument that he's not entirely part of the executive branch of government Monday, with a spokeswoman pointing out that the Senate signs Cheney's paycheck.

Under the Constitution, the vice president serves as president of the Senate, with the power to break a tie if needed. But unless a tie is in the offing, modern vice presidents rarely preside over the chamber and have instead taken on a larger policy role within the administration.

Cheney's office asserted last week that it is not bound by a presidential order requiring executive branch agencies to report how many documents they classify or declassify to the National Archives. The vice president says his position as president of the Senate puts him in a different position, straddling the legislative and executive spheres.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/06/25/monday/index.html

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Secrecy may cost Cheney, Dems warn

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) yesterday warned Dick Cheney that his office would risk losing its budget unless the vice president agrees to follow a presidential directive ordering the protection of classified information.

Durbin chairs the Appropriations subcommittee on financial services and general government, which writes the executive-branch spending bill that funds the vice president’s budget.

Durbin’s warning came as Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), No. 3 in Democratic leadership, said that he would “seriously consider” joining House counterparts in seeking to yank funding for Cheney’s office after the vice president contended that his office is a hybrid entity that is neither legislative nor executive.

“The decision to exempt your office from this system for protecting classified information is deeply troubling because it could place national security secrets at risk,” Durbin wrote to Cheney yesterday. Durbin did not specify how appropriators would hit Cheney’s funding.

more:http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/secrecy-may-cost-cheney-dems-warn-2007-06-26.html

No doubt Dick told them to.

Sounds like circling the wagons

i bet Dick is :scared:

I'm thinking non-binding defunding. Anyone else have a guess?

which are even stricter, in addition to the Executive's.

He also exists as both the Executive Branch and The Shadow Government simultaneously.

However, once impeached, Cheney's quantum state will collapse into one or the other.

Given Cheney makes all of the whitehouse decisions...

All monies spent by US start in the Legislature; so that's a stupid argument.