December 14, 2007
Happy Holidays! Now Send Me Some Bills.
Flanked by the vice president and the rest of his Cabinet-level officials, President Bush cheerfully reminded Congress of the mountain of legislative work they must tackle before departing for the holidays.
"I thank the Senate and congratulate the Senate for passing a good energy bill," Bush said at a press conference on the White House lawn. "Now the House must act."
Bush emerged to speak with reporters this morning following his weekly Cabinet meeting. He scored a victory yesterday when the Senate overwhelmingly passed an energy package minus a Democratic-sponsored $21.8 billion provision that would have reduced tax breaks for oil companies. The overall bill remains tough on automakers, however, and is expected to make it through the House next Tuesday with relative ease.
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December 10, 2007
Libby Abandons Appeal Bid
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has decided against furthering pursuit of an appeal of his perjury and obstruction of justice conviction in relation to the CIA leak investigation.
The former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney had been sentenced to 30 months for lying to federal investigators during a probe into the outing of former CIA officer Valerie Plame. President Bush commuted Libby's sentence in July, fueling speculation that the former top White House aide would eventually receive a full pardon.
"We remain firmly convinced of Mr. Libby's innocence. However, the realities were, that after five years of government service by Mr. Libby and several years of defending against this case, the burden on Mr. Libby and his young family of continuing to pursue his complete vindication are too great to ask them to bear," an attorney said in a statement.
Libby's decision to drop his appeals bid will renew speculation that Bush plans to grant a pardon on his way out of office in January 2009. House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., asked AG Michael Mukasey last week for all remaining interview transcripts from the now-closed investigation.
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November 26, 2007
Cheney In Hospital For Irregular Heartbeat
Vice President Dick Cheney will be undergoing an evaluation for an irregular heartbeat later today in what his office describes as a routine test, FOX News is reporting.
Cheney will be examined at George Washington University Hospital, where he is regularly treated for his cardiovascular ailments. Cheney, who turns 67 in January, has had four heart attacks since 1978, and his semi-regular trips to GWUH are generally followed with close media interest as a result. In July, the vice president had minor surgery to replace a battery in his pacemaker. In March, Cheney was treated for a blood clot in his left leg.
FOX News reports that Cheney's office is downplaying the seriousness of his condition, as is usually the case when he makes a trip to the hospital. The vice president is expected back home this evening.
Cheney was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, which may be treated with a small electrical shock. According to the American Heart Association, Cheney's condition means that his heart's upper chambers "quiver instead of beating effectively."
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October 19, 2007
The Comedic Stylings Of Your Elected Officials
Even in the grimmest of times there's plenty to laugh about in Washington, and a number of lawmakers proved that the case this week at the Funniest Celebrity in Washington contest.
Politicians and the reporters who cover them get to be funny on purpose for one night a year with proceeds going to a worthy cause. This year's beneficiaries were VH1's Save The Music Foundation and the Institute of Musical Traditions, and contestants included The Nation's David Corn, the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson and Rep. Loretta Sanchez, sister of 2006 champion Rep. Linda Sanchez.
Wednesday night's winner was Joseph Randazzo of The Onion. No fair, we say, because -- hello -- The Onion. (Also, he lives in New York!) We prefer to think of the first runner-up as the rightful champion: the senior senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter.
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August 21, 2007
Cheney Removes Himself -- Again -- From Executive Branch
CORRECTED.
Less than two months after Dick Cheney reversed course on the claim under a congressional threat and much ridicule, the vice president is once again severing himself from the executive branch of government -- this time to defy a subpoena.
In June, Cheney's lawyers whipped out a novel -- and almost certainly wrong -- claim that as the Senate's tiebreaker, his office actually belongs in the legislative branch. At the time, he was resisting an executive order renewed by President Bush that their offices hand over reports on classified data to the National Archives. Red-faced officials eventually said they would back off of the bizarre claim.
But yesterday it resurfaced, in a letter [PDF] to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy.
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August 16, 2007
Ashcroft Was 'In No Condition' For Gonzales, Card Visit
Newly released notes from FBI Director Robert Mueller indicate two White House aides ignored the health concerns of then-Attorney General John Ashcroft as they tried to pressure the AG to sign off on President Bush's secret, possibly unconstitutional domestic spying program.
In the notes [PDF], obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and released today, Mueller seems to have been angered by then-White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and former counsel Alberto Gonzales, who insisted on seeing Ashcroft in his hospital room while the AG was recovering from gall bladder surgery and acute pancreatitis. Mueller says he was tipped off to the visit by then-Deputy AG James Comey, who assumed acting AG powers during his boss' illness.
Having reached Mueller while he was dining with his wife and daughter, Comey said that Ashcroft was "in no condition to see them, much less make decision [sic] to authorize continuation of the program." As is consistent with their sworn testimony, Comey requested Mueller's presence at the hospital to "witness" Ashcroft's condition.
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August 01, 2007
Cheney Gets The Larry King Treatment
Vice President Dick Cheney made a rare television appearance last night, sitting down with CNN's Larry King at the Old Executive Office Building to discuss everything from progress in Iraq to what branch of government he really belongs to. The interview was short on earth-shattering revelations -- yes, he stands by Alberto Gonzales; no, he doesn't care what the polls say -- but chock full of the usual Cheney quotables.
Some of the highlights:
Executive decision-making. Does the veep "ever, as an intelligent person, look in the mirror and say, maybe I'm wrong?" No. "The way you have to operate in these jobs.... You have to do it on the basis of what you think is right and what's best for the country." And "if you looked simply at public opinion, for example, a lot of the key decisions in our history would never have been pursued or followed through on."
What branch is it, anyway? The vice president is "sort of a weird duck," Cheney explains. "I have a foot in both camps" -- executive and legislative. But does that mean he can claim not to be held accountable by either? That's a possibility, Cheney concedes, but he tries "not to do that."
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July 27, 2007
Cheney To Have Pacemaker Replaced
Vice President Dick Cheney will be at George Washington University Hospital tomorrow to have the battery in his pacemaker replaced. A spokeswoman said the entire device will be changed out in order to replace the battery.
The procedure is routine for a man who, as the AP notes, "has had four heart attacks, quadruple bypass surgery, two artery-clearing angioplasties and an operation to implant the defibrillator." Last Saturday, Cheney was the president for a few hours as George W. Bush underwent a colonoscopy. The five polyps found his colon were not cancerous.
Posted at 3:28 PM
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After Hazleton Ruling, What Would SCOTUS Do?
Federal inaction has spurred states and municipalities to forge ahead on matters like global warming and immigration. In April, the Supreme Court seemed to boost efforts by states like California to exceed federal regulations on greenhouse gases. But it's not clear whether the justices would do the same for U.S. towns leading the charge on illegal immigration.
Yesterday's decision [PDF] by a U.S. District Court judge declaring Hazleton, Pa.'s housing and employment ordinance on illegal immigrants unconstitutional will be appealed, the town's mayor promised. The decision will affect the dozens of U.S. cities and counties weighing similar measures to crack down on illegals.
Hazleton's first-in-the-nation ordinance required landlords to register with the town and all prospective rentees to submit to background checks on their residency status. Businesses found to be employing illegal immigrants were to lose their license for five years. The ordinance also declared English to be the official language of the town, which refuses to print any information in Spanish.
Judge James Munley invoked the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, ruling that only the federal government had jurisdiction over immigration law. That act stipulates: "The provisions of this section preempt any State or local law imposing civil or criminal sanctions (other than through licensing and similar laws) upon those who employ, or recruit or refer for a fee for employment, unauthorized aliens."
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July 20, 2007
Bush To Undergo Colonoscopy; Cheney To Assume Presidential Authority
President Bush will undergo a medical procedure tomorrow that will require him to temporarily transfer his presidential authority to Vice President Dick Cheney.
White House press secretary Tony Snow delivered the news at his noon press briefing that Bush was having a colonoscopy. The procedure, which involves a snake-like probe of the large bowel through the rectum, requires sedation and can last up to an hour. Regular colonoscopies to check for signs of colon cancer are recommended for men and women over age 50 every five years.
Snow said that Bush, who just turned 61, would have the colonoscopy tomorrow but wouldn't specify the time. Cheney will have "full capability to respond" to any crisis from his beach house on the Eastern Shore, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate President pro tempore Robert Byrd, second and third in line to the presidency respectively, had been notified earlier in the day.
Snow is currently undergoing treatment for colon cancer. He said he was doing "fine," and has three more chemotherapy sessions to go in this round of treatment.
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July 03, 2007
White House Denies Special Treatment For Libby
UPDATED.
President Bush today defended his decision to commute the sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on a perjury and obstruction of justice conviction.
"I considered his background, his service to this country as well as the jury verdict," Bush said at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "I felt like the 30-month sentencing was severe. I made a considered judgment that I believe is the right decision to make in this case, and I stand by it."
It was Bush's first public appearance since announcing, via press release, that he had ordered Libby's sentence commuted. Bush said he believed the jury's verdict should stand, but did not count out a full pardon in the future.
"I rule nothing in and nothing out," Bush said.
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Bush Intervenes In Libby Conviction After All
UPDATED.
Under intense pressure from his base to stand up for a trusted aide, President Bush was damned if he did and damned if he did not pardon I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Early Monday evening, the self-appointed Decider quietly announced he would seek the middle road.
Safely ensconced in the White House, Bush announced via written statement that he was commuting Libby's 30-month sentence, just hours after a federal court denied Libby's request to postpone reporting to prison during the appeals process. Many White House reporters had not yet left Kennebunkport, Maine, where Bush had been hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day.
"My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby,'' the president's statement read. "The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting."
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June 29, 2007
Cheney's Words Reveal He Counts Himself As Part Of The Executive Branch
Vice President Dick Cheney has viewed himself as part of the executive branch of government, according to transcripts of public statements, calling into question a statement by an aide that has been widely seen as a suggestion he is not.
Cheney has been ridiculed and criticized in recent days because of what has been interpreted as a claim that he does not have to comply with an executive order on classified information because he is not in the executive branch. The White House has asserted that the issue is moot, saying the way the order is written makes clear that the president did not intend it to apply to the vice president.
White House officials this week have repeatedly declined to declare Cheney a member of the executive branch, instead characterizing debate over his role as an intriguing constitutional question.
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June 28, 2007
White House Rejects Congressional Subpoenas
UPDATED.
As expected, the White House is invoking executive privilege in response to an order from the Senate and House judiciary committees to hand over documents related to a round of firings of federal prosecutors last year.
In a letter to the committees, White House counsel Fred Fielding said President Bush "was not willing to provide your committees with documents revealing internal White House communications or to accede to your desire for senior advisors to testify at public hearings," AP reports. The senior advisers in question are Fielding's predecessor, Harriet Miers, and former White House political director Sara Taylor.
The effort to force transparency on the firings is a bipartisan one, and lawmakers have hinted that they are willing to take the executive branch to court in order to wrest documents and testimony relevant to the firings. Whether they actually do so while Congress is mired in a battle over immigration reform and an exit strategy from the Iraq war remains to be seen.
Legal Times has an excellent backgrounder on this White House's resistance to the attorneys firing probe.
Posted at 9:38 AM
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June 27, 2007
White House, Cheney's Office Subpoenaed
The Senate Judiciary Committee today ordered the White House and vice president's office to hand over documents related to a domestic surveillance program in an apparent gesture of frustration over the Bush administration's refusal to disclose the details about the post-9/11 initiative. Both offices are expected to say they are under no obligation to respond to the subpoenas.
The subpoenas and committee Chairman Patrick Leahy's cover letter can be found here.
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June 26, 2007
Waxman Slams White House & Cheney Over Classified Material
House Government and Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., has shot another flaming arrow at the White House, this time accusing the White House of being careless in its handling of classified material and ignoring flagrant breaches of security.
"There is evidence that both the White House and the Office of the Vice President have flaunted multiple requirements for protecting classified information," wrote Waxman in a letter to White House counsel Fred Fielding. The letter is the latest move in Waxman’s escalating investigation of Vice President Dick Cheney’s handling of classified documents.
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June 22, 2007
Waxman vs. Cheney
UPDATED.
Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued a letter [PDF] to Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday accusing him of trying to bypass a presidential executive order mandating safeguards for classified information.
According to the letter, Cheney rebuffed a 2004 request by the National Archives' Information Security Oversight Office for an inspection of his office pursuant to the order, claiming the vice president's office was not "an entity within the executive branch" and therefore did not have to comply.
"I question both the legality and the wisdom of your actions," Waxman wrote. Citing a series of alleged leaks from Cheney's office, including the Valerie Plame case, Waxman concluded that "it would appear particularly irresponsible to give an office with your history of security breaches an exemption from the safeguards that apply to all other executive branch officials."
Going a step further, Waxman's documents suggest that Cheney's office was trying to subvert the oversight system itself. When monitors at the National Archives protested the attempt to put them off, the New York Times reports, the vice president's office threatened to shut down their whole department.
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June 07, 2007
Attorney Firings: Cheney Squeezed Justice On Spy Program
The G-8 summit, the presidential campaigns, the immigration proposal and Paris Hilton (gulp) are sucking up all the oxygen in the news cycle. In another week, maybe, the latest development in the U.S. attorney firings saga wouldn't have been buried.
In written answers to questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, former Deputy Attorney General James Comey spelled out the strongest case yet that pushback on the warrantless wiretapping program in 2004 came directly from Vice President Dick Cheney.
In testimony before the committee last month on the abrupt firing of eight U.S. attorneys, Comey revealed surprising new details about DOJ's resistance to the controversial surveillance program implemented at the direction of the White House following the 9/11 attacks. Comey said that he and other top DOJ officials, including FBI Director Robert Mueller, had decided to resign if the White House didn't agree to amend the program. Comey's testimony also revealed for the first time that former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a favorite villain of civil libertarians, had deemed the program illegal as well.
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Alberto Gonzales, Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, Dick Cheney, James Comey, John Ashcroft
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May 24, 2007
It's A Boy Cheney!
The littlest member of the vice president's clan was born yesterday in Washington, D.C. At eight pounds, six ounces, Samuel David Cheney enters the world as a somewhat controversial figure -- the son of a high-profile lesbian who worked as her father's aide in 2004, advocating his re-election as the leader of a party that opposes same-sex marriage and other gay rights.
Some gay advocates have criticized Mary Cheney and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, for not stepping into the fray and trying to change the GOP from within.
Cheney's response? At a forum in New York City this January, she demurred -- "This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate by people on either side of an issue. It is my child" -- but then backpedaled a bit, saying research has demonstrated "no difference between children who are raised by same-sex parents and children raised by opposite-sex parents."
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May 09, 2007
Letter From Baghdad: Send $$
Speaking at a press conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone, Vice President Dick Cheney, Amb. Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus sent a message to Congress: Send money now.
"Our people need the tools to get the job done, and the tools in this case are money," Crocker, the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, said. "We need to get the money out here so we can start making a difference on the streets."
The vice president, accompanied by Crocker, landed in Baghdad today unannounced, as is the norm for administration officials who visit the country. Cheney is there to pressure rival factions in the Iraqi government to hammer out a political compromise in the coming months. Republicans in Congress have said that they will rethink their support for the war if marked progress is not seen by the fall.
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Posted at 12:34 PM
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David Petraeus, Dick Cheney, Iraq, Military
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Cheney Makes Surprise Stop In Baghdad
Vice President Dick Cheney's plane touched down in Baghdad this morning. It was an unannounced visit at the beginning of a weeklong tour of the Middle East, which will also include stops in the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Cheney and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki held a news conference today in which both men pledged support for the joint U.S.-Iraqi effort. AP reports that U.S. officials portrayed Cheney's visit as an attempt to convince Iraqi leaders to ameliorate sectarian tensions.
Earlier in the day, Cheney also met with the new ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, and was briefed by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.
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Karl Rove's recently announced departure has touched off a flood of analysis about the legacy President Bush's most trusted adviser will leave behind, but how much of it is real and how much is hype? In an online exclusive, National Journal White House correspondent Carl Cannon 
