Cheney in Charge

There have been occasional rumors floating around that Dick Cheney will be the next Bush Administration official out the door, see Think Progress, but as much as I would like to see that happen, I'm not sure I buy that theory.

I think Cheney has been (and will continue) doing his thing -- in secrecy -- pursuing his goals in this Administration without any question or accountability. Speculation that Cheney has lost his power and authority and is planning to resign furthers that ability by keeping the focus off what Cheney is actually up to.

Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe has just written a piece, Hail to the chief, subtitled "Dick Cheney's mission to expand -- or 'restore' --the powers of the presidency," which puts the focus back where it belongs -- on what we can probably expect from Dick Cheney as the Democrats assume power in Congress. As Savage describes:

The Constitution empowers Congress to pass laws regulating the executive branch, but over the course of his career, Cheney came to believe that the modern world is too dangerous and complex for a president's hands to be tied. He embraced a belief that presidents have vast "inherent" powers, not spelled out in the Constitution, that allow them to defy Congress.

Cheney bypassed acts of Congress as defense secretary in the first Bush administration. And his office has been the driving force behind the current administration's hoarding of secrets, its efforts to impose greater political control over career officials, and its defiance of a law requiring the government to obtain warrants when wiretapping Americans. Cheney's staff has also been behind President Bush's record number of signing statements asserting his right to disregard laws.

A close look at key moments in Cheney's career -- from his political apprenticeship in the Nixon and Ford administrations to his decade in Congress and his tenure as secretary of defense under the first President Bush -- suggests that the newly empowered Democrats in Congress should not expect the White House to cooperate when they demand classified information or attempt to exert oversight in areas such as domestic surveillance or the treatment of terrorism suspects.

Peter Shane, an Ohio State University law professor, predicted that Cheney's long career of consistently pushing against restrictions on presidential power is likely to culminate in a series of uncompromising battles with Congress.

"Cheney has made this a matter of principle," Shane said. "For that reason, you are likely to hear the words 'executive privilege' over and over again during the next two years."

Cheney . . . has repeatedly said his agenda includes restoring the presidency to its fullest powers by rolling back "unwise" limits imposed by Congress after the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

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Cheney's ideal of presidential power is the level of power the office briefly achieved in the late 1960s, the era of what historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. called the "imperial presidency."

Charlie Savage is also the author of the excellent series of articles in The Boston Globe on presidential "signing statements," and Cheney's role in that Administration power grab, see All Power to the President.

Robert Kuttner also wrote an article a few months ago in the Globe, The Cheney presidency, echoing these sentiments:

When historians look back on the multiple assaults on our constitutional system of government in this era, Cheney's unprecedented role will come in for overdue notice. Cheney's shotgun mishap, when he accidentally sprayed his host with birdshot, has gotten more media attention than has his control of the government.

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Cheney is in a class by himself. The administration's grand strategy and its implementation are the work of Cheney . . . . Cheney's power is matched only by his penchant for secrecy.

Why does this matter? Because if the man actually running the government is out of the spotlight, the administration and its policies are far less accountable.

See also, Cheney the Chosen. I think what I said in that post still holds true:

Of course, many have misjudged Cheney, including the American people, who cannot believe that those entrusted to lead our country would rule as imperialists. The concept is so anathema to our country's principles that people cannot accept that that is what is occurring. Disbelief and denial is aided by the masterful manipulations and propaganda promulgated by the Administration. Again, the public cannot countenance the fact that our leaders would so deceive the public. Cheney epitomizes the query: Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?

And out of sight, out of mind also helps.

Tags: Politics, Executive Privilege, Cheney