Blue Spot

House GOP rises up against Cheney - Daniel W. Reilly and Patrick O'Connor - Politico.com

There was a time when Dick Cheney could turn back a Republican revolt on Capitol Hill. That time is gone.

House Republicans rose up en masse against their vice president on Tuesday morning to blast an administration proposal that would grant Treasury historic authority to start buying hundreds of billions of dollars in devalued mortgage-related assets, according to members present.

The lines to speak were long, the questions many and sentiment in the Cannon Caucus Room Tuesday swayed heavily against the Treasury proposal.

Afterward, Texas Rep. Joe Barton took the unusual step of telling reporters that he had politely given Cheney a piece of his mind – the sort of dissent Republicans considered unthinkable during much of the Bush administration's reign.

A full-throated Republican revolt could create huge problems for the administration and congressional Democrats scrambling to assemble a package to reassure jittery markets. It could also preserve the Republicans’ options after the fact – if the bailout doesn’t work or proves deeply unpopular with voters, they can say they opposed it.

Labels: Cheney, Congress, Economy, Financial

Report: No role for Cheney at GOP convention - On Politics - USATODAY.com

The American Spectator reports that Vice President Cheney will not appear at the Republican National Convention. "Cheney has not sought a speaking slot at the convention, nor has his staff sought a role for him at the convention," the conservative magazine says on its Prowler blog, citing "sources in his office."

Politico explored the "rocky" relationship between Cheney and presumptive GOP nominee John McCain in June, and said Cheney might not play a convention role.

USA TODAY's David Jackson asked Megan Mitchell, a Cheney spokeswoman, about the Spectator report. "The vice president's schedule has not been set for next week, let alone next month," she said. "The vice president has, as recently as Friday, been out campaigning for Sen. McCain."

Last month Congress Daily reported that several Republicans in high-profile Senate races would not be attending the Sept. 1-4 gathering in St. Paul.

Labels: Cheney, GOP Hypocrisy

Bush claims executive privilege on CIA leak - The White House- msnbc.com

WASHINGTON - President Bush invoked executive privilege to keep Congress from seeing the FBI report of an interview with Vice President Dick Cheney and other records related to the administration's leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity in 2003.

The president's decision drew a sharp protest Wednesday from Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of House Oversight Committee, which had subpoenaed Attorney General Michael Mukasey to turn over the documents.

"This unfounded assertion of executive privilege does not protect a principle; it protects a person," the California Democrat said. "If the vice president did nothing wrong, what is there to hide?"

Waxman left little doubt he would soon move for a committee vote to hold Mukasey in contempt of Congress.

Labels: Cheney, Executive priveledge, FBI, Plamegate

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Cheney apologizes to West Virginians for inbreeding joke « - Blogs from CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Vice President Dick Cheney apologized Monday for what his spokeswoman called "an inappropriate attempt at humor" that implied that inbreeding is common among West Virginians, a remark that elicited outrage from the state's senior senator.

Asked during a question-and-answer session at the National Press Club about the fact that a search of his family tree found he is a distant relative of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential front-runner, Cheney said the two politicians were unlikely to hold a family reunion.

He said that the Cheney line on his father's side of the family dates to 1630's, and a Cheney family line on his mother's side dates to the 1650's.

"So, I had Cheneys on both sides of the family — and we don't even live in West Virginia," Cheney cracked. After pausing for laughter from the crowd, Cheney added, "You can say those things when you're not running for re-election."

Afterward, West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd lashed out at Cheney for the "insult to all Americans." In a written statement, Byrd declared that Cheney showed "contempt and astounding ignorance toward his own countrymen" with the comments.


"Now that he or the administration he represents no longer needs their vote, Mr. Cheney apparently feels that he is now free to mock and belittle the people of West Virginia," said Byrd, a Democrat. "With his trademark arrogance, the vice president even added, 'You can say those things when you're not running for re-election.' "

He added, "This pitiful comment is not entirely surprising when you consider the source. Vice President Cheney's words reflect the attitude of an administration and a party that says what they must to get elected and then turns their backs on those they promised to represent."

Labels: Cheney, Cultural issues, GOP Hypocrisy

The Associated Press: House panel subpoenas top Cheney aide WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to compel a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney to testify to the committee about the Bush administration's interrogation practices.

David Addington, Cheney's chief of staff, refused to testify without a subpoena. No date has been set for his appearance before Congress.

Addington is one of several lawyers believed to have played a key role in crafting the administration's interrogation policies shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, policies which some say amounted to torture.

John Yoo, the former Justice Department lawyer who wrote a now-repudiated memo allowing the harsh interrogations of military prisoners agreed late Monday to testify to Congress about those practices, averting a subpoena. Yoo is now a law professor at University of California-Berkeley.

Yoo's memo, dated March 14, 2003, outlines a legal justification for military interrogators to use harsh tactics against al-Qaida and Taliban detainees overseas — so long as they did not specifically intend to torture their captives.

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Under Secretary of Defense Douglas Feith, and former Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin have also agreed to give testimony at a future hearing. Former CIA Director George Tenet is still in negotiations with the committee, according to House Judiciary Committee spokeswoman Melanie Roussell.

Labels: Cheney, Constitutional attacks, Investigations, Surveilance, Torture

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION.

Labels: Cheney, Impeachment, Wexler

McClellan blames Bush for CIA leak deceit - The White House- msnbc.com

WASHINGTON - Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recount the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.

"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Monday. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff and the president himself."

OK, is anybody really surprised here?

Labels: Cheney, Intelligence, Plamegate, Rove

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I recently received a message (or maybe I should say a rant) on You Tube from somebody called rxw4life. When I went to check out his profile, I was not surprised to see that his two featured videos were about backyard wrestling. Well anyway, rxw4life was not too thrilled about a Bill O'Reilley video I posted a while back and decided to let me know about it. The following is what he wrote (word-for-word):

Do you watch your left wing news shows abc, msnbc, nbc, cnn do not give a fair shake to anybody other then their own. Everytime I have listened to O'Really he talks about idiots left wing nuts who call the president a nazi or a terrorist it's fucking stupid in my opinion. Whats your plan lets leave Iraq and let them come get us because if you think that al quada doesn't want us dead think again. They aren't going to stop til were dead kind of like japan in world war 2 didn't stop until we stopped. I'm just sick of people bitching about the war and the president if you don't like it leave or you can be a man and deal with it. Do what you need to do to vote your party in but to bash the president and republicans for mistakes is stupid clinton made mistakes to including having affairs and not worrying about the country but we don't here about that shit do we no. Because everybody is so focuse on hating George Bush wether he does something right or not you people will always find a way to hate him. Deal with it another year and half and he'll be out so quit bitching and support our troops even if you hate bush fuck him then just support then men and women that bust there asses everyday for you so you can bitch about the president and state your fucking opinion. As for watching other news stations or fox I don't watch any of them because they are useless they just lie and spin O'Reilly is a middle man he questions everybody republican or democrate and if you don't know that then you haven't watched or listened to his shows so you don't know shit I do because I listened to his show on the radio for 2 months. He tells it like he sees it some of his points go one way or the other but he's fair. If you don't like it move to Canada I say and get ready for more terrorist attacks when Hillary is president because she'll be hugging trees and gay people and killing babes and won't be worried about u or me. She'll also raise your taxes which I know you want to happen as well. I'm excited I wish the election was now because I just want to see her completey destroy the country Bush has done a great job at destroying the country the damn terrorist that he is frees a county of a mass murder but who cares about that all we have to go by is the past and the weapons of mass destruction that no one seems to forget about. Tell me this since when is it wrong for a country to free another country and give them a chance tell me what is so damn wrong with that because if you know you tell me. Last time I checked the US has always helped other countries why should we stop now. I know i'm a nazi now 2 because I speak my mind and my facts aren't real right that's what you'll say i'm waiting for it. Don't be an ass like your party.

It's nice to see that our future is in good hands. Really though, I'm glad to see that more & more experienced and intelligent Republicans like Victor Gold are finally turning away from the current crop of so called conservatives. What passes for conservative these days are reactionary thugs like the one I describe above.

Labels: Cheney, Comment, Conservatism, GOP Hypocrisy, Religious Right

While discussing the Libby commuted sentence, Chris Matthews on Hardball proclaimed, "I'm just trying to find consistency here from Kate O'Beirne." Matthews is sometimes obnoxious himself, but I've been waiting for somebody to tell her that for years.

So when prosecutors are putting away Dems, they are doing their job. When they go after Republicans, they are partisan or political. This whole GOP reaction to everything about this case is the ultimate example of how hypocritical the GOP is.

Below, Keith Olbermann & David Shuster debunk the right-wing spin surrounding the Libby sentence, especially the "no underlying crime" claim.

Labels: Cheney, Comment, GOP Hypocrisy, Hillary, Libby Trial, Plamegate

Is Cheney a one-man-government? Keith Olbermann talks with Newsweek's Richard Wolffe and former AG and author John Dean.

Labels: Cheney, GOP Hypocrisy

Cheney claims exemption of oversight from the executive branch.

Labels: Cheney, Constitutional attacks, GOP Hypocrisy, Investigations

Halliburton VP, Sherry Williams testifies at a Senate hearing about the company's dealings with Iran. NYC Comptroller, William Thompson (D) was also at the hearing.

Federal sanctions prohibit American companies from conducting business with Iran. Halliburton used a loophole to sell oil services to Iran via a subsidiary in the Cayman Islands.

Labels: Cheney, GOP Hypocrisy, Halliburton, Iran, Oil, Senate, World news

Cheney under political cloud after Libby trial - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House offered support on Wednesday for Vice President Dick Cheney, a powerful proponent of the Iraq war, after the conviction of his top aide dealt a fresh blow to Cheney's political reputation and raised new questions about his influence.

The trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby showed Cheney, often portrayed by critics as the shadowy Darth Vader behind the war in Iraq, was deeply involved in an effort to discredit a critic of the administration's prewar intelligence.

Labels: Cheney, Libby Trial, Plamegate