I'll post a few items on Mike Pence later.
- Click here for video on the selection process.
Showing posts with label vice president. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vice president. Show all posts
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Thursday, October 30, 2008
...an audience of third graders
That's what George Will calls Palin's supporters. Ouch.
He takes aim at McCain and Palin's loose understanding of the Constitution.
He takes aim at McCain and Palin's loose understanding of the Constitution.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Can There Be Another VP Like Cheney?
We discussed this in one of today's classes. Has Cheney fundamentally transformed the office of the vice president, or was his effectiveness in the office a function of his unique skill set?
I think its the later, and so does the Barton Gelman:
Dick Cheney made his mark by transforming the job of vice president into something very close to deputy president. Now the question is whether Sarah Palin, and to a lesser extent Joe Biden, can carry on his legacy—or whether America should want them to. The answer to both questions: probably not.
Cheney brought to office a singular blend of knowledge, experience, discipline, zealotry, and operational talent. The last two are especially rare in combination, and mercifully so. Zealots drive history harder than opportunists do when they get their hands on the wheel. Cheney won room for maneuver from President Bush, and he knew how to use it.
This is a good read.
I think its the later, and so does the Barton Gelman:
Dick Cheney made his mark by transforming the job of vice president into something very close to deputy president. Now the question is whether Sarah Palin, and to a lesser extent Joe Biden, can carry on his legacy—or whether America should want them to. The answer to both questions: probably not.
Cheney brought to office a singular blend of knowledge, experience, discipline, zealotry, and operational talent. The last two are especially rare in combination, and mercifully so. Zealots drive history harder than opportunists do when they get their hands on the wheel. Cheney won room for maneuver from President Bush, and he knew how to use it.
This is a good read.
On the Vice Presidency
Cheney's impact on what was once a dreary job is the subject of a small handful of new books and currently underlies disputes between Biden and Palin over the constitutional role of the office. Is it open ended or restricted?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Rest Easy
The Vice Presidency has returned to the executive branch.
But now vp's lawyer argues that it is indistinguishable from the presidency, and is therefore not covered by an executive order mandating that federal agencies pony up classified material.
The lawyer in question is David Addington and he's worth knowing about.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has stepped into the fray and has subpoenaed vp documents related to wiretapping.
But now vp's lawyer argues that it is indistinguishable from the presidency, and is therefore not covered by an executive order mandating that federal agencies pony up classified material.
The lawyer in question is David Addington and he's worth knowing about.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has stepped into the fray and has subpoenaed vp documents related to wiretapping.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Now About Cheney...
Time to outline the fallout from the vice president's latest attempt to justify keeping his activities and records secret.
In order to circumvent a rule that the National Archives be allowed access to classified documents to ensure that they are properly handled, he famously asserted that since his office has legislative functions, it is not part of the executive branch and is not subject to those rules. This has been going on for several years. Officers from the National Archives apparently went to the vice president's office to pick up the records and were prevented from entering. Mr. Cheney has since attempted to have the National Archives disbanded in order to get them off his back.
My first impression, and I can so easily be underestimating him, is that this is a gross miscalculation. This claim is so patently silly that it will rally opposition to him. He just looks ridiculous and has negated the fear and leverage he had used to silence potential opponents. I wonder if he still had the services of Scooter Libby if this would have happened. Fallout like this is what quality aides are there to prevent.
The floodgates are now open though and critics are becoming more vocal. Analyses of the role of the vice president over the course of this administration are also more frequent. The most interesting is a series of articles now being published by the Washington Post. The authors suggest that Cheney has been at the heart of the most important of the president's policies over his term of office. Cheney is described as detail oriented and technical, Bush less so. Presentations to Cheney are more precise than those given to the president. He is also secretive in order to hide his influence--which helps make him stronger. He's the unseen force making things happen. This is why he guard his privacy and does what he can to keep his actions secret.
Cheney is said to see his office as the de facto chief of staff for the president meaning that he is the gatekeeper that says what goes forward and what does not: "The president is "the decider," as Bush puts it, but the vice president often serves up his menu of choices."
It is difficult to read the article and not come to the conclusion that Cheney runs the show. This might be unfair, and maybe untrue at the end of the day, but that's how it seems
In order to circumvent a rule that the National Archives be allowed access to classified documents to ensure that they are properly handled, he famously asserted that since his office has legislative functions, it is not part of the executive branch and is not subject to those rules. This has been going on for several years. Officers from the National Archives apparently went to the vice president's office to pick up the records and were prevented from entering. Mr. Cheney has since attempted to have the National Archives disbanded in order to get them off his back.
My first impression, and I can so easily be underestimating him, is that this is a gross miscalculation. This claim is so patently silly that it will rally opposition to him. He just looks ridiculous and has negated the fear and leverage he had used to silence potential opponents. I wonder if he still had the services of Scooter Libby if this would have happened. Fallout like this is what quality aides are there to prevent.
The floodgates are now open though and critics are becoming more vocal. Analyses of the role of the vice president over the course of this administration are also more frequent. The most interesting is a series of articles now being published by the Washington Post. The authors suggest that Cheney has been at the heart of the most important of the president's policies over his term of office. Cheney is described as detail oriented and technical, Bush less so. Presentations to Cheney are more precise than those given to the president. He is also secretive in order to hide his influence--which helps make him stronger. He's the unseen force making things happen. This is why he guard his privacy and does what he can to keep his actions secret.
Cheney is said to see his office as the de facto chief of staff for the president meaning that he is the gatekeeper that says what goes forward and what does not: "The president is "the decider," as Bush puts it, but the vice president often serves up his menu of choices."
It is difficult to read the article and not come to the conclusion that Cheney runs the show. This might be unfair, and maybe untrue at the end of the day, but that's how it seems
Monday, June 4, 2007
Secrecy and the VP
Democracies want it all. They want accountability and effective government.
But accountability requires transparency, which means that we need to know who does what so they can be held responsible for the results, and effective government sometimes requires that decision makers be given the opportunity to get confidential advice from sources that know they will remain confidential. The concept is called executive privilege and it has a long history in the United States.
The Vice President continues to argue that he must be able to keep his visitor logs secret, so he can preserve the confidentiality he need to get reasonable advice.
The White House calls this "a matter of principle, saying in a court declaration that it is aimed at preserving "the effective functioning of the vice presidency under the Constitution." The group Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington disagrees and is fighting to make this information public. The question is whether there is something illegal going on or if the Vice President simply likes doing things in private.
But accountability requires transparency, which means that we need to know who does what so they can be held responsible for the results, and effective government sometimes requires that decision makers be given the opportunity to get confidential advice from sources that know they will remain confidential. The concept is called executive privilege and it has a long history in the United States.
The Vice President continues to argue that he must be able to keep his visitor logs secret, so he can preserve the confidentiality he need to get reasonable advice.
The White House calls this "a matter of principle, saying in a court declaration that it is aimed at preserving "the effective functioning of the vice presidency under the Constitution." The group Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington disagrees and is fighting to make this information public. The question is whether there is something illegal going on or if the Vice President simply likes doing things in private.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)