5 minute Supreme Court Crash Course

Slate.com posted a great discussion about Constitutional law and such relevant issues as:

Equal Protection Clause
freedom of religion
Freedom of Speech
State Sovereignty

etc.

Check it out at Slate.com

Does Dick Cheney know what branch of government he is apart of?

I find it amazing that our V.P. has claimed for nearly three years that he has executive privilege. A special privilege claimed by the executive branch keep presidential papers, records and other documents secret, even from the Congress. I am the first to admit that some of our greatest presidents have claimed this common law privilege (Washington, Jefferson) setting the precedent for subsequent holders of the office. There are many times when I can see keeping certain documents from the eyes of others.

There is a time, when the country is in arms, when Congress has asked, when the National archives as made requests. Documents must be shared. perhaps not to the whole public, but why not to the appropriate committee members?

Now Mr. Cheney is claiming that the V.P. is not part of the executive branch. But part of the legislative branch since the V.P. is the head of the senate. Did out V.P. not read the Constitution?

Article II of the Constitution outlines the executive branch. It is in this article that the election of the V.P. is described. Furthermore Amendment XXII further describes the link of the V.P. to the executive branch.

Secondly, the Constitution has built in oversight between the three branches; “A system of checks and balances”. Part of this is a form of oversight to make sure each branch is honest.

If the Mr. Cheney would like to claim he is part of the Legislative branch, then he not only has oversight from the executive branch, but he also has oversight by the appropriate committees in congress.

The fact that our V.P. is resorting to such tactics make me believe that he is hiding more than I could ever imaging. It is classic case of all of the “soft evidence” pointing in his direction. It is as if he can just fend off and keep the people from seeing the “hard evidence” then he will go free. Just what is he hiding?