Senate President Dick Cheney - still “confusing”
Today’s Press Briefing by Dana Perino
Q Well — that you can’t give an opinion about whether the Vice President is part of the executive branch or not?
MS. PERINO: All I know is that –
Q It’s a little bit like somebody saying, “I don’t know if this is my wife or not.” (Laughter.)
MS. PERINO: I think it’s a little bit more complicated than that.
Q No, but honestly, I mean, there’s no –
MS. PERINO: No, honestly, I think it’s more complicated than that. I do.
Q But, Dana, one difference is, from this podium came the explanation that the President never intended for this to apply to the Vice President. When there was communication from the counsel of the Vice President’s office to ISOO, the rationale was different. It was that there was a split in the duties, the role of the Vice President, and that’s where we’re getting this — he’s part of the legislative and the executive. So it seems that it was not — everybody was not on the same page when they were first responding to the National Archives.
MS. PERINO: I don’t know that to necessarily be true, but I can see if I can get from the Vice President’s office more of an explanation — because they could have been thinking of one in the same argument, and I’m just — I don’t have the legal mind that can draw those two together.
Q What if one of the staff members of the Vice President was asked to turn over material and the staff member was afraid that they would get in a Scooter Libby type situation if they don’t turn it over — do they have the same protections? Now, we’re talking about staff members, not the President and Vice President.
MS. PERINO: I think you’re talking about apples and oranges, because I think that the Vice President and the White House — the President and the Vice President, I think that extends to their offices and the people who actually work for them, as well.
Q That’s very important, because –MS. PERINO: I think I just answered it, but I can look into it again.
Q Dana, for 200-plus years, everybody from civics class on up has had a certain understanding of the way our government works. And this EO clarifies more than 200 years of constitutional scholarship about the way our system works?
MS. PERINO: Maybe it’s me, but I think that everyone is making this a little bit more complicated than it needs to be. The President writes an executive order; he says –
Q I’m talking about the part where the Vice President says that there’s a question about whether or not he’s part of the executive branch.
MS. PERINO: And the point I was trying to make to you before is that I –
Q This really falls into “sky is blue” stuff.
MS. PERINO: For the past two centuries the Senate has provided payment to the Vice President for his duties as a member of the government. I understand that he has roles in both branches. I am — I don’t think that it’s as clear-cut as you’re trying to make it.
Q That the Vice President of the United States is –
MS. PERINO: I think there is no denying that he has functions in both the legislative and the executive branches. That is a fact.
Q But it seems like the Vice President is saying he’s not responsible for the rules of either of those –
Q Yes.
MS. PERINO: No, I think that he was saying — especially when it comes to the executive branch — is that the duties that he is given are given to him solely by the President of the United States. And some Vice Presidents don’t do as much as he does in the realm of national security or in policy development as this Vice President does. But this Vice President was given executive duties to handle –
Q But how is being a part of another branch — I guess it’s debatable — but how is that an out?
MS. PERINO: It’s not an — that’s irrelevant because the President never intended for the Vice President to be subject to the executive order.
Q No, he introduced the topic. The Office of the Vice President introduces that into the argument, into the debate; “well, we’re not part of the executive branch.”
MS. PERINO: I think that that is also a fact — and as I said to Kelly, I’ll see if I can get more from the Vice President’s office to see if they — how they connected the two, or if they did.
Q He can argue he’s part of both, but he can’t possibly argue that he’s part of neither. And it seems like he’s saying he’s part of neither.
MS. PERINO: Okay, you have me thoroughly confused, as well.
Cheney - Neocon AND Lousy Shot
Another Victim of Bureaucracy
One Ring-ey Ding-ey
Full Speed Ahead
A quandry