Cheney's farewell.

According to a report moments ago – "Vice President Dick Cheney will be in a wheelchair during Tuesday's Presidential Inauguration, after pulling a muscle in his back while moving, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said" (CNN)

I cannot envision his recreating a more appropriate iconic image wholly representative of his character, demeanor and role these last eight years. Can you?

A Response

A friend today sent around an email, apparently in support of the Iraq Invasion by George W. Bush, referring to an "Associated Press article this summer [that] revealed that our troops found 550 metric tons of yellowcake a few miles south of Baghdad in 2003 and kept it secret until recently. See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25546334/ " I replied as follows:

Interesting but fundamentally irrelevant when considering the manner in which the Bush/Cheney Administration cherry-picked and fabricated intelligence, failed to follow fundamental intelligence procedures of verification (For example: "Curveball") and, when necessary to support its preordained intention to invade Iraq, lied to the American people. The more egregious of these, in my opinion, were the statements, primarily by Cheney, asserting existence of unquestionable evidence of a direct and nefarious connection between Saddam and al Qaeda.

This "yellow cake" referred to in the article was stock existing in Iraq prior to 1991. The Bush Administration's repeated dire warnings were of then "current and continuing efforts" by Saddam to obtain uranium. Independent expert conclusions following the invasion and based upon evidence within Iraq (documents, interrogations and interviews) seem to be in agreement that Saddam had stopped efforts to build a WMD program in at least 1991.

We must beat the forces opposing us in Iraq and Afghanistan and, in a joint effort with nation-building assets from within our own government and from NATO countries, assist in establishing an allied front with the resulting governments against terrorism. When this is completed it will be almost solely the achievement of the United States military command and the military and intelligence forces on the ground. The decision to invade Iraq by Bush was the stupidest decision of any president in my lifetime. The fact that the proffered rationale for the necessity of invasion was false is wholly reprehensible and worthy of continuing condemnation whatever the outcome of the wars. But, that's just my humble opinion.

In the News 3/4/08 and Beyond

"Venezuela and Ecuador sent troops to the Colombian border on Sunday in response to Colombia’s military raid on a rebel encampment in the jungle about a mile inside Ecuador. Colombian forces killed 21 guerrillas belonging to ... FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group." In an announcement from the White House, President Bush announces his support for Columbia.
So the scenario develops:
1. Venezuela sends a substantial armed force into Columbia "to secure its own borders."
2. U.S. advisors currently in Columbia caught up in the fight.
3. Venezuela cuts off oil to U.S.
4. U.S. sends aircraft in support of U.S. advisors and Columbian forces. President Bush declares NAFTA Treaty authorizes use of force
5. U.S. states threat to Panama Canal requires significant increase in U.S. ground forces in South America. Shortage of available troops necessitates President Bush federalizing all ROTC (college and high school) and graduating all military academy cadets. Civil Air patrol is also federalized and provided with F-100 Super Sabre jets being recovered and reassembled in various locations throughout South Korea. All training and command responsibilities given to Blackwater in multibillion dollar contract.
6. All illegal entries into U.S. from Mexico cease as Halibuton begins massive hiring for no-bid contracts for U.S. troop support facilities to be built along the Amazon River in Brazil. Congress begins inquiry asking "Brazil?" A Haliburton subsidiary admits an undocumented agreement to use the removed lumber in construction of Bush's Presidential Library and Cheney's Great Pyramid.
7. Bush orders surprise flanking attack by US forces on Venezuela from Brazil along the Amazon citing already existing facilities built by Haliburton.
8. In a press conference, President Bush says that the C.I.A. had failed to inform him of the existence of heavy jungle along the Amazon but says forces will surge on with an expected arrival at the Venezuelan border within the year. The President declines further comment citing the need for secrecy to insure surprise.
9. In a move said to be necessary to protect U.S. civilian population, the president orders the internment of all Legal Aid attorneys of Hispanic ancestry. "Sesame Street" writers arrested in alleged plot to promote terrorist activities using Spanish alphabet codes.
10. U.S. Congress abdicates. Bush declaration of his Dynasty by Divine Right supported by Republican right wing, Fox News, Mike Huckabee and United Fruit Board of Directors.
11. In a move said by Viceroy Cheney necessary to protect rear echelons of U.S. forces fighting in Columbia, the U.S. invades Canada. The Japanese surrender documents signed following World War II are cited as authority for the invasion. Haliburton begins construction in Canada of eight NFL stadiums for troop moral.
12. All hostilities end abruptly as China calls in all U.S. debt.

Too Much Mr. Cheney

It has been my preference to use this blog for publishing essays presenting my personal views on somewhat random topics. Clearly, major events in our world have prompted my thought and writing. So far I have taken time to compose the essays. I have refrained from a continuing commentary here although expressing my views in almost daily emails to select friends. However, I now need a more therapeutic release; "they" are creating too much, too fast. I do not expect to spend any real time composing and editing. I am writing for my own edification and relief. I expect to react from my unconscious, immediate sense - my "gut," the "Blink" or "thin-slicing" described by Gladwell in his book.

The proverbial straw: The Vice President as a "Fourth Branch" of our government. Mr. Cheney apparently is claiming now an exemption from an Executive Order of the President directed to the Executive Branch. See:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/21/AR2007062102309.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/21/AR2007062101663.html

I'll reserve placing this Cheney action into a broader context of his accomplishments for a later date. Suffice, in this now-revised blog, to say that his position is arrogant and wrong. I understand that the Office of the Vice President does straddle the Executive and Legislative Branches. The Vice President holds the Constitutional position of President of the Senate. However, this title remains what the drafters intended: a "tie-breaking" position of no further responsibility. I accept that early in our Nations development the exact nature of the office of Vice President was unsettled. I believe that throughout our history Presidents have assigned varying responsibilities to the occupants of the position. The evolution of the responsibilities of the Office have unquestionably resulted now and in recent history in the Vice President's de-facto position within the Executive Branch of our government. At various times, Vice Presidents who rose from the Legislative Branch have tried to retain elements of control and influence in Congress. Invariably those were rebuffed by the legislators

Vice President Cheney, by statute, is a Member of the President's National Security Council. Even a cursory glance at the composition and responsibilities of this body place it beyond cavil in the Executive Branch. The same must be said about the Vice President's position as a member of the President's Cabinet. Although I have not been privileged to personally view the level of Mr. Cheney's involvement, I have a strong suspicion that it has been substantial. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/cheney/ Mr. Cheney has in the recent past invoked in public forums, in response to Congress and in the Federal Courts, the privileges of the Executive Branch when it has suited his purposes. Throw in his office address and place of honor on the White House web site and the unbridled arrogance of this man is manifest.

This is not a man asserting a reasonable interpretation of ambiguous law. His prior actions belie that view.