Cheney's shadow government

Digby: (Update: quoting David Kurtz of Talking Points Memo)

I had always known that Cheney was running the show, but I assumed he did it purely by using the power of the executive branch and manipulation of the presdient. I had no idea that he might have secretly carved out a previously unenumerated institution that derives its power from both the legislative and executive branches. What in the hell has really been going on in this administration?

Larry Wilkerson called it a "cabal" around Dick Cheney. But it seems to have been more than that. They created a shadow government and developed a constitutional theory to support it.

The undemocratic streak in the Republican Party continues apace. Each time they get power, they seek ways to weaken the nation's understanding of what is acceptable in our democracy and what our constitution provides. (And keep in mind that it is entirely self-serving --- they will turn all of that around without a moment's thought when it suits them to challenge the opposition.)

Add this along with this post :

Take a look at this interview with Jeremy Skahill about Blackwater mercenaries, the ties to Cheney, and the Christian right. Then tell me you aren't afraid they will turn this group against us.

Update: Mimikatz of the Next Hurrah notices too:

So not only have Cheney and his staff expanded the powers of the presidency under the theory of the "unitary executive," they have arrogated many of these powers to themselves under the guise of the "unique office" Dick holds. From his early order to shoot down the fourth of the 9/11 planes, Cheney has been directing foreign, national security and energy policy and, probably, much else as well in secret, while Bush attends ceremonial functions and prances about as "the decider" amid wall-to-wall press coverage.

But the new Democratic Congress, the folks who evicted Cheney from his prime office space in the Capitol Building, now have the ability to investigate the office of the VP and expose some of its doings. Even more important, they have the power to bring articles of impeachment based on the results of those investigations and/or the results of the Scooter Libby trial, so ably chronicled by our own Emptywheel in posts too numerous to mention. (Just loook to the right.) It is past time to tackle this job. It must be done before Bush/Cheney have a chance to take us to war with Iran based on some cross-border incident or shoot-down of one of our meandering planes.

Let your representatives know you want to see this done as soon as possible. Perhaps as part of the budget process. How does the VP account for his staff? Who actually works there, and what do they do? That is certainly a place to start, but the real issues go much, much deeper, to the heart of our democratic government and to the people's right to know what is being done in our name and on our dime..