Cheney’s basic fundamental principle

The basic fundamental disingenuousness of politicians should come as no surprise to anyone in the United States old enough to tie his shoes. President Bush the Younger’s administration flatly refuses to release the records of Vice-President Dick Cheney’s energy task force meetings to the General Accounting Office (GAO). Everyone and their brother suspects some sort of linkage between President Bush and Enron. The more adamantly the White House refuses to release the records, the more the suspicions grow.

The Bush administration insists that it’s the “basic fundamental principle,” as Vice President Cheney calls it, of the idea that is the source of its refusal, not any imaginary linkage to the Enron debacle. The White House, so the argument goes, wouldn’t get good advice should the advice be made public.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, this “basic fundamental principle” is disingenuous at best. The GAO has asked the Bush administration to reveal the identities of the advisors who met with Vice President Cheney during the process of formulating the nation’s energy plan last year. The GAO has not asked for any information about the content of those energy task force meetings, only a list of advisors.

David Corn, The Nation’s Washington editor, in an AlterNet article, asks the important question:

“Why assume that somebody who obtains an audience with the President to discuss a policy matter would be unwilling to supply ‘good, sound advice’ if the public is notified of the session? Put another way, why would Bush or Cheney have to meet secretly with someone — say, a corporate lobbyist — in order to receive that person’s frank and honest opinions?”

Corn opines that the real reason behind the refusal to disclose the list of policy advisors is the Bush administration’s attempt to maximize its ability to do whatever it wants while simultaneously minimizing interference — or even observation — by anyone outside of its inner circle.

To substantiate his claim, Corn offers a series of questionable activities by the Bush administration:

1. The Bush administration set up the so-called “shadow government” — a sequestering of high-level bureaucrats in hidden bunkers — without fully informing Congress.
2. President Bush sent troops to Yemen, Georgia, and the Philippines — under the banner of the war on terrorism — without informing Congress.
3. President Bush issued an executive order limiting the release of records of previous administrations.
4. Homeland security director Tom Ridge refused to discuss the anti-terrorism budget with Congress.
5. Attorney General John Ashcroft encouraged federal agencies to deny Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

To wrap up the package, Corn reminds us that during the 1987 Iran-Contra scandal, the Miami Herald reported that Oliver North helped draw up a plan that would have suspended the Constitution and imposed martial law in the event of a nuclear war. When members of Congress asked North about this during the Iran-Contra hearings, the committee chairman cut off the question.

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Cheney’s basic fundamental principle was originally published by ARTS & FARCES internet on Tuesday, 12 March 2002 at 6:36 AM CDT. Copyright © ARTS & FARCES LLC. All rights reserved. | ISSN: 1535-8119 | OCLC: 48219498 | Digital fingerprint: 974a89ee1284e6e92dd256bbfbef3751 (64.237.45.114)