Vice President Says He Has Authority to Declassify Items

Apparently, Mr. Cheney thinks that he can retroactively declassify something. In order words, what Lewis Libby did in leaking CIA agent Valerie Plame’s name to the press wasn’t illegal because he says that it wasn’t—even though it’s now years later. Why? Executive Privilege.

I just have to question if the Supreme Court would give this the absolute smackdown that it deserves. Part of me wants to trust that even the most hardline conservatives on the court would see this for the ridiculous asshattery that it is.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the Bush administration isn’t even trying to cover it up anymore? It’s almost like they know that people know that they’re doing things illegally and as a result they’re not even trying to pretend like they’re doing anything else. And yet nobody’s doing anything about it because we’re so damned apathetic. Even the staunchest Republican would clamor for Congressional hearings if his constituency demanded it and made it clear that there wouldn’t be a re-election in store this year. But since nobody’s bothering to actually be bothered by this, nothing’s being done.

And I guess that’s what saddens me the most.