All day long, CNN has been highlighting the funny videos submitted for its YouTube debate with the Republican candidates by showing this submitted question. It shows a rifle-toting Dick Cheney cartoon asking about the extent of the next VP’s powers.

The cartoon is actually from the Houston Chronicle’s editorial cartoonist Nick Anderson. And it’s funny because it’s true.

While it cannot be denied that Cheney’s expansive powers have been fully enabled by President Bush, it’s also true that Cheney has more or less on his own asserted executive privilege and also claimed that his office was free of oversight and checks and balances because it was not part of the executive branch.

It’s important that the Cheney Vice Presidency be rendered an historical anomaly, and not the executive branch equivalent of extraordinary rendition in which the dirty work of a supreme presidency is outsourced to an unaccountable extra-governmental agent.

That point and other should be brought up during this and future debates, and not just during the funny outtake reel.

Vice President | 1 Comment »

The race for the White House in 2008 received plenty of ink and pixels as of late. Here’s a quick rundown of the past few days’ news.

Christian Conservative Crisis: “A group of influential Christian conservatives and their allies emerged from a private meeting at a Florida resort this month dissatisfied with the Republican presidential field and uncertain where to turn.” [New York Times, 2/25/07]

Huge Suck-Up: “‘I’m probably going to get in trouble, but what’s wrong with sucking up to everybody?’ — John McCain, as quoted by Maureen Dowd, after being asked at a lucheon in Seattle why he was cozing up to the religious right.” [TPM Cafe | Election Central, 2/24/07]

Romney Misstates Bush on Abortion: “Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said this week that President Bush ‘was pro-choice before he became pro-life,’ an assertion the Romney campaign now acknowledges was inaccurate. The remark was based on a magazine article Romney had read, his campaign said.” [The Politico, 2/24/07]

Romney Family Polygamist History: “While Mitt Romney condemns polygamy and its prior practice by his Mormon church, the Republican presidential candidate’s great-grandfather had five wives and at least one of his great-great grandfathers had 12.” [Associated Press, 2/24/07]

(more…)

Vice President, Ron Paul, Candidates, Mike Huckabee, Tommy Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney | 3 Comments »

Political Wire:

“While the national spotlight focuses on the handful of Senators actively considering presidential bids in 2008, another high-powered job may be attracting an even greater share of Senators’ interest — the vice presidency,” writes Roll Call.

“Talk of the No. 2 White House slot may be on the public’s back burner, but Senators and political operatives alike concede that the vice presidential nomination is prominent on many Members’ minds. And as the Senate increasingly becomes a launching pad for executive branch campaigns, more and more Senators inevitably view themselves as viable running mates to their party’s ultimate presidential nominees.”

“Democrats and Republicans alike predicted that the 2008 presidential nominees are more likely than ever to pluck their running mates from the Senate. Not only are there at least seven would-be presidents to choose from, Senators also have a unique understanding of U.S. foreign policy at a time when the Iraq War continues to be the top electoral issue.”

Vice President | No Comments »

It looks like Joe Lieberman is making a case to be the Republican vice presidential nominee as part of a Unity 08 ticket.

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Joe Lieberman

Vice President | No Comments »