DOJ: We Can't Release Cheney Records Because Of Late Night Comedy

Sarabeth at 1115.org has a piece up today explaining that the Obama administration's efforts to keep the goings-on of the Bush-Cheney White House away from scrutinizing eyes now extends to denying a federal judge notes from the FBI's interview with ex-Vice President Dick Cheney during the CIA leak investigation. But this pull from the original AP story, which captures the reasoning of Justice Department for attempting to deny the request, is simply mind-blowing:

Justice Department lawyers told the judge that future presidents and vice presidents may not cooperate with criminal investigations if they know what they say could become available to their political opponents and late-night comics who would ridicule them.

"If we become a fact-finder for political enemies, they aren't going to cooperate," Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Smith said during a 90-minute hearing. "I don't want a future vice president to say, 'I'm not going to cooperate with you because I don't want to be fodder for 'The Daily Show.'"

I hardly think that citing the need to shield public figures from satire as a justification for denying this request has got the public's interests properly balanced. But I also have a question for the DOJ: Uhm...have you met our last two vice presidents? Joe "OMGZ EVACUATE THE TRAINZ IT'S THE PIG FLU!" Biden and Dick "I thirst for a consomme of infant tears" Cheney? By comparison, I think future vice-presidents have a better than even shot at avoiding comic ridicule without the intervention of federal courts.

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Comments

[KriTiKiT]

Why is Cheney so mad, he made up outlandish stuff, and killed people over it... he set up a Clockwork Orange and now he can't take the heat. I think a Kubrick style satire should make about the number 2.

He should just be happy, it's just John Stewart, and not Kurt Vonnegut.

[ie]

lol!

[who38]

Good point.

[Sandmanj]

Stories like this one make me wonder if Obama isn't just a Bush/Cheney enabler.

[AndyWright68]

Obama, Bush, Cheney, Clinton = The same secret government. When are Americans going to wake up? These are all wealthy buddies who take care of each other. There is no difference between Republicans and Democrats. The only true opposition in this country is them against us. You think this government cares about you? Unless you are wealthy and give them money they don't give a sht about you. I wish people would stop supporting these two corrupt parties. We the people need to take back this country and restore our Constitution.

[who38]

The US is run by oligarchs, many of whom live in Europe. Obama, Bush, Cheney, Clinton, etal. are just the actors.

[FrozenNorthObserver]

I stopped wondering many months ago

[OLMEQ]

Just put their asses i jail and execute them within 30 days...

[SimonLeigh]

"Justice Department lawyers told the judge that future presidents and vice presidents may not cooperate with criminal investigations "? What will they do instead? Arrest the Justice Dept lawyers? Perhaps it's time the Justice Department got involved in justice.

[Texas Aggie]

Given how ludicrous this defense is, I wonder if the DOJ isn't trying to undermine its own position. I mean, really!! Dorks like Cheney provide their own material. They don't need secrecy to protect them.

[theemailman]

I think we should look into WHO is Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Smith . During the cHENEY/bUSH bash a large number of political appointees were given federal employee status. Is this person one of them?? Why have I don't heard about who that person is and what his history is. As he is a federal employee his record could be looked in to. Not personal stuff but when how and when he became a regular. OR I may be wrong that Smith was just doing this to show how stupid the A G's case was. Quite a late nite show ! ! ! IN the day time !!!!

[who38]

What difference does it make? He works for Holden and Holden obviously approved the decision. As did Obama, no doubt.

[FrozenNorthObserver]

sounds like somebody wants a scapegoat, the blame and ridicule belong at the top where it belongs
" the O*B*A*M*A ADMINISTRATION"S' efforts to keep the goings-on of the Bu sh-Che ney Wh ite Ho use away from scrutinizing eyes

[JohnHKennedy]

One wonders What Obama Has To Fear

From Releasing Cheney's Records?

His actions are getting hard to accept.

This Is Not The Change We Labored For.

SIGN THE PETITION
To Prosecute Them For Torture

http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG

Over 250,000 have signed
Join them and call yourself a Patriot

Will Obama stand for Justice or just get in the way of it?
.

[oregonideas]

now you see the truth....we used to think it was all Obama's fault...not so, it actually Jon Stewart's fault

nice goin', Jon, I hope you're proud of yourself for destroying the American judicial system!!!!

[Sepulchre]

i really hope that is sarcasm.

[FrozenNorthObserver]

not to worry

[dezzertguy]

Wow, someone in the administration with a bit of maturity. I wish voters had not voted based on late night comedy.

[Exexecution]

Careful with that thing. Don't look down the end with hole.

[kitkatborn]

Laugh of the day. Thanks, I needed that.

[Sepulchre]

They didn't vote based on late night comedy, they voted for what they wanted. Not to mention the other candidate wasn't worthwhile.

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

...I have a hang-nail !

[Liberal2]

BREAKING NEWS: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declares Jon stewert an inhumane weapon of mass drollery. The United States is given 24 hours to disarm.

THIS MEANS WAR!

[lazercat2008]

There are no deterrents for the F-bomb.

[Jay818]

if all information becomes public, then the jury pool is tainted. If it remains confidential, then when and if brought to trial, there would be no reason to believe the pool was influenced by the media...A fair and unbiased representation of the facts should ensue.

I really hope that is the case. Cheney outed a cia operative that was undercover for political and financial gain.....He convinced the president to go to a war, not at all for the protection of our country, but to ensure the companies he has ties with were going to reap the finanical benefits of that war. Cheney is a criminal. He and Rove, as well as Rumsfeld (at the very least) should pay for their complete disregard for the well being of our young soldiers that would, at the drop of a dime, give their lives for us. A war should never be waged without a direct threat to our safety.

[Exexecution]

DoJ, and by extension the White House, are constantly in court claiming secrecy to block any investigation of it's predecessor virtually every day.
Justice won't even touch the Bud Siegleman case because they know it leads right to the White House. Same goes for any ongoing or newly-discovered crime or scandal that has even the most tenuous connection to the Bush White House which makes Rove, for example, bulletproof and free to bloviate on Fox.

This blatant ongoing program to methodically suppress every one of the former mal-administration's endless litany of serious crimes is simply pure politics.
Status quo: 25% actively loyal Bushies
Obama wants to keep it that way so 'nobody but bad apples gets charged and they have already been taken care of', it's all good, trust me, so let's look forward and not back. Best we don't go there.

2010 elections in the middle of a truth commission? They won't allow that to go forward before 2010 or even 2012.
After that, Oco will continue in their efforts to retain and expand on every bit of the executive power-grab accomplished by Bushco that Oco seems to be so eagerly embracing.

[marika]

The media is what is tainted. Look at the Washington Post. BERK! If the jury read that we would all be GUILTY! Not enough afraid, not war-mongering enough, not ready to bow down to power and money the way they do. Guilty, guilty, guilty.

The media hides everything already. They don't even have to be asked, they do it on their own, brave souls.

[Pema]

wheres the change?

[habajebe]

This just shows how far down the Wonderland rabbit hole we, as a nation, have gone. After eight years of GOP malfeasance, idiocies like this have become the norm rather than the exception.

[lobear00]

Hey" Mr. Holder and Mr. Obama" What gives'. Do people working in our government in washington still adhere to the United States Constitution, or was that also thrown out the door and no one in washington told the rest of us.