Cheney, man of mystery

Monday, Sept. 15, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

Vice President Dick Cheney is one of the most secretive men to ever hold power in Washington. No one really knows what role he has played in the Bush administration, but it is widely believed that he has been perhaps the most influential vice president in American history.

Now there is growing suspicion among historians and watchdog groups that Cheney is planning to remain an enigma forever by withholding his vice presidential papers from the National Archives, where federal records are stored for eventual review by the public.

This would not have been allowed under the Presidential Records Act of 1978, except for the fact that in 2001 President Bush issued an executive order amending the law — and creating a loophole.

Bush’s order says the law “applies to the executive records of the vice president.” Those not versed in the wiles of secretive public officials would likely assume the words clarify the law’s inclusiveness. Not necessarily so. Cheney, as reported by The Washington Post, has frequently argued that his office is not part of the executive branch but rather is “attached” to the legislative branch. The Constitution confers upon the vice president the role of president of the Senate.

Fearing that Cheney will say his papers cannot be classified as “executive” because of his attachment to the Senate, a watchdog group and several historians and archivists have filed a federal lawsuit. They want a ruling that states unequivocally that the vice president’s papers are covered under the 1978 law.

The Senate Historical Office contains an article on its Web site that says, “During the 20th century, the role of the vice president has evolved into more of an executive branch position. Now, the vice president is usually seen as an integral part of a president’s administration.”

We believe it can be safely said that Cheney has “always” been seen as an integral part of the Bush administration. His argument about being attached to the Senate should not be accepted as a reason for keeping his papers in the dark.