For those not watching HBO's series, Rome, it has some bearing on what we know now about Cheney's assault on the 3 branches of government, the constitution and everything that the constitutional republic of the United States of America holds dear. To recap, Cheney asserts that 1) the office of the Vice-President is a 4th branch of government, neither executive nor legislative, 2) the vice-President answers to no one, 3) the vice-President controls the Unitary executive and dismisses the legislative branches and 4) there is no recourse to the office of the vice-President.
Talk about Imperial Hubris!! And that's where Rome comes in, as you've already surmised. More on the flip.
It's in keeping with Bush's nature, which is narcissistic and weak, that he would submit to Cheney. Bush gets all the perks of office while shouldering none of the decision-making and "thinking" that the office requires.
Cheney is on record as stating that he does not believe a democracy is equipped to deal with the "threats" of the 21st Century. He sees democracy as too cacaphonous and fractured a vehicle to deal with the enemies that are abroad in the world. In its place he sees himself, the princeps of the new Rome. He dismisses Congress as a collection of gasbags. Viewing the lilly-livered and measured approaches of "non-binding resolutions", he is emboldened. Who will stop him from imposing his unaccountable will on America's foreign policy?
Surely not Congress! The Senate can't even pass a non-binding resolution which seeks to limit funding for new troops to Iraq. The House, which may in fact be more resolute (seeing as the majority dictates the course the House takes, unlike the Senate, in which the minority may throw up hurdle after hurdle to stymie the majority's will) is still not capable of getting anything past the Senate, no matter how strong its words may be.
So there you have it. A unitary and decidedly un-democratic Cheney doing what he wants because there is no one who will stop him. Which leads me back again to Rome.
In the series Octavian - the future Augustus Caesar - routs Marcus Antonius and returns to Rome with his legions. He persuades Cicero, leader of the Senate, to make him consul of Rome. Once consul, Octavian addresses the Senate and in his first speech declares Brutus and Cassius, assassins of Julius Caesar, Octavian's uncle, as enemies of the state. Cicero insinuates that this is not right and that it will not stand. Octavian's people ask Cicero what's to stop this edict from taking effect. Cicero states the Senate will stop it. Octavian's people remind Cicero of a certain fact: Octavian has an army.
Does the Senate?
Apocalyptic though this diary may be, who can deny that Cheney doesn't give a rat's ass about Congress. He's told Senator Leahy to go "fuck himself" and accrued unlimited power to himself through deft manipulation of law and custom as stated at the beginning of the diary. Cheney has no regard for the republic. He has no regard for the people's voice, as the proposed "surge" clearly shows. So I ask you:
Does Congress have any army? Or does it all belong to the executive? I anticipate that people will mention the fact of law that the National Guard belongs to the separate states - a fact which is the basis of a suit against the administration. My question is rhetorical and points to a disturbing reality - Cheney has all the weapons.
Would impeachment of Cheney actually be a workable deal?