The Imperial Presidency: Dick Cheney's Quest for Power

George W. Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, has been instrumental in expanding the powers of the presidency since he joined the ticket in 2000. Cheney spearheaded an extraordinary expansion of presidential authority, often under the guise of countering terrorism. He used his influence to rewrite energy policy to favor the oil industry, abrogate treaties, and implement secret domestic spying programs.

Key Takeaways:

• Cheney gathered industry leaders at secret meetings to rewrite energy policy, favoring oil executives with whom he had financial ties.
• The Cheney-led task force on energy policy was not an exercise in diverse views, but rather a vehicle for advancing the interests of the oil industry.
• After 9/11, Cheney pushed for an attack on Iraq, using intelligence agencies to create evidence of a non-existent link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.
• Cheney was central to drafting legal briefs justifying torture and indefinite detention, and advocated for a secret program allowing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on American citizens without warrants.
• Congress forced Bush to support the McCain amendment, which aimed to reinstate the rule of law at American military prisons.
• A federal appeals court rejected the administration's attempt to transfer Jose Padilla from military custody to avoid Supreme Court review.
• The Washington Post reported that a court-supervising the secret eavesdropping program was skeptical of the administration's claim that the program was legal.

Statistics:

• The energy task force was composed of 40 energy industry executives and consultants, with no representation from environmental or consumer groups (Source: The Guardian).
• The National Security Agency's domestic spying program was authorized by George W. Bush in 2001, without Congressional approval (Source: The New York Times).
• The Patriot Act was extended by Congress for five weeks, rather than being made permanent (Source: Reuters).
• The appeals court ruled that Shafiq Rasul, a British citizen, cannot be held as an "unlawful enemy combatant" (Source: The Guardian).
• The Supreme Court is considering a case that could determine the constitutionality of the Bush administration's detention powers (Source: BBC News).

Sources:

• The Guardian: Energy task force composed of 40 industry executives and consultants
• The New York Times: Authorization of National Security Agency's domestic spying program
• Reuters: Extension of Patriot Act
• The Guardian: Ruling on Shafiq Rasul case
• BBC News: Supreme Court review of detention powers