Leahy on Cheney: No One Is Above the Law
Vermont Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer Sunday that nobody in America, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, is "above the law."
Leahy was responding to a report in the New York Times that Cheney ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to withhold information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress.
"If, as the New York Times says, we have the vice president of the United States telling people to break the law, now that's a pretty serious matter," Leahy said on CBS' "Face The Nation." "Either he did, or he didn't. If he did, that's something we ought to know."
He said finding out what happened is important because "usually if something is done wrong by one [administration] and it's exposed, the next one tends to behave themselves."
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, meanwhile, noted that the Times' report was tied to anonymous sources.
"Sometimes leaked stories from unnamed sources don't turn out to be quite what they appear to be," he said. "Maybe they don't know the full facts and so forth on these matters."
Asked if Cheney's possible role in concealing a secret program should be looked into, Sessions said, "I'm sure it will be.
"I don't know what the facts are, but I believe that Vice President Cheney served his country with as much fidelity as he could possibly give to it, and he tried to serve us in an effective way," Sessions said.
"I hope nothing like this will impact on his outstanding record."
"It's either true or it's not true," responded Leahy. "I'd like to know if it's true or not. I mean, nobody in this country is above the law."
Leahy invoked the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and lamented the fact that those punished were lower-level figures as opposed to those who "condoned" or perhaps ordered policies that led to the abuse of prisoners.
"There was no evidence that the higher-ups participated in any way," Sessions replied, adding that one Abu Ghraib defendant said "there would have been hell to pay" had they known what was happening.
"It was an unusual event and the military did the right thing in prosecuting the people who were responsible," he said.
More from Face The Nation (7.12.09):
Sessions: Investigation of Torture Is Unnecessary
Sessions "Flabbergasted" by Sotomayor's Philosophy
Schieffer: A Little Context
Download the Complete Transcript (pdf)
To watch Senators Leahy and Sessions debate Sotomayor, Cheney and investigations, click on the video player below.
Click on the video player below to watch a roundtable discussion, featuring Kevin Merida of the Washington Post and syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, about a possible investigation into the Bush administration's use of torture tactics and its concealment of a CIA program from Congressional overseers.
Leahy was responding to a report in the New York Times that Cheney ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to withhold information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress.
(CBS)
He said finding out what happened is important because "usually if something is done wrong by one [administration] and it's exposed, the next one tends to behave themselves."
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, meanwhile, noted that the Times' report was tied to anonymous sources.
"Sometimes leaked stories from unnamed sources don't turn out to be quite what they appear to be," he said. "Maybe they don't know the full facts and so forth on these matters."
Asked if Cheney's possible role in concealing a secret program should be looked into, Sessions said, "I'm sure it will be.
"I don't know what the facts are, but I believe that Vice President Cheney served his country with as much fidelity as he could possibly give to it, and he tried to serve us in an effective way," Sessions said.
"I hope nothing like this will impact on his outstanding record."
"It's either true or it's not true," responded Leahy. "I'd like to know if it's true or not. I mean, nobody in this country is above the law."
Leahy invoked the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and lamented the fact that those punished were lower-level figures as opposed to those who "condoned" or perhaps ordered policies that led to the abuse of prisoners.
"There was no evidence that the higher-ups participated in any way," Sessions replied, adding that one Abu Ghraib defendant said "there would have been hell to pay" had they known what was happening.
"It was an unusual event and the military did the right thing in prosecuting the people who were responsible," he said.
More from Face The Nation (7.12.09):
To watch Senators Leahy and Sessions debate Sotomayor, Cheney and investigations, click on the video player below.
Click on the video player below to watch a roundtable discussion, featuring Kevin Merida of the Washington Post and syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, about a possible investigation into the Bush administration's use of torture tactics and its concealment of a CIA program from Congressional overseers.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 38 CommentsThis story has changed it's complexion more than once, considering that it deals with a classified program I would guess that we will never be privy to all of the details and eventually both sides will claim vindication and/or justice.
So enough already. Focus on how to avoid the destruction of our society by the Obama regime.
They haven't! And, they won't! But, they know they better say they're going to or the public might wake up and figure out, they're 'being had'!
And, then the 'gravy train' for them might end! And, THAT is REALLY what
they ARE concerned about!!!
Interesting that Leahy would word his statement this way.
It implies that Cheney thinks he is above the law. I don't remember him EVER saying that, Senator. But, you see this is how the liberals think.
That immediately starts people like BitterTruth, iam4honesty, cs4466, Illuminated1, fred-mertz, and their ilk into a sputtering, lie-spewing tizzy. All these folks know is he's a Republican, so therefore they must hate.
They don't listen to people before making their judgments - they just start vomiting up their hate filled comments at his name.
Leahy - have yo quit beating yor wife yet ?
Cheney is above the law, exactly like royal families in Gulf (Oil) states. He is absolutely untouchable. Otherwise how could he escape all these war crimes committed on his command.
Senator Byrd or West Virgina was a Grand Cyclops of the KKK before coming to the Senate. So get off your bogus name calling, you've got a REAL KKK member in the Democratic Party.
South-of-Heaven ... I bet you support Obama's appointment of Racist, anti-constitution Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. You just seem like the type.......
ill bet you support torture you tired old geezer...
Cheney is like the banks: So accustomed to the arrogant use of power, they believe that they are a law unto themselves.
Isn't that the Reagan Iran/Contra defense borrowed from the post WWII war crimes trials? The defense seems to be that they were only doing their jobs or that they knew nothing about it. When are people in power going to be held accountable for their decisions and actions?
Cheney is a simply a corporate fascist with dillusions that he is above the law.
Cheney is a simply a corporate fascist with dillusions that he is above the law. - illuminate ?!?
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA - need I say more about this dillusional liberal.
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See all 38 Comments