Vice-King Cheney

Dear editor:

Vice President Cheney’s office has refused to comply with an executive order governing the handling of classified information for the past four years. Under the order, an "entity within the executive branch that comes into the possession of classified information" must report annually how much it is keeping secret. After complying with the order for the years 2001 and 2002, Cheney aides have not filed reports on their possession of classified data and at one point physically blocked an inspection of their office. After the Archives office pressed the matter, the documents say, Cheney's staff this year proposed eliminating that office. Elimination of the office has been rejected.

Mr. Cheney, in all of his secrecy, has forgotten that his election to the office of vice-president was done by a tag-on to the election of President Bush, which makes him a member of the executive branch of the government. His secondary job, as president of the Senate, does not make him a member of the legislative branch, which is his mistaken claim of making him exempt from the order.

The original order was signed by President Clinton in 1995 and reaffirmed by President Bush in 2003. Mr. Cheney continues to make a mockery of U.S. law with the blessing of Mr. Bush and Attorney-General Gonzales.