To Senator Hutchison

Sen. Hutchison, you were quoted as saying the following with regard to Vice President Cheney's statement that he is not part of the Executive branch: "I don't think that the vice president, with all due respect to everyone, is saying that the law doesn't apply to him or that he's above the law," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "I think there are some legal interpretations. We have to look at those."
Now, you swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the USA, as I did when I was in the military. When was the last time you re-read the Constitution?

The Vice President's office is indeed part of the executive branch. There is no quibbling, and no interpretation required. I suggest you correct yourself madam. Some of us remember what we learned in government classes.

This media ignored event, as Vice President Cheney declares that he is not a member of the Executive Branch, is a constitutional crisis. If Cheney is not a member of the executive branch, then what is he? A sovereign nation or Emperor?

To refresh my memory on the subject I read many resources, but this one is most telling, and it is from the White House website.

According to the President's own website, the members of the executive branch include:

"Executive Branch

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/exec.html
The power of the executive branch is vested in the President, who also serves as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The President appoints the Cabinet and oversees the various agencies and departments of the federal government.

In order for a person to become President, he or she must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years of age, and have resided in the United States for at least 14 years. Once elected, the President serves a term of four years and may be re-elected only once.

To learn more about the Executive Branch please visit the President's Cabinet page on the White House web site.

President's Cabinet
source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/cabinet.html
The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. One of the principal purposes of the Cabinet (drawn from Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution) is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.

The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments-the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General. Under President George W. Bush, Cabinet-level rank also has been accorded to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Director, Office of Management and Budget; the Director, National Drug Control Policy; and the U.S. Trade Representative."

At what point do we plan to throw out our constitution, and allow Bush, Cheney, et al to take over our government? They swore to uphold and defend the constitution, but instead they shred it at every opportunity, to their benefit. This illegality must stop. Impeach!