The constitution protects and allows a President to seek confidential advice - it’s referred to as Executive Privilege. The theory being that if all conversations the President had were public domain, it may hamper the President from getting candid advice from industry experts.
I think we can all agree that is proper and appropriate for the President to have that right. So why is everyone angry over Dick Cheney’s Energy Task Force?
The contention is that the Energy Task Force was comprised solely of energy corporation executives, and they could have been trying to create a policy that was self-serving. Even if they weren’t, the appearance does not lead one to think that a big oil Vice President and energy executives would have created a policy with tough environmental standards and fair pricing for the American people. Ken Lay from Enron was on the task force, and we all know how honest he is. The report even reads like it was nothing more than a big corporate lap dance.
So when the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch asked for a copy of meeting attendance records and meeting minutes, Dick Cheney said no and invoked Executive Privilege and generally seems to be acting like he doesn’t understand what all the hubbub is about.
I can sum it up in one sentence. The commission, full of energy executives, could have led to an energy policy that was not in the general public interest. And if you don’t understand that simple issue, you should not be Vice President, Mr. Cheney.