The Fourth Branch

I guess that's the unofficial name of our new fourth branch of government, Cheney's Office. He obviously doesn't want anyone to know anything about what he's up to. You may remember the incident in Denver in which Secret Service agents arrested an Iraq war opponent who confronted Cheney at a mall. The charges were thrown out, largely due to conflicting testimony from two of Cheney's people. Now Cheney doesn't want the tapes of their depositions released because, according to this Denver Post story,

the videotapes could be used to invade the privacy and embarrass two aides called to testify about the encounter in a civil lawsuit.

The motion for a protective order expressed particular concern that both aides' faces could wind up on YouTube.com.

"As courts have recognized, using digital technology, a video recording can easily be 'cut and spliced,' so as to embarrass and even humiliate a witness," Cheney's lawyers wrote in a U.S. District Court filing.

"That much can readily be seen from a visit to YouTube. . . . A simple query using the search term 'deposition' yields over 400 video clips, in which many of the deponents are made to look boorish, mendacious, or unintelligent."

How thoughtful of him. How about the plaintiff's right for redress when his constitutionally guaranteed rights are violated?

It seems to me that, since these two witnesses were not private citizens at the time, this is total BS. They have severely limited rights to privacy as holders of public office, and their testimony is public record. Capiche?

Thanks to AmericaBlog.