jagdriver wrote: 

We've gone through previous instances where minimal oversight of intelligence agencies has led to abuses and illegal activity (such as illegal spying on US citizens).

CHURCH COMMITTEE


Hopefully, the excellent reporting done by Priest and Arkin will prompt Congress to reassert its oversight authority and duty; we could use another Church Committee to look into what is being done in our name and with our money by the agencies and contractors identified in the show.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Are you talking about a "hardened" building or space within a building that is resistant to attack?

 jagdriver wrote: 
I always just hoped I was paranoid.

 cc_rider wrote: 

Actually, "Top Secret America" did reveal that the chain of command ended at Cheney.  The new, bloated bureaucracy did in fact treat Cheney as POTUS.

 hippiechick wrote: 
One of 'em should have snatched it away and thrown it in a shredder.

I saw Cheney's heart today! He pulled it out and showed the ladies of The View, and then he pulled the battery out until it started beeping! What a joker he is!

 aflanigan wrote: 
Recommended, as is the book presently out by the same title.

At first my wife thought the author/reporter was simply outing all of the things we've done in the past ten years (waterboarding, etc.) to get to the bottom of Al Qaeda intel. What it's really about, however, is the ongoing redirection of billions in taxpayer dollars to build, build, build and staff, staff, staff a huge, decentralized, intel network (office buildings, etc.) across this country that is completely under the watchdogs' radar. Not even Congress has any idea how much money has been and is being diverted to fund this behemoth (that also spies on you and me). It's not even run by a government agency such as Homeland Security, but rather by well-known entities from the long-established industrial-military complex.

 aflanigan wrote: 
So Cheney creating a completely separate secret office that is hidden from the regular government and no one knew about is not a "shadow" government? Looked that way to me.

 steeler wrote:

 

Stossel is nothing if not subtle!

 

 hippiechick wrote: 
I think you are seriously misinformed.  Frontline hasn't done any show about any "shadow government" headed by Dick Cheney.

They did do a show called "Top Secret America", but it had nothing to do with any "shadow government" allegedly run by Cheney.  It was about the massive and secret new bureacracy that sprang up in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks that was meant to fight terrorist organizations and prevent future terrorist attacks.

 aflanigan wrote:

Which has a program it wishes to sell . . . the program titles say it all. 

 

 Monkeysdad wrote:
Really?  I find the Frontline producers and editors to be among the most scrupulous out there in striving to be objective and avoiding bias in the shows they do.  Probably the only show with less political bias is NOVA.

For comparison, have a look at one of John Stosell's 20/20 reports, Stupid in America, and compare it with Frontline's show on school reform and school choice, "The Battle over School Choice".

Stupid In America

The Battle Over School Choice

After watching them both, you should have a pretty clear idea of which show has an axe to grind and which attempts to provide a balanced view of the topic.

 Monkeysdad wrote: 
If you're referring to the focus on a single issue that's traditional to documentary film making, "bias" is not the correct word to use.

 hippiechick wrote: 
I don't know much about Matt, but his father Mike has a long and distinguished journalistic career.  As the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

That Luke Russert is sure doing his dad proud.

 hippiechick wrote: 
It wasn't a shadow government, it was a duplicate government.  The org chart that I read showed Cheney having a complete Cabinet, a complete Presidential staff...everything that Bush had and more.  All of this for a Vice President who under the Constitution has no need for any of this because he has no Presidential duties or powers.  Bush was just a puppet (albeit a willing one) for Cheney's government.


You're not alone in that opinion.  That's why Cheney will not be taking his book tour overseas.  There are plenty of "coalition partners" that would ship him off to The Hague in an instant.

 buzz wrote: 

fyt

 hippiechick wrote: 
No. Could you tell me about it? Who are they? What did they do? Did they all just quit their shadow government jobs when Obama was sworn in, or are they still there? I don't have the time to track down and watch Frontline, so I would really appreciate the Cliff Notes version. Thanks. 

When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout... or simply laugh and hope whatever it is just goes away.

 Beaker wrote: