Between a pillow and a soft place

Re “Cheney’s executive decision,” June 22

Thanks to The Times for the article on another man in the White House who has completely lost his senses -- Vice President Dick Cheney. And thank goodness for Rep Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), one of the very few in Congress doggedly going after this megalomaniac.

No one could make up a scenario like this: The vice president claiming both executive privilege and non-executive privilege to wreak havoc on this country’s Constitution, its governing bodies and its inhabitants. Where are the voices calling loud and clear for Cheney’s impeachment, or arrest, or whatever will stop this lunatic in his tracks?

SUSAN ISAACS

West Hollywood

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Normally the office of vice president would be part of the executive branch, but Cheney has clearly made his department, through things like the billions of dollars in no-bid contracts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Halliburton. Like a Las Vegas magic act, the Bush administration has made our democracy disappear while we were looking right at it.

JOEL PRESSMAN

Los Angeles

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The Bush-Cheney problem forces Americans to realize the inadequacy of our Constitution in ridding ourselves of this unwholesome duo. There is not a majority in Congress to support impeachment of either man, and there is a shortage of time left to their term of office for that lengthy process. Also, Americans would not want to endure that distasteful process again so soon after the Clinton debacle.

So Bush and Cheney can continue with their “executive decisions” and refuse scrutiny of their actions and papers whenever they choose. Utilizing their unique situation, they are between a pillow and a soft place and, for the time being, can ignore the law of the land. But all good things come to an end, and so do nightmares.

JACQUELINE KERR

Glendale

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In refusing to grant access for a mandatory on-site inspection of his office to ensure that proper security safeguards of classified national security information are in place, Cheney is claiming that his office is technically neither part of the executive branch nor the legislative branch. If that’s true, who needs him?

MATT GIORGI

Brea