The New York Times recently reported that director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, told the Senate and House that Dick Cheney ordered the agency to withhold information about a “secret counterterrorism program.”

The legality of Cheney’s move is questionable, since the National Security Act of 1947 requires the disclosure of such programs to the House and Senate intelligence committees. However, according to the Times, there’s leeway written into the law that allows for “protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information.”

There’s been a surprising lack of uproar over this disclosure.

Whether this has to do with a lack of surprise that the most powerful vice president in U.S. history managed to wriggle his way out of yet another law, or a general lack of caring about administrations past is unclear.

What is clear is the extent to which Cheney and the Bush administration were willing to go in order to get what they wanted.

It is just one in a long line of decisions, now made public, that show a complete lack of respect for both the American people and for the legislative and judicial branches of the government.

Even more disheartening is the threat by President Obama to veto changes to an intelligence authorization bill if changes would require more transparency between the executive and legislative branches.

Obama, whose recent foray into the executive orders used by the Bush administration to “get things done” when the law wasn’t fast enough, appears to be following in the footsteps of the “do it first, ask questions later” style of big government that makes a habit of withholding information.

Unfortunately, it looks as though the era of “too-powerful government” hasn’t ended, despite the rhetoric. We just hope people start paying attention to these antics before it’s too late.