The Supreme Court has ruled that a lower court overstepped its bounds by ordering the release of secret details of Dick Cheney’s energy task force: Court Won’t Order Cheney Papers Released.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration won’t have to reveal secret details of Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force before the election, after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a lower court should spend more time sorting out the White House’s privacy claim.

In a 7-2 decision, justices said the lower court should consider whether a federal open government law could be used to get task force documents. Even if that court rules against the administration, appeals would tie up the case well past November.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the federal district court judge who ordered records opened to the public had issued too broad a release of documents, without giving appropriate deference to the White House.

The president is not above the law, Kennedy wrote, but there is a “paramount necessity of protecting the executive branch from vexatious litigation that might distract it from the energetic performance of its constitutional duties.”

And just in case you missed the point of their first photo editorial, Agence France Presse has unearthed another picture of Dick Cheney from their archives. Hmm. I get the feeling there’s a subtle subliminal message hidden in their choice of these photos. What could it be?

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