Office of the Vice President fun

So, I've been watching this unfold for the past couple of days... an Executive Order exists that states that all entities within the Executive Branch of government must submit to inspections covering what classified material they're keeping, and how they're safeguarding that information. Generally speaking, sounds like a good idea, right?

Well, Mr. Cheney has decided that, since the Vice President also acts as President of the Senate, his office isn't part of the Executive Branch. Now, as my recollection of governmental life goes, belonging to more than one group doesn't mean that you get to ignore the rules of either... rather, you have to do your best to meet the strictures of both, incompatible and sometimes contradictory though they may be. Since the entities involved are all Executive Branch-controlled, however, I couldn't see what anybody could or would do about it.

Until now... this is a thing of beauty, or as close as ever happens in a bureaucratic government like ours. Since the argument being pressed is that the office of the Vice President isn't part of the Executive Branch, it has no business being funded as part of the Executive Branch... and moves are underway to cut that funding. Story's here, for any as care to look... I can only hope some change actually comes from this, one way or the other.