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"Instead of trying to negotiate a compromise with Congress that would meet both our intelligence and privacy concerns, it is easier to threaten with fear."
Because it worked. When things really had to move, Cheney et al. would:
1. round up the usual congressional suspects (the 'gang of X');
2. get them into a small room;
3. scare the shit out of them with dire information;
4. schedule the signing ceremony for the resulting bill.
I can think of two occasions where this was done--FISA wiretapping, and the 700 billion bailout bill. Maybe torture as well.
Works like a charm.
Ironically, the Congressional leaders went along with Bush's tactic with fairly minimal back-talk. But now that the Democrats have one of their own in the WH, they feel free to bicker.
