Shrouded in secrecy. But what about Cheney Energy Task Force issue?

From the latest AP article:

A newly disclosed effort to keep Vice President Dick Cheney's visitor records secret is the latest White House push to make sure the public does not learn who has been meeting with top officials in the Bush administration.

This is deja vu all again for the Administration and for the Dickster. Remember Cheney Energy Task force (click to enlarge the document above)?

The National Energy Policy Development Group was a group, created by Executive Order on January 29, 2001, that was chaired by Cheney. The group, commonly referred to as the "Cheney Energy Task Force," produced a National Energy Policy report in May 2001

In a cover note to Bush, Cheney wrote that "we have developed a national energy policy designed to help bring together business, government, local communities and citizens to promote dependable, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the future."

The composition of the task force, according to the report, was confined to government officials.
according to media reports at the time, energy industry executives participated in the Task Force. In particular, those identified as having been involved included then-Enron President and Chairman Kenneth Lay and lobbyists Haley Barbour and Marc Racicot.

In July 2001, Judicial Watch filed suit on the grounds that the administration was not "in compliance with the Federal Advisory Commission Act (FACA), which mandates that certain documents, task force members, meetings, and decision-making activities be open to the public."

Judicial Watch argued that the acting as energy lobbyists -- "regularly attended and fully participated" in the group's meetings held behind closed doors, and were in fact members of the group.

The Department of Justice has four times appealed federal court rulings that the Cheney release task force records. That case, in which Cheney claims his office has executive privilege, is now pending before the United States Supreme Court.