Democracy places trust in the people.
Cheney doesn't. Neither do you.
Privacy is personal. One doesn't conduct policy for the public and then claim privacy, unless one believes one's power is personal. That's an imperial pov.
Democracy's power is derived from the people and belongs, ultimately, to the people. Only those who would keep power from the people keep secrets from us.
Smart is smart; sneaky is sneaky. Both attributes can exist in the same person, but they are independent attributes. I can live without the sneaky, thanks.