"I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend, It's a day I'll never forget," said Dick Cheney -- "the administration's hate magnet for five years now," in Peggy Noonan's words -- in a Brit Hume interview on Fox News last night. (Photoshop montage of Dick Cheney at the center of the Earth's Magnetic Field)
"An unidentified reporter had the audacity to ask 'Is it possible for the Vice President to offer his resignation'” at a White House press corps briefing the other day, noted Ian of Expose the Left. At the time we were outraged, but Peggy Noonan's Opinion Journal column this morning set our VRWC antennae to vibrating. What if the unidentified reporter was a Karl Rove plant intended to lead the Bush Derangement Syndrome sufferers of what Thomas Sowell calls the "spoiled-brat media" over the edge? Peggy speculates on the ultimate thinking behind the White House's seemingly bumbling handling -- "It's not the crime, it's the cover-up" -- of Birdshotgate:
It's not the shooting incident itself, it's that Dick Cheney has been the administration's hate magnet for five years now.
Can media bias be detected in the endless coverage? Sure, always. But it's also a great story. A vice president of the United States shot a guy in a hunting accident, and no one on his staff told the press. That's a story . . .
He's been painted as the dark force of the administration, and now there's a mental picture to go with the reputation. Pull! Sorry, Harry! Pull!
"I suspect what [the White House is] thinking and not saying is, If Dick Cheney weren't vice president, who'd be a good vice president?" she continues:
Why would they be thinking about this? Halliburton, energy meetings, Libby, Plamegate. This was not all bad for the White House: Mr. Cheney took the heat that would otherwise have been turned solely on George Bush. So he had utility, and he's experienced and talented and organized, and Mr. Bush admires and respects him. But, at a certain point a hate magnet can draw so much hate you don't want to hold it in your hand anymore, you want to drop it, and pick up something else. Is this fair? Nah. But fair has nothing to do with it.
This is a White House that likes to hit refresh when the screen freezes. Right now the screen is stuck, with poll numbers in the low 40s, or high 30s.
The key thing is Iraq. George Bush cares deeply about Iraq and knows his legacy will be decided there . . . George Bush, and so the men and women around him, will want the next Republican presidential nominee to continue the U.S. effort in, and commitment to, Iraq.
It would have to be a man wildly popular in the party and the press. And it would have to be a decision made by Dick Cheney . . . He's just been through a trauma, and he can't be liking his job as much now as he did three years ago.
Vast LEFT-Wing Conspiracists like Joshua Micah Marshall smell a cover-up behind every White House move, from the decision to bypass national press and have ranch owner Katharine Armstrong release the story to the local press, to the choice of fair-and-balanced Brit Hume to interview the Vice President last night:
This should be good for a laugh. Dick Cheney will break his silence about the shooting -- on Fox, with Brit Hume. Wouldn't a media interview be better?
Meanwhile, Scott Ott of ScrappleFace once more blurs the line between fact and fiction, revealing the larger truth behind the hysteria of the moment:
The United Nations Security Council today tabled discussion about how to react to Iran’s ongoing nuclear weapons development in order to take up debate on what to do about U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney’s recently disclosed weapons capabilities.
"Of course, we cannot rule out a military response,” the source said. “We must keep our options open in dealing with what has quickly become the biggest weapons issue of our time.”
Whether our beloved Dick Cheney stays or goes, our equally beloved Thomas Sowell has the last word:
The media are so full of themselves -- among other things that they are full of -- that they act as if the government exists to provide them with something to publicize. The time is long overdue to put these people in their place. Where is Margaret Tutwiler when we need her?
Press Secretary Tutwiler, he reminds us, "treated reporters like misbehaving little boys, which is how they often acted."
Update: The RPC Blog is betting Cheney will stay:
The White House may be tactically spinning the press with background comments that they're “not happy” with how Cheney handled this, but I suspect Bush personally got a laugh at how the national press corps got scooped by a small Texas paper.
But does the fact that the President "steadfastly stuck by Don Rumsfeld when other Presidents would have bent to pressure and called for a replacement" necessarily bear on this case? Good question.
Update II: Re Peggy Noonan's assertion that "It would have to be a man wildly popular in the party and the press," Ann Althouse asks: "A man?"
Update III: Thinking along similar lines, Dr. Sanity answers the question:
Let me suggest, that if President Bush -- who is known for doing the bold thing -- really wanted to be bold; and make history; and at the same time do the right thing for his party, then the choice is obvious.
Condoleeza Rice.
So when Clinton messed around with a government employee, on government property, and on government time, it was considered as just a 'private act'. However, when two people that were private citizens at that moment, on private land, doing a private act, it's now media attention.
Honestly, it makes me sick that some people are really wanting the fellow to die so that Cheney could be vilified and 'impeached' even though it was an honest mistake that happened between two people at the worst, and no one got killed. At least Cheney rode with the fellow in the ambulance to make sure he was okay, rather than Kennedy leaving some woman in a car.
Rant over. I am just SO over this story.
Posted by: andophiroxia | February 16, 2006 at 10:49 AM
As usual Scott Ott hits another one out of the park. Beautiful satire that makes the MSM look like complete lunatics.
Just finished reading Peggy's piece in the print WSJ before getting over here. I'm not really quite sure if she's right or not. I love Dick Cheney because as much as he's villified by the MSM he simply ignores them. This drives them mad with frustration and is a thing of beauty.
OTOH - I've been wondering - why the White House doesn't seem to be thinking ahead to the next election and grooming a replacement for Mr. Bush... Cheney has said he doesn't want the job (and he's too controversial to get it - which is too bad) - but he's got the VP slot which is generally given to someone who will be a successor... I've tried to think of the strategy behind this politically, but while it's good to have an extremely competent VP - this doesn't work too well for the next election - so it remains a mystery to me.
Posted by: Teresa | February 16, 2006 at 10:53 AM
This has been made a big issue by both sides. The MSM/DNC has blown it out of proportion but the VP helped by not coming forward Sat. What was he trying to hide? A reasonable question based on how he acted for 5 days. By trying to hide the facts he and Bush look guilty of who knows what. Did no one learn anything from Nixon? The best way to attack the problem is to come forward on Sat not let the MSM/DNC have the field to themselves for 3.5 days! Wake up White House!
Posted by: Jo macDougal | February 16, 2006 at 11:09 AM
Several cement heads in the White House need to be fired. This is a diaster. To pretend that shooting someone is no big deal is wrong! To try and hide what happened (if you are a Republican) has never worked! The man has been in the hospital 5 days and will be there at least a few more. It was not just a mistake but a very serious mistake. To try and cover it up for 4 days only gave the MSM/DNC and excuse to make it the lead item in the news for 4 days! Heads should have rolled yesterday! Bad advice was given but the VP and the President are guilty for not having the good judgment to know bad advice when they got it. Dumb.
Again several top level advisors to the President and VP need to be fired, now!
Posted by: Rodney A Stanton | February 16, 2006 at 11:26 AM
Jo and Rodney, Cheney didn't "try and cover it up" or "[try] to hide the facts"; they just didn't publicize the event the way the press (and evidently some others) would've wanted them to. Has anyone actually had to do any hard investigative reporting on this "story," or has it all been handed to them, just not necessarily on their timetable or at the correct bureau?
Posted by: Jamie | February 16, 2006 at 11:44 AM
OT: Thanks, Sissy! Back atcha.
Posted by: Jamie | February 16, 2006 at 12:08 PM
If Dick resigns for which there is no reason except his health, I am all for Condi. People drive cars and are in accidents that cause people to die every hour of the day. MSM doesn't get too excited. Accidents happen. The result of life is death. MSM either grow up or shut up.
Posted by: goomp | February 16, 2006 at 01:13 PM
Jamie - I just read Peggy's column at WSJ. She thinks this diaster is the straw that will break the VP's back. She thinks Bush's people are already looking for a replacement.
Spin as hard as you can this has been a PR diaster for the Administration. It is still a lead item in the MSM/DNC only second to the new Americans are torturers pics( 2 different stories about how we torture in 2 locations).
Cheney should have been on Fox no later than Mon morn. Sun night would have been better. This would have prevented all the "news reports" of sex with other people's wives and being drunk etc from ever being aired or printed. Wed was at least 2 days too late. Dumb!
Posted by: Jo macDougal | February 16, 2006 at 01:32 PM
Retire Rumsfeld... Replace with Cheney (cue evil laugh)
Move Rice to VP, replace with Guiliani...
Posted by: Keith, Indy | February 16, 2006 at 02:09 PM
This would have prevented all the "news reports" of sex with other people's wives and being drunk etc from ever being aired or printed.
*********
Yeah right...
I don't know which is which, is the left blogsphere the MSM echo chamber or vice-versa...
It would have prevented exactly nothing. We'ld still be treated to conspiracy theories and conjecture that "questions remain"...
Posted by: Keith, Indy | February 16, 2006 at 02:11 PM
If you go read the transcript of the interview Cheney did with Britt Hume you will find that - quite rightly - the VP didn't want the press to inform the next of kin and friends... No wonder the press thinks this is a cover up...
Considering how vile the press is in these matters - I could see trucks pulling up to every house where Whittington is known and having them stick microphones in their faces and saying - the VP just shot your (father, uncle, grandfather, best friend...) how do you feel about that? Sheesh. All those opportunities for shocked faces and outrageous screaming denied to them!
Unless we are to assume that the VP should certainly have had everyone informed immediately... maybe by osmosis... I don't see a 20 hour delay being that long when trying to track down family. I'm also noticing that the media take no notice of informing next of kin in this case... interesting.
Then again they even gripe about the military informing family first of injury or death to a soldier.
Posted by: Teresa | February 16, 2006 at 02:15 PM