Cheney's PR Blitz
Tuesday, July 31, 2007; 1:20 PM
Vice President Cheney is on a PR blitz.
Well, at least by Cheney standards. Yesterday, he spent 14 minutes tersely answering questions with CBS Radio's Mark Knoller. Tonight, he'll be on CNN with Larry King for an hour.
Judging from the Knoller interview (here's the audio and the transcript), Cheney doesn't have a particular goal in mind other than to assert: I'm still here -- and I'm not apologizing for anything.
President Bush may well spend the final 18 months of his presidency in a defensive crouch because of policies that Cheney advocated (warrantless surveillance, harsh interrogation policies, an unprecedented expansion of executive power and, of course, the war in Iraq). Cheney's own former chief of staff recently escaped going to prison on perjury and obstruction of justice charges only due to Bush's intercession. A Washington Post series last month documented Cheney's staggering clout within the White House, even as rumors continue to swirl that on some issues he is losing his influence. And Cheney had his defibrillator replaced just last weekend.
Still, with these interviews, Cheney appears to be showing that he's still a power to be reckoned with.
The CBS Interview
Dan Eggen writes in The Washington Post: "Vice President Cheney said yesterday that he disagreed with the jury's verdict in the trial of his former chief of staff, who was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation into the Bush administration's leak of the identity of an undercover CIA officer. . . .
"Cheney also defended embattled Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, saying that Gonzales 'has testified truthfully' before Congress and has performed well as head of the Justice Department."
A few excerpts from the transcript:
Q. "Do you want Attorney General Gonzales to keep fighting to keep his job?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I do. I'm a big fan of Al's.
"Q Does he need to clarify his testimony?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I'm not going to get into the specifics of it. I think Al has done a good job under difficult circumstances. The debate between he and the Senate is something they're going to have to resolve. But I think he has testified truthfully. . . .
"Q Can he remain Attorney General if the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Pat Leahy, says point blank he doesn't trust the Attorney General?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: [Chuckling] I've had my differences with Pat Leahy. I think the key is whether or not he has the confidence of the President, and he clearly does."
In his first public response to questions about the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby verdict, sentence and commutation, Cheney was curt and elliptical.
Q. "Let me ask you, have you spoken to your former top aide since his verdict?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have.
"Q And can you tell us anything about that conversation?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I've seen him socially on a number of occasions.
"Q Do you believe the commutation that President Bush gave Scooter Libby for his prison term was enough, or if you had been President, would you have granted a full pardon?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I thought the President handled it right. I supported his decision.
"Q Did you disagree with the guilty verdict in the case?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I did.
"Q Even though the President said he respects that verdict?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I still -- you asked me if I disagreed with the verdict, and I did.
"Q Do you think Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald went too far in pursuing a prosecution of Scooter Libby?
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't want to go beyond where I have already. The matter is still pending before the courts. There is an appeal pending on the question, and I don't want to elaborate further."
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