A steady stream of news reports in recent weeks have sought to cast new light on the decisions and inner-workings of the Bush administration (see here, here, and here). Have they told us anything new about the dynamics of the administration or its colorful cast of characters? The short -- and somewhat unsatisfying -- answer is yes and no.
For one thing, they reveal deep rifts in an administration that once presented an unshakable, united front against critics and naysayers. They reinforce the image of Cheney as the conscience-less mastermind behind many of the administration’s worst decisions and near-disastrous proposals (it was he who recommended Bush send the military into upstate New York to apprehend suspected al-Qaeda operatives, against the advice of Condoleeza Rice and Michael Chertoff, among others).
The flip side of the coin is that these stories rehabilitate, at least partially, the image of Bush as Cheney's blindly obedient lapdog. They present several instances in which Bush stood up to Cheney and rejected his advice on moral grounds. Not only did he "bristle at the prospect of troops descending on an American suburb," he also refused to give Scooter Libby a full presidential pardon, despite Cheney’s repeated and insistent pleas during the two’s last days in office (Bush had already commuted Libby’s sentence). The Time article that reports that story cites Bush’s belief that Libby really did lie to prosecutors -- plus his distaste for pardons as a get-out-of-jail-free card for the well-connected -- as his justification for denying his vice president’s last request.
Some observers, including Rachel Maddow, have accused the Time story, at least, of being fairly transparently sourced to Bush apologists who aren’t so fond of the influential VP. While the former president has largely avoided the limelight since leaving office, Cheney has stayed in D.C. to continue the fight against Democratic lawmakers and defend his own legacy. His continued visibility and outspokenness have earned the ire of some Republicans who believe he is needlessly stirring up old resentments.
--Marie Diamond
