There must be endless gnashing of teeth at the White House this week. What the White House would have preferred we pay attention to this week was Dick Cheney's visit to Iraq. No such luck.
Overheard at the White House: "News cycle, why hast thou forsaken me?!"
After Iraqis turned out in force for the third public election this year, this should have been Mr. Bush's shining moment in the sun. Alas, it was not to be. The story of the Iraqi election was far overshadowed when the New York Times revealed that Mr. Bush had approved NSA wiretaps on American citizens without judicial oversight. Bush then proudly admitted to it, possibly the first time in American history that a sitting President has admitted to a potentially impeachable offense.
Still, there is news out of Iraq that should not be entirely overshadowed. Unless the Democrats regain control of the House this year, it's unlikely even this apparent proof of martial law and dictatorship in the US will see congressional oversight. Basically, we let these guys rise to power and until Democrats regain some of the levers of government, Republicans can and will wiretap, torture, propagandize and corrupt the Constitution with impunity and homespun, "aww-shucks", chest-thumping pride.
So, since 9/11 essentially amounts to a permission slip for dictatorship, let's go ahead and follow the spin cycle of our reigning overlords. If we can't kiss rings and pay homage, we might as well give their news cycle a look-see.
Dick Cheney was indeed in Iraq this week on a "surprise visit" to marines on the front lines, hearing their honest assessment of our progress there.
What assessment did marines give the Vice President? John Nichols reports:
The first words Cheney heard during a roundtable discussion with several dozen troops were those of Marine Cpl. Bradley Warren, who said, "From our perspective, we don't see much as far as gains. We're looking at small-picture stuff, not many gains."Cheney responded with warmed-over rhetoric about how the media is not showing the true picture of what is going on in Iraq. "I think when we look back from 10 years hence, we'll see that the year '05 was in fact a watershed year here in Iraq. We're getting the job done," claimed the vice president, who was making his first visit to the war zone. "It's hard to tell that from watching the news. But I guess we don't pay that much attention to the news."
The vice president did not seem to recognize the irony of complaining about media coverage presenting the war as something less than a success when he was responding to the concerns of a Marine ? who is actually serving on the ground in Iraq ? about the fact that he and his fellow troops "don't see much as far as gains."
So even as the President admits that he is bugging our phones, his second in command is looking marines dead in the eyes and telling them not to believe their own experience on the ground.
Of course, rather than blame reality, both Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush had the same scapegoat. When you're caught with your pants down, blame the media.
It's worked so far, and unless Democrats work together to fight for the people, why shouldn't it continue?