The Reagan Defense

Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald famously declared in the Valerie Plame affair that "there is a cloud over the vice president." Last week's release of an FBI interview summary of Dick Cheney's answers in the criminal investigation underscores why Fitzgerald felt that way.

On 72 occasions, according to the 28-page FBI summary, Cheney equivocated to the FBI during his lengthy May 2004 interview, saying he could not be certain in his answers to questions about matters large and small in the Plame controversy.

  Salon

Old people do have memory problems.

The Cheney interview summary was released Friday to the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sued to get the material under the Freedom of Information Act.

Cheney’s exact role in the [Valerie Plame] leak probe has long been a subject of speculation – and his May 8, 2004, interview with special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald does little to clear up the question, since Cheney expressed a lack of recollection about several key issues. In at least one instance, Cheney flatly refused to answer a question about what he had told President George W. Bush.

  Politico

So why was he not charged with obstruction? At the very least. That was one of the most egregious examples of the Bush administration betraying the country for personal gain that we experienced. Apparently treason isn’t really a big deal.

Cheney flatly refused to discuss with Fitzgerald conversations about Bush’s decision to declassify portions of the NIE. “The Vice President declined to answer in view of his concerns about sharing potentially privileged conversations between himself and the President,” the FBI report said.

[...]

When Cheney was asked if he ever broached the subject of declassification with Libby, regardless of any details of the conversations, the vice president again declined to answer.

Yes, he refused. But he refused because he’s the one who told Bush to declassify those portions for the specific purpose of outing Valerie Plame.

Libby initially told investigators he learned of Wilson’s wife’s CIA tie from journalists. But after notes emerged that showed he learned of the information from Cheney in June 2003, Libby said he forgot that fact.

A forgetful bunch.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.