Hearing Dick Morris trip over himself to lavish praise on the Bush White House is among the more nauseating displays in DC. And yet, as of this morning, even Morris is starting to take a closer look at the Plame scandal and look askance at Dick Cheney.
Morris, up until quite recently, dismissed the controversy and defended those caught up in it. He’s been on Fox News, in his words, “weeping” at the prospect of indictments. It’s why it was a pleasant surprise to see, in the New York Post today, the very same Morris suggest that Cheney has some explaining to do.
If Libby lied in public, it is unfortunate. If he did so before the grand jury, it could be criminal. Either way, the vice president knew that he was not telling the truth — yet did nothing in public, or presumably in private, to correct him. […]
There is nothing criminal in Cheney or Libby finding out about Valerie Plame. They had security clearance and every right to know. What is wrong is for Cheney’s staffer to mislead the public with the complicity of a silent veep. […]
Why did the vice president choose to remain silent and keep his role from public view? Did Cheney tell the prosecutor he was the one who told Libby about Plame? Did he tell the president?
Assuming the Times has its facts right, the burden of proof shifts to Cheney. It is incumbent on him to explain why he let his chief of staff mislead the public — for two years, including the entire 2004 presidential campaign.
Seriously, this was written by Dick Morris. And if they’re losing Morris…
Regardless, Morris’ point is an important one. If Libby’s indicted, the pressure on the VP will be very intense and the questions about what he knew and what he said will be too loud to ignore.