Kristol’s defense of Cheney

June 24, 2007

William Kristol bills himself as a serious, credible person, and is routinely rewarded by the DC establishment. As Kevin Drum recently put it, “The Bill Kristol phenomenon is a stellar example of what a nice suit and a sober tone of voice can do for you.”

But one need not look too far below the surface to find the shameless partisan hack.

This morning on Fox News Sunday, Weekly Standard editor William Kristol defended Vice President Cheney’s decision to exempt himself from an executive order designed to safeguard classified national security information.

Kristol said the exemptions for the president and vice president were “reasonable enough.” He called it “a pain in the neck” to have “some bureaucrat” from the National Archives “come and inspect your safe to see whether you’re locking it up properly each night.”

He did not appear to be kidding.

Let’s review: Dick Cheney was bound by a presidential executive order to safeguard classified materials. Cheney ignored the E.O., exempted himself from its instructions, and mishandled secret information. The federal agency responsible for oversight had a few questions about all of this, which Cheney ignored, insisting that he’s not part of the executive branch of government. The Vice President then decided he’d like to resolve the questions by eliminating the oversight agency asking them.

Kristol believes this is “reasonable enough”? If Vice President Al Gore had conducted himself the same way, would Kristol come to the same conclusion?

As for some “bureaucrat” checking to see if the OVP properly locked up its safe, we’re not just talking about oversight; this deals with the willful mishandling of classified secrets in a time of war. That Kristol takes a rather blase attitude about the whole thing speaks poorly to the right’s credibility on national security.

I’ve been curious about how the right’s leading voices might respond to Cheney’s bizarre and rather dangerous arguments. So far, we haven’t heard much, except Kristol’s ham-fisted nonsense this morning.

The White House’s allies will have to do better than this.

Cheney apparently believes that he is not only equal to the president, but superior to him, thanks to his legislative status as president of the Senate. This is an interpretation of the Constitution that the Framers would find eccentric, to say the least. It’s too bad that everyone in Washington (including, if not especially, GWB) is too afraid of Cheney to call him to account.

  • Sometimes the only cure is a laugh. This one’s great:
    There is no defending Cheney on this. He wants to occupy a quantum superposition that is both Executive and Legislative, yet neither. He’s also the proud conservative grandfather of a fatherless Lesbian/test-tube homunculus…which proves he’s already adept at quantum logic. — Comment by RunningDogLackey, TPM

    The upside, leaving the downside aside, is that since the whole US of A show is run by such a bunch of spaced-out delinquent goons, there is no end of comic relief.

  • Kristol believes this is “reasonable enough”? If Vice President Al Gore had conducted himself the same way, would Kristol come to the same conclusion?
     A better question might be: If Vice President Al Gore had conducted himself the same way, after his office’s involvement in outing a covert CIA asset during wartime, would Kristol come to the same conclusion?

    On second thought, it’s a stupid question. Kristol would be screaming ‘TREASON!!!!!’ at the top of his lungs.

  • William Kristol bills himself as a serious, credible person, […] –CB

    And so? Shrub bills himself as “the Decider”; does it mean anyone, with two brain cells to rub together, is taking him at his word?

  • That’s What, uh,Fox Friends are For. (no apologies to Burt Bacharach)

    And we never thought it would be this way
    And as far as he’s concerned
    He’s glad he got the chance to say
    That he do believe he loves Dick

    And if Dick should ever go away
    Well, then close your eyes and try to feel
    The war Dick made his way
    And then if you can remember

    Keep lying’, keep spinin’
    Knowin’ he can always lie to you, for sure
    That’s what Bill is for
    For bad times and worse times
    He’ll be on Dick’s side forever more
    That’s what Bill is for

    Well, you spoke and confused me
    And now there’s so much more I see
    And so let me shout out fuck you

    Whoa, and then for the times when they’re apart
    Well, then close your eyes and know
    There’s no light comin’ from his soul
    And then if you can remember, oh

    Keep lying’, keep spinin’
    Knowin’ he can always lie to you, for sure
    That’s what Bill is for
    For bad times and worse times
    He’ll be on Dick’s side forever more
    That’s what Bill is for

    Whoa… oh… oh… Keep lying’, keep spinin’
    Knowin’ he can always lie to you, for sure
    That’s what Bill is for
    For bad times and worse times
    He’ll be on Dick’s side forever more
    That’s what Bill is for

    Keep lying’, keep spinin’
    Knowin’ he can always lie to you, for sure
    That’s what Bill is for
    For bad times and worse times
    He’ll be on Dick’s side forever more
    That’s what Bill is for (That’s what Bill is for)

    Oh my, for sure
    That’s what Kristol is for
    Keep lying’, keep spinin’

  • There is no right-wing position, however absurd, outlandish, or just plain silly that won’t be defended by some wingnut who lies or twists reality and simple facts. It seems like there are only talk radio-style lunatics commenting simply to make noise. Are there any responsible, honest conservatives out there?

  • And, according to Think Progress, while the Justice Department said as recently as last week that it has had the whole matter “under review” after the National Archives asked Gonzales to have the Office of Legal Counsel look into it months ago, this appears to not be the case.

    Anyone surprised?

    According to Newsweek,

    [O]n June 4, an OLC lawyer denied a Freedom of Information Act request about the Cheney dispute asserting that OLC had “no documents” on the matter… Steve Aftergood, the Federation of American Scientists researcher who filed the request, said he found the denial letter “puzzling and inexplicable” — especially since Leonard had copied OLC chief Steve Bradbury on his original letter to Gonzales. The FOIA response has piqued the interest of congressional investigators, who note Bradbury is the same official in charge of vetting all document requests from Congress about the U.S. attorneys flap. Asked about the apparent discrepancy, Justice spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the OLC response “was and remains accurate” because Leonard’s letter had generated no “substantive work product.”

    Add one more Gonzales-related matter Henry Waxman wants to look into.

    If there were ever any doubt about why Alberto Gonzales was chosen to be WH counsel and then Attorney General, it has to have gone up in smoke over the last couple on months. Gonzales is the enabler, the one who paves the way for Bush and Cheney, the guy who declares everything Bush and Cheney want to do “legal,” and denies access to any information that would allow for the opposite conclusion.

    The ALL need to go.

  • I will keep this comment brief, and to the point.

    The William Kristol phenomenon is a prime example of just how desperate the American media is to lay on its back and spread its legs for the Reich.

    Or am I being obtuse?

  • Kristol’s position is clear and obvious, once you accept, as he does fundamentally, that the king can do no wrong.

    Why bother having a bureaucrat to come check to see if there has been any mistake or misdeed, when, by definition, that can’t happen?

  • Kristol has one of the more blatant conflicts, given that he is one of the prime architects of the Project for a New American Century, from whence all this disaster originated, and at the same time, he is being paid to give opinions about the actions of those who are engaged in carrying out the plan. He has to protect and defend Cheney – it is the equivalent of defending all Kristol holds dear.

    It would be refreshing to have someone confront him, on camera, about that conflict, but these kinds of confrontations only happen in my fantasy world. I am so much happier there.

  • Maureen Dowd’s take on this is classic: “I guess a man who can wait 14 hours before he lets it dribble out that he shot his friend in the face has no limit on what he thinks he can keep secret. Still, it’s quite a leap to go from hiding in a secure, undisclosed location in the capital to hiding in a secure, undisclosed location in the Constitution.”

  • I’ve often thought Kristol makes just the best example of the term friendly fascism. -Kevo

  • Look up in the sky, it’s a bird. it’s a plane, it’s our Super Vice President
    with powers from another planet on his mission to supress truth, justice and the American way.

  • A true follower, he will support the leader, until the leader is indicted, at which time he will deny having ever supported such a scoundrel in the first place.

    Kristol is a skilled propagandist, and a supporter of Corporate Fascism, simple enough.

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