"Dick Cheney's waning influence over B*sh"

[npincus]

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/news2/2006/12/dick_cheneys_wa.html

Doug Thompson (not popular here at DU, I know) occasionally gets good dish from 'insiders' on what's happening behind closed doors at the WH.

I can believe this one:




Both Cheney and Rumsfeld are old-school politicians, joined at the hip since the Nixon and Ford days. Neither respect Bush. They consider him a political and mental lightweight but were content to live with such shortcomings as long as he left them alone to craft policy in Iraq, drive billion-dollar no-bid contracts to Halliburton and run things pretty much as they wanted.

But Bush needed a scapegoat after the November election debacle and Rumsfeld, the public face for most of the failures in Iraq, took the fall.

Cheney, by most accounts, went ballistic and fought in vain to save his friend. Bush refused to budge. Cheney tried political arguments, saying Republicans would be pissed because of the timing. Bush still refused to listen. Since the firing, White House sources say the two men speak to each other mainly through memos, carry on very little conversation in cabinet meetings and appear together in public only when necessary.

The test of whether or not Cheney has any influence remaining in the White House inner circle will come in January when Bush finally gets around to announcing his plans for change, if any, in Iraq. Cheney continues to push for more troops on the ground and a sustained effort in the failed war.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Since Bush also wants "victory"

I don't see how a change in his agenda come January will reflect on his relationship with Cheney. It will, instead, reflect influences by other, saner, people.

[Bake]

6. There's no sanity in sending a "surge" of troops!

That's textbook INsanity.

Bake

[bridgit]

2. i think Cheney and Rumsfeld viewed bush as the easiest pickings...

they had had in 40 years...all things must pass

[AlinPA]

3. Rove is in charge. nt

[tanyev]

4. Oh, my. After 6 years, Georgie finally got tired of having Dick's hand up his backside.

[WI_DEM]

5. it must be really crappy to have been VP to the worst president in history

Cry me a river, Dick.

[mazzarro]

7. How does KKKarl Rove fit in this scheme?

This article impies that KKKarl Rove has not been much of use to * in preventing these two manipulators from getting their ways. Either that or Rove is one of them and should have been included in the gang. My bet is that Rove is one of them - a late convert to the cause of the two main characters whose job became, chiefly, to make sure * is not dissuaded from the path laid by the Cheney/Rumsfeld.

[BuyingThyme]

8. I don't believe it at all. Rumsfeld and Cheney own Bush.

Bush isn't allowed to make any decisions, and couldn't if he tried.

Rumsfeld is stepping down only to avoid Dem committees.