As we contemplate yesterday's "stark reminder" that evildoers are still out there, I'd like to offer a few random thoughts on Dick Cheney and Tony Snow.
As stay the course wrote, during yesterday's White House press gaggle:
...Snow slipped up today and told the press that Bush had known of this terror story since at least Sunday and approved "Red Alert" yesterday. [...]
Knowing that a major terror plot was going to be thwarted, the entire GOP machine kicked into high gear.
Yes, another stunning example of this administration using terrorism for fearmongering and political gain. But there was another portion of the gaggle that I found quite fascinating...
Later during the
press gaggle, Snow was again asked about the timing of the announcement:
Q Can I ask you about timing again -- not to keep harping on this, but yesterday when you talked about raising the white -- you know, saying the Democrats might want to raise the white flag --
MR. SNOW: This was not done in anticipation. It was not said with the knowledge that this was coming.
Given his earlier answer that the White House had known about the impending terrorist arrests since Sunday, this response by Snow was a flat-out lie.
It was a lie on Thursday, while his comments on Wednesday were obviously a part of the concerted effort, along with Cheney and Mehlman, to bring terrorism to the forefront in anticipation of the British raids.
As for the primary election in Connecticut last night, I know there's a lot of concern and interest about that...This is a defining moment in some ways for the Democratic Party...whose national leaders now have made it clear that if you disagree with the extreme left in their party they're going to come after you. And it is probably worth trying to trace through some of the implications of that position, [...]
A white flag, in short, means a white flag in the war on terror.
So it wasn't just Dick Cheney and Ken Mehlman...Snow also was parroting the "vote Republican or we're all going to die" meme. And what about Mr. Cheney?
Q So the Vice President, when he did his incredibly rare conference call with reporters, also didn't know about it at the time?
MR. SNOW: I don't think so. You'll have to ask, but I can say from our point of view at that point we didn't.
But since, as confirmed by the White House, Dick Cheney's press availabilities are "incredibly rare," I doubt that anyone will be asking him about what and when he knew about the impending British raid on the alleged terrorist cell.
But let's take advantage of this rare opportunity to look at some of Cheney's other remarks on Wednesday. He had a number of interesting (or nauseating, take your pick) things to say.
How much does Dick love Joe Lieberman? After waxing poetic about the admiration and respect he has for him, Cheney was asked about supporting him:
Q Yes, thank you, Mr. Vice President. Is the White House going to offer Senator Lieberman any help as he runs as an independent?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I doubt that we have any intention or aspirations of getting involved in Joe Lieberman's campaign.
He doubts it? Is that a maybe, Dick? We've had the Chairman of the RNC all but endorsing Lieberman and the Vice President refusing to rule out White House support. If the GOP really wants to field a strong Republican candidate in the Connecticut senate race, they obviously already have their man in everything except Party affiliation.
And the next time he gives one of his rare and very brief press conferences, perhaps someone could ask him about this comment:
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. It's suggested I chat with you a bit just for a couple of minutes here about the Connecticut Democratic primary yesterday, and then I guess, we'll then be happy to respond to a couple of questions.
I want to know...who suggested it?
And finally, Cheney said:
...the al Qaeda types, they clearly are betting on the proposition that ultimately they can break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task.
Just one more version of the "don't let the terrorists win" talking points, but consider the words "al Qaeda types." Two days before the bomb plot story breaks, Cheney is warning us about terrorists, but is careful not to just say "al Qaeda." And today, what are the papers saying about the arrests in Great Britain?
* could mean that Al Qaeda,
* the scope and targets of the thwarted plot were "suggestive" of Al Qaeda
* It has all of the earmarks of an Al Qaeda plot
Could be, might be, may be al Qaeda...who knows? But what it does make clear is that when Cheney spoke on Wednesday, he knew a major terror-related announcement was coming soon...and he knew not to confine his remarks only al Qaeda.