On Face The Nation this morning, Howard Dean equated VP Dick Cheney with Aaron Burr, VP to Thomas Jefferson from 1801-1804, who was tried for treason several years after serving out his term. Dean was referring to Murray Waas' report this week that Cheney "authorized" Libby to leak classified NIE information to the press. He also asserted that Dems would take back the House and possibly the Senate in 2006.
UPDATE: Transcript now posted at
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_021206.pdf
I almost forgot that Dean kept saying the "president" must step down, (can you say, "freudian slip", Howard?), and Schieffer had to keep correcting him.
Dean said that if true, Libby's assertion would mean that Cheney had in effect committed treason and could no longer serve as the VP.
Elizabeth Bumiller and Bob Shieffer both seemed taken aback by Mr. Dean's forthright acknowledgement of the elephant in the room (no pun intended), but rather than challenging his presumption, they both asked simply whether the VP should step down or be impeached. Dean kept his cool and insisted that it was too soon to say what the proper course of action would be in response to an unproved allegation.
The transcript isn't up yet, but this is the first time I've heard reporters accept without skepticism the notion that Cheney may have commited treason. If someone wants to post a link to it later today that would be great.
Bumiller, who seems to have a distincly Republican agenda, re-hashed two non-stories the NYT and other Right-Wing media have been pushing this week, the Chris Dodd "Democrats missing opportunity" and the Ken Mehlman "Angry Hillary" memes. Dean righteously countered the first and appropriately ignored the second.
I think Dean is doing a great job for the Democratic Party and our nation, and we should be united in gratitude for his efforts. It was a terrible shame that the Party nominated Kerry instead of him in 2004.