Friday, January 12, 2007
Dick in a Box?
Some of the reshuffling of personnel in the Bush administration (Rummy, Cambone, Bolton out), and the drubbing the GOP took in November largely as a result of failed Iraq policy, had many predicting a decline in the influence that Dick Cheney has over White House policy for the remainder of Bush's term.
But, as Kevin points out, the recently heightened tension with Iran and Syria, and hte wholesale rejection of Baker-Hamilton, seems to indicate that Cheney is as influential as ever - much to the country's detriment.
The truth most likely lies somewhere in between. Cheney's star has dimmed a notch or two, but his tenacity and knowledge of the bureacratic battlefield may enable him to weather the storm, with his clout emerging mostly in tact.
Though I wish it weren't so, his acumen in this regard is impressive. Laura Rozen gets at some of the reasons why this is the case in this insightful, yet concise, piece in the Washington Monthly.
Read it, and weep.
