Political Cortex: Cheney World: Bush Lies About Cheney -- Cheney Usurps Bush on Whittington

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Cheney World: Bush Lies About Cheney -- Cheney Usurps Bush on Whittington

By Tom Ball
02/17/2006 03:37:38 PM EST

Cheney's accidental shooting of long-time friend Harry Whittington has come and gone. Likewise, the opportunity for Cheney to handle the situation in a forthcoming and timely manner has also come and gone. In its wake is left a White House internally conflicted.

As Bush and his aides struggle to gain control of their renegade vice president, Bush did his best to quash rumors of internal strife blossoming from Cheney's dubious post-shooting leadership by asserting that he "thought the vice president handled the issue just fine."

However, according to White House sources, Bush was being less than sincere.

"White House insiders tell US News Bulletin that Bush wasn't pleased with Cheney's four-day delay in going public, but Bush still values the Vice President's counsel and loyalty and he doesn't want to embarrass his Number Two publicly."

And according to The Situation Room:

"Senior Administration sources tell CNN not talking early on irritated the President and his top aides, who make no secret they believe confusion and stubbornness made a bad situation worse."

Particularly enraging for Bush was Cheney's overwhelming distraction from Bush's agenda and the augmented perception that Bush lacks control of his underlings.

This week was to serve as a launching pad for Bush's health care proposals -- specifically targeting a shift in cost burden from employer-based health care to a "health care system in which patients pay more directly for their care".

Also contrary to Bush's public assessment of Cheney's situational management is the expert bipartisan assessment:

"Damage-control experts in both political parties agree: The handling of...Cheney's hunting mishap has been a disaster, a case study in how not to handle bad news. At best, it has fed criticism of Cheney as aloof and isolated. At worst, critics suggest, it has shown a president unable to control his own vice president."

As a result, there are discussions inside the Bush Administration about "changing what some insiders call 'Cheney world', perhaps having more aides travel with him." Of course Cheney's dominant position in the White House has never been disputed, but it has also never been so publicly displayed.

In the end, nothing will change.

Jay Leno: "I got to admit, I did turn away from the Olympics, yesterday. Fox had a far more exciting sports program on. 'Softball with Dick Cheney and Brit Hume.'"

Jay Leno: "Over the weekend, while on a hunting trip in Texas, Vice President Cheney accidentally shot a member of his hunting party. In fact, he told Brit Hume, he was actually trying to hit Cindy Sheehan."

Jay Leno: "In fact, Cheney says this is the worst thing to happen to him since oil went under $60 a barrel."

David Letterman: "Oh, my God. Did you guys see Dick Cheney on TV last night talking about how he gunned down that guy? Oh, boy. It was on television, and -- but I think in Cheney's favor, he won everybody over as soon as he flashed that warm, Cheney sneer."