She Didn't Get the Interview, but Iranians Didn't Get the Joke

Liberals are accusing the Bush-Cheney folks of trying to foment World War III or IV with all that reckless saber-rattling about Iranian nukes.

But it seems New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd brought us closer to the brink with a Sunday column in which she purported to interview Vice President Cheney. This is how it played on Press TV, the first international Iran-based news network to broadcast 24-7 in English.

"Cheney: Iran has WMDs, just like Iraq," said the headline on the online edition, posted Sunday.

"The US Vice President, Dick Cheney, has accused the Islamic Republic of having weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), 'just like Saddam,' " the story read.

"While the negotiations are underway between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, the hawkish US official said the White House considers Iran's nuclear dossier in 'the final stages of diplomacy,' " the report said.

" 'We are not going to get hung up on democracy this time,' Dick Cheney said in an interview with the New York Times on Sunday. 'It's time for squash. Not to mention mushrooms, clouds of them,' said the Vice President, when asked how close Washington was to launching military strikes on Iran.

"When asked if he would wait for the new round of sanctions against Iran, he said Washington has waited enough, adding that 'the sanctions were announced Thursday. It's now Sunday.' "

Press TV added a couple of context paragraphs. "The US invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretext of Iraq's WMD program but the alleged weapons of mass destruction had never been found in the country," it said, noting that U.N. nuke inspector Mohamed ElBaradei had said on Sunday there's no proof Iran is "developing nuclear arms."

The item was no longer on the site yesterday, maybe because someone realized Cheney would no more sit down and chat with Dowd than he would with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Chatting with us yesterday, Dowd noted that satire has its risks.

Showing the Flag?

Speaking of Cheney, he was in Upstate New York on Monday, hunting at the Clove Valley Rod & Gun Club in Union Vale. Not known how the hunting went, but at least no injuries were reported. We'll wait another day to be sure. It should be noted that his press office had announced this trip well in advance.

The New York Post reported that a "5-foot-by-5-foot Confederate flag hung in a garage attached to the club headquarters." This drew a strong rebuke from the Rev. Al Sharpton, who called on Cheney to "denounce the club and apologize for going" to it, the paper reported. Cheney's office said he didn't see the flag.