Cheney's 'Dark Side' Is Showing

Matthews: "Sam, isn't the vice president going to get drawn into all the problems again as this trial evolves?

Donaldson: "Well, of course the vice president knew what Lewis Libby was doing with reporters. There's an old expression from the Watergate days: 'Whatever Haldeman knew, Nixon knew.' Meaning, 'strong chief of staff, strong principle.' To think that Dick Cheney had no idea what Lewis Libby was doing is just kind of absurd."

On his CNN show, Howard Kurtz asked Jill Zuckman of the Chicago Tribune:

"KURTZ: Jill Zuckman, reporters are just dying to make this about Cheney, aren't they?

"ZUCKMAN: Well, I mean, you know, that this. . . .

"KURTZ: You could admit it.

"ZUCKMAN: Yes, yes, yes, yes. I mean, people are dying to see how far up it goes. And then a lot of people are wondering, well, why would someone just go off and do these some of these things on their own? I mean, didn't -- isn't there somebody at the top telling them what to do?

"Everybody is trying to find out what really happened. And the problem with this White House is, you know, you don't necessarily know what you are being told, whether it's the truth or not and maybe it's going to take a special prosecutor to let you know."

And here's John Dean writing on Findlaw: "Indeed, when one studies the indictment , and carefully reads the transcript of the press conference , it appears Libby's saga may be only Act Two in a three-act play. And in my view, the person who should be tossing and turning at night, in anticipation of the last act, is the Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney."

Bush's Role

Elisabeth Bumiller writes in the New York Times: "President Bush was asked four times on Friday about Karl Rove and the C.I.A. leak investigation, and four times he refused to answer."

Here's the transcript of his short press conference Friday in Argentina. Bush also ducked the issue this morning in Panama.

Richard W. Stevenson writes in the New York Times: "The issue now for the White House is how long it can go on deflecting the inquiries and trying to keep the focus away from Mr. Bush. . . .