An Important Indictment

" 'We also urge you to state publicly whether anyone in the White House -- including White House counsel Harriet Miers or Vice President Cheney -- has already discussed the possibility of a pardon with Mr. Libby,' added the letter, signed by Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and three other members of the leadership.

"White House spokesman Scott McClellan declined to rule out a pardon when asked about the issue by reporters before Democrats sent their letter. 'I'm not going to discuss an ongoing legal proceeding. And I'm not going to speculate about any matters relating to it,' he said.

"At a news conference, Reid launched an extraordinary attack on Cheney, whom he said had been involved in the 'manipulation of intelligence to sell the war in Iraq' as well as 'leaking classified information to discredit White House critics.' "

Cheney Rift?

Thomas M. DeFrank wrote in the New York Daily News yesterday that there has been a "subtle but unmistakable erosion in the bond between President Bush and Vice President Cheney."

Wolf Blitzer had DeFrank on CNN last night.

"BLITZER: You are so well plugged in to all of these sources in Washington. And I remember when you covered the first President Bush you were very close to him. What are you hearing?

"DEFRANK: What I'm hearing, Wolf, is that the relationship between the president and the vice president has eroded somewhat. And actually it's not new. This has been going on a couple of years. It really has its roots in the run up to the Iraq war. But this distance is the word, is the phrase that I keep hearing. This distance seems to be accelerating in the wake of the CIA leak investigation."

What is Torture?

I wrote in yesterday's column about the apparent confusion over what Bush actually considers torture.

Douglas Jehl , in today's New York Times, provides some more clues about how the White House may see a distinction between "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment and "torture."

"A classified report issued last year by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general warned that interrogation procedures approved by the C.I.A. after the Sept. 11 attacks might violate some provisions of the international Convention Against Torture, current and former intelligence officials say. . . .

"A list of 10 techniques authorized early in 2002 for use against terror suspects included one known as waterboarding, and went well beyond those authorized by the military for use on prisoners of war. . . .

"The list of 10 techniques, including feigned drowning, was secretly drawn up in early 2002 by a team that included senior C.I.A. officials who solicited recommendations from foreign governments and from agency psychologists, the officials said. They said officials from the Justice Department and the National Security Council, which is part of the White House, were involved in the process. . . .

"Congressional officials said the report had emerged as an unstated backdrop in the debate now under way on Capitol Hill over whether the C.I.A. should be subjected to the same strict rules on interrogation that the military is required to follow. In opposing an amendment sponsored by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, [C.I.A. Director Porter] Goss and Vice President Dick Cheney have argued that the C.I.A. should be granted an exemption allowing it extra latitude, subject to presidential authorization, in interrogating high-level terrorists abroad who might have knowledge about future attacks."

Relations With China: Mixed

Bush held five interviews yesterday in anticipation of his upcoming trip to Asia.

He spoke to foreign print reporters at some length, and very briefly to NHK Television of Japan; the Korean Broadcasting System ; Phoenix Television of Hong Kong; and Christian-owned Eagle Television of Mongolia.

"I would say my personal relationship with President Hu is very good. I would say relations between the United States is mixed -- or between China and the United States is mixed," he said in one interview.

"[T]he relationship between China and America is an important relationship. It's a mixed relationship," he said in another.

Hello, Dalai Lama

Agence France Presse reports that Bush is meeting today at the White House with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.

"The Dalai Lama will appeal to Bush to prod Chinese leader Hu Jintao during their summit in Beijing later this month to give 'genuine autonomy' to the Himalayan territory, said Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, the Dalai Lama's special envoy.

"Bush's previous meetings in 2001 and 2003 with the Dalai Lama drew angry complaints from China.

"As in previous meetings, Bush will hold his talks with the Dalai Lama at the White House residence rather than the offices, apparently to avoid the full wrath of China."

Political Cartoon Humor

Here is Tom Toles on Bush's "we do not torture" line.

Miss Manners in the Oval

Maybe Judith Martin -- best known for her " Miss Manners " column -- could stop by the briefing room on the way to the Oval office tomorrow, when she and other recipients of the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal pick up their awards.