Cheney's PR Blitz

Vice President Cheney is on a PR blitz.

Well, at least by Cheney standards. Yesterday, he spent 14 minutes tersely answering questions with CBS Radio's Mark Knoller. Tonight, he'll be on CNN with Larry King for an hour.

Judging from the Knoller interview (here's the audio and the transcript), Cheney doesn't have a particular goal in mind other than to assert: I'm still here -- and I'm not apologizing for anything.

President Bush may well spend the final 18 months of his presidency in a defensive crouch because of policies that Cheney advocated (warrantless surveillance, harsh interrogation policies, an unprecedented expansion of executive power and, of course, the war in Iraq). Cheney's own former chief of staff recently escaped going to prison on perjury and obstruction of justice charges only due to Bush's intercession. A Washington Post series last month documented Cheney's staggering clout within the White House, even as rumors continue to swirl that on some issues he is losing his influence. And Cheney had his defibrillator replaced just last weekend.

Still, with these interviews, Cheney appears to be showing that he's still a power to be reckoned with.

The CBS Interview

Dan Eggen writes in The Washington Post: "Vice President Cheney said yesterday that he disagreed with the jury's verdict in the trial of his former chief of staff, who was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation into the Bush administration's leak of the identity of an undercover CIA officer. . . .

"Cheney also defended embattled Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, saying that Gonzales 'has testified truthfully' before Congress and has performed well as head of the Justice Department."

A few excerpts from the transcript:

Q. "Do you want Attorney General Gonzales to keep fighting to keep his job?

"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I do. I'm a big fan of Al's.

"Q Does he need to clarify his testimony?

"THE VICE PRESIDENT: I'm not going to get into the specifics of it. I think Al has done a good job under difficult circumstances. The debate between he and the Senate is something they're going to have to resolve. But I think he has testified truthfully. . . .