On Wednesday's CNN Newsroom, anchor Rick Sanchez focused on enhanced interrogation methods, a favorite topic of his. He spoke with Jane Mayer, author of "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals." The title itself suggests where Mayer stands, so it didn't take long for Detective Sanchez to uncover the true malefactor:
SANCHEZ: You know, I would bet you if you -- if you and I went around right now and we did some kind of random sample all over the country and just asked average Americans who do you think was the person who was really behind all of this, I know this doesn't get talked a lot about in the media, but I bet you most Americans would say Dick Cheney.
Would they be right?
MAYER: Well, you know, as you said, I have written a book about it. It's called "The Dark Side." And it's out in paperback now, and it tells the story of who really was behind this.
And I have to say, there are certain mysteries still. There are many more documents to come out. But it's incredible how many fingerprints lead off into the vice president's office.
Cheney is the person who keeps pushing forward. There -- there were many people in the Bush administration who fought back against this, not just liberals, not just civil libertarians. There were military people. The FBI, a number of lawyers who said, this is how our country does. This is what the enemy does. We don't -- this demeans us. We don't torture people, but Cheney kept pushing.
You have to wonder what Sanchez is reading and watching for him to claim that Cheney's role "doesn't get talked a lot about in the media." CNN's own Web site carries recent stories titled "Cheney defends dark side interrogations" and "Senate report: Rice, Cheney OK'd CIA use of waterboarding." It also has the commentary "Cheney says U.S. can torture but can't heal" by the always impartial Paul Begala.
This week Bloomberg.com published "Cheney’s Smirk Takes Us to ‘Dark Side’ Again." In The New York Times, Al Hunt's Letter From Washington noted:
The bitterness is evident with a glance at blog sites. On the liberal side, there are pictures of obscene practices, shrill denunciations of Mr. Cheney, and headlines like, “Torture is foreplay for war.”
Last month NewsBuster Noel Sheppard reported "Saturday Night Live Introduces Dick Cheney's ‘Torboto: The Robot That Tortures People.’" And it's been almost two years since The Washington Post told readers:
Cheney and his allies, according to more than two dozen current and former officials, pioneered a novel distinction between forbidden "torture" and permitted use of "cruel, inhuman or degrading" methods of questioning. They did not originate every idea to rewrite or reinterpret the law, but fresh accounts from participants show that they translated muscular theories, from Yoo and others, into the operational language of government.
Sure, Rick, there are matters that the media devote more coverage to. You know, important stuff like Obama's supposed eloquence and Michelle's well toned arms. But your sidekicks in the mainstream media have carved out no small amount of time to blame Dick Cheney. For anything they can.
