Cheney to Fitzgeral....F*ck You

Cheney Names Two to Fill Jobs of Indicted Aide

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 - Vice President Dick Cheney promoted two close confidants today to take over the duties of his former chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., who resigned last week after his indictment by a federal grand jury.

David S. Addington, who has been Mr. Cheney's counsel since the beginning of the Bush administration, will become chief of staff, and John P. Hannah, deputy national security adviser, will take Mr. Libby's place as the vice president's top aide on security matters.

Along with Mr. Libby, Mr. Addington and Mr. Hannah have been key members of the vice presidential staff and played significant roles in building the case for the war in Iraq.

Though not referred to by name, the two are mentioned in the indictment as having taken part in discussions about former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV and his wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, the C.I.A. officer whose public identification led to the charges against Mr. Libby, who is charged with obstruction of justice and perjury in the C.I.A. leak case.

By promoting Mr. Addington and Mr. Hannah, Mr. Cheney stuck with an existing group of loyal aides, rejecting calls from Republican lawmakers for the White House to bring in "new blood" at least to allow a fresh start after an investigation that appeared to knock the administration off stride.

Considering that Darth Cheney is kept alive by hubris this is not too surprising but may come as a disappointment to may Republicans.

By promoting Mr. Addington and Mr. Hannah, Mr. Cheney stuck with an existing group of loyal aides, rejecting calls from Republican lawmakers for the White House to bring in "new blood" at least to allow a fresh start after an investigation that appeared to knock the administration off stride.

"You should always be looking for new blood, new energy, qualified staff, new people in the administration," Senator Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, said on "Fox News Sunday." He said a lack of strong advisers to the president could have been a factor in the failed nomination of Harriet E. Miers for the Supreme Court.

Kenneth M. Duberstein, a prominent Washington Republican who served as chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan, concurred that Mr. Bush should consider bringing in new top aides.
"I think what the president has to do is, in fact, bring in a new team - not everybody, not replace everybody - but bring in some new blood that has not gone through this exercise and this involvement and this accident of the last year," Mr. Duberstein said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "He needs to bring in people with credibility and great management skill, people who can go to the Oval Office and talk reality."

I'm certain Mr Fitzgerald will interpret this as a slap in the face as should all Americans. It is obvious that Mr Cheney has no intention of changing the way he does business. We can expect a lot more lies and deception.

Since many, including right wing war hawk Andrew Sullivan, think Cheney is the one who is really in Fitzgeralds sights this may be a case of very unwise hubris on Darth Cheney's part.