Cheney soldiers on as Bush retreats

Even Veep Dick Chickenhawk -- I mean Cheney -- has toned down his rhetoric on Iraq critics a little bit, following the lead of his partner in crime, W Bush. Bush is now the good cop, Cheney the not-quite-as-bad cop. But he still gets his licks in.

The WashPost reports:

Cheney said in his speech today that he does not believe it is "wrong to criticize the war on terror or any aspect thereof" and that he enjoys "energetic debate on issues facing our country." He called [Rep. John] Murtha "a good man, a Marine, a patriot" and said that while he disagreed with him, the congressman was "taking a clear stand in an entirely legitimate discussion."

However, Cheney said: "What is not legitimate and what I will again say is dishonest and reprehensible is the suggestion by some U.S. senators that the president of the United States or any member of his administration purposely misled the American people on prewar intelligence.

I guess if you were the chief of the "Find 'Evidence' of WMDs No Matter What" Unit, as Cheney was, you'd be a little testy about it, too.

UPDATE: Political Animal blog at Washington Monthly says Bush's line is that "I was wrong but so were you," while Cheney continues to argue that the administration was totally right when it decided to invade. That's a much harder sell.

And this, from Think Progress:

Cheney Rewrites The Headlines

Vice President Dick Cheney began his speech at the American Enterprise Institute today with the following statement:

My remarks today concern national security, in particular the war on terror and Iraq front in that war. Several days ago, I commented on some recent statements that have been made by some members of Congress about Iraq. Within hours of my speech, a report went out on the wires under the headline quote, Cheney Says War Critics Dishonest, Reprehensible, endquote. The one thing I’ve learned in the last five years is that when you’re vice president you’re lucky if your speeches get any attention at all but I do have a quarrel with that headline.

Here’s exactly what Cheney said just a few days ago, on November 16:

And the suggestion that’s been made by some U.S. senators that the President of the United States or any member of this administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city.

To quote President Bush, it is “deeply irresponsible to rewrite history.”