again with the lies, dick?

Once more, de facto Vice President Dick Cheney is speaking publicly. Once more, Dick Cheney is lying. This time, he claims that the (judicially unauthorized, illegal, unconstitutional, and probably ineffective) domestic eavesdropping that NSA has been indulging in since September 11, 2001 could have prevented the terror attacks of that day. Naturally, Cheney offers no proof for his statement. Because no proof is needed, he just wants to plant the seeds of doubt and give the yellow-dog Republicans a talking point to live by.

This is even by Dick Cheney's standards an utterly cynical and frankly unconvincing argument. It fits nicely with the Cheney Doctrine, which holds that unchecked power in the hands of the Executive Branch can only be good for the American Volk, I mean People. And for Big Business.

I'm dubious that phone calls would reveal much anyway. For years, terrorists have realized that phone calls and email messages are risky -- they find other ways to communicate.

Besides, there was PLENTY of evidence and warning from the intelligence community before September 11. Remember the intelligence and counterterror community were already running around with their hair on fire trying to penetrate the disinterested Administration in the threat of an impending terror attack. Would any eavesdropping-derived evidence have been treated any differently? Assuming the plotters didn't say things like, "OK, Ali I'll meet you on Tuesday September 11 so we can hijack flight XYZ from Boston to LA and fly it in the World Trade Center just like we planned. Give my regards to your wife."

Our Vice President. What a guy.