In Which Zandar Answers Your Burning Questions

Greg Sargent asks:

Back in March, after Cheney accused Obama of putting the country in danger the first time, White House press sec Robert Gibbs defended Obama by describing Cheney as a member of a GOP “cabal.” The comment triggered outrage from the MSNBC gang and other reporters who said Gibbs hadn’t shown the former Veep proper deference.

Today during the briefing, another reporter (I’m not sure who) attacked Gibbs again for being mean to Cheney. The reporter said Gibbs had taken a “swipe” at Cheney. What was the swipe? Earlier in the briefing, Gibbs had responded to Cheney’s attack by puckishly saying he had a lot of time on his hands. That was the swipe.

This is just weird. Cheney delivered a 5,000 word speech today blasting Obama and Dems as unwilling to defend us from terrorists. He called them phonies and hypocrites for condemning torture. He accused Obama of closing Guantanamo in order to “receive applause in Europe.” And Gibbs is taking heat for gently pushing back?

To be clear, this isn’t a partisan question. Should Obama aides attack the next administration once they’re out of office, it would be equally buffoonish for them to expect deference and respect in return.

This is an odd habit on the part of the White House press corps. Not sure what it’s about.

I'm damn sure exactly what it's about. Republicans still run the Village, and the Village still has the power to make Dick Cheney relevant. By exercising that power to make Cheney the "leading critic of the administration," as if a former Veep attacking a sitting administration after four months is 1) normal (it is not), 2) acceptable (can you imagine if Al Gore tore into Bush in May of 2001?), and 3) somehow not partisan (natch), the Village and Cheney both gain power.

It doesn't matter what the Obama administration does: attacking Cheney only plays into the Village's hands as pushing Cheney as the GOP's relentlessly heroic attack dog, and ignoring Cheney only allows him to spread his lies without challenge, meaning the Village will simply declare that Cheney has "won the national security debate showdown with Obama."

Remember though that Cheney would be both powerless and voiceless without a compliant Village media that acts as both gatekeeper and referee in these imaginary fights.