Tim Russert must not be turning but spinning in his grave after checking out John King’s latest interview this Sunday. John King had as his guest former vice-President Dick Cheny. And FOX news could not have done a better job of giving the former vice-President a walk-over. The interview conducted by John King gives a whole new meaning to a softball interview.
At one point in the interview King played several video clips.

CHENEY: (statements made on video)  “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use them against our friends, against our allies, and against us.

I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.

I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.

KING: “All comments you made over the years, Mr. Vice President, and we are back with our interview with Vice President Dick Cheney. All comments you made over the years about the Iraq war that proved to be quite controversial.”

“Proved to be controversial?” John King appears to have a limited vocabulary and not familiar with such big words as “wrong” or “lies.” “Controversial” is not the word that comes to mind when a statement is made that history has proven it to be false unless you’re trying to suck up to the interviewee.

King asked Cheny, is there anything that you wish you could have said during those debates or in response to those controversies that you feel free to say now?

CHENEY: “That’s an interesting question, John. I — I guess my general sense of where we are with respect to Iraq and at the end of now, what, nearly six years, is that we’ve accomplished nearly everything we set out to do.”

“Now, I don’t hear much talk about that, but the fact is, the violence level is down 90 percent. The number of casualties and Iraqis and Americans is significantly diminished. There’s been elections, a constitution. They’re about to have another presidential election here in the near future. We have succeeded in creating in the heart of the Middle East a democratically governed Iraq, and that is a big deal, and it is, in fact, what we set out to “do.”

KING: "It’s a dangerous term because of the political debates in the past, but mission accomplished?"

CHENEY: “I wouldn’t use that, just because it triggers reactions that we don’t need. But I would ask people and the press, too, to take an honest look at the circumstances in Iraq today and how far we’ve come. The defeat of Al Qaida in Iraq, the writing of that democratic constitution, a series of elections that involve power sharing among all the various groups, the end of sectarian violence. I think a major defeat for the Iranians living next door to Iraq, who tried to influence events there.”

This was a rather lengthy interview with the vice-President offering one self-serving statement after another each vying for the designation of “the most preposterous.” Picking one at random let’s go with. “I think a major defeat for the Iranians next door to Iraq, who tried to influence events there.” You won’t find too many observers of the middle-east that consider Iran’s power diminished by our invasion of Iraq. In fact quite the opposite, one of the unintended consequences of the invasion and the deposing of Sadam Hussein has been the unquestioned increased power that has accrued to Iran.

Cheny gave King all the fodder he needed to do an effective Russert style interview. “that we’ve accomplished nearly everything we set out to do.” Finding weapons of mass destruction was the stated original objective. Al Qaida was not in Iraq until we presented them a target to attract them there.

This interview was aired on Sunday,  Keith Olbermann  and Rachel Maddow are likely chomping at the proverbial bit to tear this interview apart. No doubt they’re going to expose it for what it was, a bald face attempt by Cheny to rewrite history.  I only hope they don’t give John King a pass because he did a great job of enabling. Everything Cheny said was self-serving.  He came up with one preposterous statement after another as John sat quietly nodding assent and understanding. 

Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times complimented John King for getting the interview with the vice-President describing it as a “coup.” In that compliment may reside the clue for why John King was fawning over Cheny so effusively. His wrap-up comments were consistent with someone more interested in gaining access than conducting a penetrating interview. In closing Mr. King put in yet another bid for future interview, to  which Cheny seemed to readily consent, and why not?

KING: We’re out of time on this morning, but I’ll invite you back at a later date, especially when the book is ready, bring it on in. I may read it on — I have to buy a Kindle.
CHENEY: All right.
KING: Mr. Vice President, thanks so much for being here.