Cheney's mysterious machinations: Secrecy, strong-arming, and spies

Drum points to a great article by Robert Dreyfuss in The American Prospect, Vice Squad, which digs into the inner workings of the Office of the Vice President, revealing how the VP has managed to exert such a significant influence on both national and foreign policy—and who comprises the collection of dedicated enablers that dedicate themselves to making it so.

Larry Wilkerson, formerly a top aide to Secretary of State Colin Powell, is a no-nonsense, ex-military man who has spoken out bluntly about what he calls a "cabal" led by Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and their top aides. Time after time, in various interagency meetings, all the way up to the Cabinet-level "principals committee," Wilkerson would watch in astonishment as Cheney's staffers muscled everyone else.

Wilkerson portrays the vice president's office as the source of a zealous, almost messianic approach to foreign affairs. "There were several remarkable things about the vice president's staff," he says. "One was how empowered they were, and one was how in sync they were. In fact, we used to say about both [Rumsfeld's office] and the vice president's office that they were going to win nine out of ten battles, because they are ruthless, because they have a strategy, and because they never, ever deviate from that strategy … They make a decision, and they make it in secret, and they make in a different way than the rest of the bureaucracy makes it, and then suddenly foist it on the government -- and the rest of the government is all confused."

The entire article is most assuredly worth your time. From the unrelenting secrecy about everything emanating from the veep's office—including, bizarrely, even who works there—to the bullying and spying performed on behalf of the vice president by his mysterious and true-believing staff, it's nothing less than a playbook of a coup that most of America has failed to notice. From the moment Cheney was tasked with selecting Bush's running mate, and subsequently selected himself, he's endeavored to realize all of his neocon fantasies, changing America—and the world—into what he wants it to be.

There are many more detailed (and surprising) revelations, but this bit struck me as perhaps the most pertinent in explaining exactly how Cheney came to have the power he has:

[O]fficials who have opposed Cheney believe that President Bush has "views" only about basic principles, and that in making dozens of complex decisions he relies on pre-determined staff papers. Says one insider deeply involved in U.S. policy toward North Korea: "The president is given only the most basic notions about the Korea issue. They tell him, 'Above South Korea is a country called North Korea. It is an evil regime.' … So that translates into a presidential decision: Why enter into any agreement with an evil regime?"

Perhaps the greatest irony about Bush's reputation for being "strong, tough, unyielding," for "staying the course," for "listening to his gut instincts," is that not only are none of those things true, but he may well be one of the most easily manipulated men to ever have held such prominent office—so deeply mistaken about his own character, having started to believe his own press, he has failed to realize that his "instincts" are suggestions carefully created and implanted by his alleged second-in-command, mere illusions. He's nothing more than an action figure with posable parts, but believes himself to be a real, tough-talkin', hard-working cowboy...which is exactly what the Wormtongue whispering in his ear wants.

(Crossposted at AlterNet PEEK.)