No Easy Answers

Lynne Cheney - December 24, 2006

WALLACE: You were nice enough to invite my wife and me to one of your Christmas parties -- and thank you very much for that -- and I couldn't help but notice that one of the other guests at the party was Scooter Libby, the vice president's former chief of staff.

What is the Cheneys' relationship with Scooter Libby now?

CHENEY: Oh, Scooter is a friend. He is someone that we admire. He is someone who has served the country very well. He's a fine man.

WALLACE: What about all his legal problems?

CHENEY: Well, the legal problems are there. I don't want to comment on anything in specific because there is a trial coming up.

But Scooter is a fine man. And we continue to support him and his wonderful family. He has a terrific wife, two great kids.

WALLACE: And those legal problems, it seems, have not changed your opinion and your admiration of him.

CHENEY: That's exactly right.

WALLACE: I'm going to ask you a question; you can answer it or not answer it.

Given the fact that it now turns out that Libby wasn't the one who first leaked the name of Valerie Plame, the CIA officer, what do you think of the fact that he's the only person who's being tried?

CHENEY: It seems bizarre to me.

WALLACE: In what way?

CHENEY: Well, that's the -- I did answer your question.

WALLACE: I'm surprised you answered it that much.

CHENEY: Let's just stop there. I think it's bizarre.

WALLACE: That he's the only who's being tried?

CHENEY: Well, I just think -- I think that we're seeing an instance of a man who spent a great deal of his life as a dedicated public servant -- he's done an awful lot of good -- in a situation that does not reflect well on our judicial system.

Dick Cheney - January 14, 2007

WALLACE: Your former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, goes on trial this coming week on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury.

As I mentioned to Mrs. Cheney when she was here a few weeks ago, I happened to notice that you invited Mr. Libby to your Christmas party, which you also invited me to.

Given his legal troubles, why?

CHENEY: Why what?

WALLACE: Why invite him to your party?

CHENEY: He's a friend. He's a good man. He is one of the finest individuals I've ever known. And I did invite him to the Christmas party. The last two years he's been at our Christmas party and before that...

WALLACE: Is he honest?

CHENEY: I believe he's one of the more honest men I know. He's a good man. And I obviously appreciate very much his service on my staff over the years and have very high regard for him and his family.

WALLACE: Libby's lawyers say they're going to call you as a witness. And we've had presidential scholars scurrying; it appears that it may be the first time ever that a sitting vice president has testified in a criminal trial.

Will you participate in a videotaped deposition, or will you go into court and raise your right hand?

CHENEY: Chris, I'm not going to get into the trial. That's a matter that's before us. I have indicated from the very beginning my whole-hearted cooperation with the investigation and with whatever legal proceedings emerge out of that. And this will all unfold here in the very near future, so...

WALLACE: Do you have any problem going into open court, sir?

CHENEY: I'm going to leave it where it's at. I'm not going to comment on the trial itself.

WALLACE: Given the fact that it now turns out that Libby wasn't the one who first leaked the name of Valerie Plame, what do you think of the fact that he's the only one who's being prosecuted in this case?

CHENEY: I have strong views on the subject, but I'm not going to talk about it.

WALLACE: Let me ask you, because your wife, when she was on -- and let's put it up on the screen -- said, "It's bizarre and does not reflect well on our judicial system."

CHENEY: I'm not going to talk about it.

WALLACE: Do you agree with your wife?

CHENEY: I'm not going to talk about it, Chris. I have strong feelings on the subject. I am likely to be a witness in this trial. It would be inappropriate for me, at this point, shortly before the trial begins, to enter into a public dialogue with you about my views on this issue.

WALLACE: But there's nothing that you have heard, nothing that you have read that shakes your confidence in Scooter Libby's integrity?

CHENEY: That's correct.

posted by cboldt  # 1/14/2007 11:58:00 AM