Duck, Cheney

Unsurprisingly, Dick Cheney is unrepentant. In an interview on Fox News, the former vice-president called the Senate report on the CIA's interrogation practices “full of crap,” although he confessed he had read neither the report nor its summary. (Full disclosure: Neither have I.) But he trashed the document nonetheless, praising the CIA and defending the legality, morality and effectiveness of its techniques. Four times he invoked the 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11, and he took responsibility for measures he asserted had prevented a second such attack on American soil. What he has never taken responsibility for is this: On whose watch did the first attack take place? Thankfully, we have had only one. It happened while Dick Cheney was overseeing our national security.

I’m not suggesting that Cheney is responsible for 9/11 in the same way the current Congress keeps trying to pin Benghazi – another horrific terrorist attack, which left four Americans dead – on Barack Obama. So far, five (!) House committees, all with Republican majorities bent on sticking it to the president, have investigated Benghazi. They have found no evidence of a conspiracy or cover-up. But don't worry, they’re still looking.

I don’t believe there was any conspiracy or cover-up with regard to 9/11. But if the head of the secret service is fired because a guy jumped over the White House fence and the VA administrator is disgraced over hospital conditions, why is nobody deemed accountable for 9/11?

Dick Cheney poses as a stand-up guy. But on this issue, he lies low.