Let's get Dick

If you believe the rumors, Dick Cheney -- the real leader of our fair land -- may not keep his job much longer.

Hannah: Raw Story reports that Cheney aide John Hannah ("on loan" from the offices of then-Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs) is cooperating with the Fitzgerald probe. (Rumors of this "turning" first appeared a year ago.) If this report is true, Fitzgerald has found someone well-positioned to know every filthy detail about what's really been going on during the past five years.

Cheney ran his own version of the NSC called the Vice-Presidential Advisory Team, and Hannah was a key member of this elite council.

Hannah liased with Chalabi -- which places him within the orbit of the Ledeen network. Hannah also works closely with Ariel Sharon. And he played link-man between Cheney's office and the Pentagon's notorious Office of Special Plans. All in all, a busy lad.

The AIPAC connection. Hannah also has long-standing ties to the pro-Israel political action committee, which is caught up in its own spy scandal. That scandal intersects heavily with Traitorgate, and I wouldn't be surprised to see both investigations coalesce into one massive mega-mess.

Will Hannah pull a North and fall on his sword? If he does, his goal probably will be to protect Israel, not Cheney. Otherwise, Hannah will have to reveal Israel's role in providing the fake "intelligence" that led to war.

The CIA, which knows the difference between the dope and the dupe, opposed basing American foreign policy on Likud disinfo. Some evidence suggests that Valerie Plame/Wilson was part of this internal opposition. Cheney, I believe, targeted her as part of his larger war against the Agency.

If only we could have open hearings on these matters!

Resignation soon? According to U.S. News and World Report, "Cheney resignation rumors fly." The scenario under discussion involves Condi moving into the VP's office. Would such a move raise the administration's approval rating among African-Americans? Probably. But not by much. The most controversial aspect of such a scenario, apparently, is Rice's (alleged) pro-choice stance.

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John Nichols of The Nation makes a good argument that Cheney was the only one with the means and motive to head up this vengeance-fest: "And no one, repeat no one, in Washington is known to be more vindictive than Dick Cheney."

The vice president is a famously hands-on player. He personally requested information about claims that the Iraqis were attempting to obtain uranium from African countries -- the issue that Wilson examined in 2002...

Will Libby "go North"? I came across the interesting suggestion that Libby's reference to "the fall" in his infamous "aspen roots" letter may constitute a disguised reference to his own fall. Libby is known to be a fanatical loyalist, and he might well try to take a bullet for Dick Cheney.

22 indictments? That's what former CIA officer Larry C. Johnson is saying:

Had lunch today with a person who has a direct tie to one of the folks facing indictment in the Plame affair. There are 22 files that Fitzgerald is looking at for potential indictment . These include Stephen Hadley, Karl Rove, Lewis Libby, Dick Cheney, and Mary Matalin (there are others of course). Hadley has told friends he expects to be indicted. No wonder folks are nervous at the White House.

We've heard this before -- 21, 22, 23 indictments; the number always seems to be in that range. See, for example, this Think Progress report.

Finally: Previous administrations understood that screwing the CIA had severe consequences. This administration has pissed off both our spooks and Britain's spooks -- and now, it appears, the time has come for payback. My question: What took so long?