February 11, 2007: Cheney Will be Held Accountable on Witness Stand if He Testifies, Observers Say

New York Times reporters Scott Shane and Jim Rutenberg, writing for the Times-owned International Herald Tribune, observe that if Vice President Dick Cheney does choose to testify in the Lewis Libby trial, he may not bolster Libby’s defense as much as he may intend. The reporters write: “If he testifies, Cheney will bring to the jurors the awesome authority of his office and could attest to Libby’s character as policy adviser and family man, to his crushing workload and dedication to keeping the country safe. That could give extra heft to Libby’s defense against the charge that he lied to the FBI and grand jury: that he was so occupied with important matters of state, he did not accurately remember conversations from July 2003. But the first 10 days of testimony has already exposed some of the long-hidden workings of Cheney’s extraordinary vice presidency, revealing how deeply the vice president himself was engaged during 2003 in managing public relations as the administration’s case for war came under attack.” Court and legal observers believe that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will be respectful but probing, and will hold Cheney accountable for any misstatements or contradictions. The reporters write, “If Cheney makes a statement that conflicts with the public record—and nearly every witness so far has done so at least once—it could prove embarrassing for him and for the administration.” A former federal prosecutor who knows Fitzgerald says: “If Cheney said anything that’s contradicted in the record, though I think that’s unlikely, Pat will slam him. He’ll do it respectfully, but I have no doubt he’ll do it.” [International Herald Tribune, 2/11/2007]