Would a torture investigation be Dick Cheney's final revenge?

P.M. Carpenter, obviously a regular reader of the Brain, follows up on Fixer's post just below.

Naturally, the GOP's bogeywoman of Nancy Pelosi seems ideal: "Republicans say new revelations about a CIA briefing Pelosi received in 2002 have given them their best shot yet at blocking a sprawling probe into Bush administration interrogation techniques."

That strategy, however, could very well backfire -- and the more strenuously the GOP pushes it, the more certain it becomes to accomplish just that: to blow up in their face.

In short, to protect her reputation Pelosi may move from strongly encouraging a "sprawling probe" to downright insisting on one. Sure, she'll say, I'd be happy to testify; but in that event let's haul everybody in, under oath, and a good 99 percent of those "everybodies" will be -- you got it -- Republicans.

Here's the kicker:

And as an investigative committee works its way up, it ultimately, as Dick Cheney so selflessly conceded on "Face the Nation," will land on the singular desk of George W. Bush, who "basically authorized" the stunningly illegal torture program (my em). George may have again sought the solace of drink upon hearing that one.

Furthermore, Mr. Cheney said he may even be willing to testify to that -- in fact all of it -- under oath. To which one can only speculate that hell hath no fury like a Scooter-loving vice president scorned.

It's a nice thought, but I think Cheney knows damn well he broke the law with the very thinnest of cover, which was all he could come up with and knows will not stand close scrutiny in a court of law, and will have to be dragged kicking and screaming from an undisclosed location in front of an investigating body where we will all learn the Fifth Amendment word for word direct from his reptilian lips.

Cheney has a whole phalanx of desperate defenders, including his daughter and some right wing gasbags and pols, trying to muddle the issue. It is documentary evidence and the testimony of witnesses whom The Dick is busy pissing off right now, and perhaps his own words, that will ultimately convict him.

Bush? He deserves to go to jail because he bears responsibility as the president, but he didn't come up with the torture program. He's not that good(?) a thinker. He signed anything Cheney put in front of him. It's going to bite him on the ass big time.

Bush was a weakling and a witting pawn of evildoers he was incapable of understanding, much less foil in their attempts. That will be his legacy for all time. He's still young enough that he will get to enjoy that knowledge for years to come.