The absurdity of the world of Washington briefings came into sharp focus this week in a session with a self-described “senior administration official.”
According to a transcript distributed by the White House, the “anonymous” official aboard Air Force Two spoke in the first person about Vice President Dick Cheney’s mission in Pakistan.
“Let me just make one editorial comment here. I’ve seen some press reporting that says, ‘Cheney went in to beat up on them, threaten them.’ That’s not the way I work.”‘
The identity of the “senior administration official” is perfectly obvious, yet White House spokesman Tony Snow refused to acknowledge the speaker was Vice President Cheney.
To be sure, top administration officials have engaged in this practice – with the reluctant acquiescence of journalists – since the early 1970s, when then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was shuttling back and forth between Middle Eastern capitals. But the ritual reached a ridiculous level in this briefing with a half-dozen journalists who traveled with Cheney on his recent trip to Asia, which included surprise stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On one leg, Cheney spoke at some length about the talks he had with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The vice president offered his assessment of the U.S. commitments to their governments and his spin on how any action by Congress that moves toward troop withdrawal could “validate al-Qaeda strategy.”
Clearly, in speaking as “a senior administration official,” Cheney was looking for cover, as if there was a second person in the administration who harbors the Cheney perspective. Cheney’s use of anonymity deprives the public of any chance to assess the motive and credibility of his remarks. We’re glad he ruined the charade by lapsing into the first person.
It’s incumbent upon government officials to speak forthrightly to the American people, and journalists should make every effort to gather material on the record. Let Cheney speak for himself, or keep his spin to himself.
