Last Days of Big Time?

Until recently we imagined that Richard Bruce Cheney might retire in peace to the blue skies of Wyoming; or he might be put out to pasture at a D.C. lobbying firm; or he might depart this mortal coil mid-Whopper™ by way of a sudden and final myocardial infarction. Some even imagined (hoped for, really) indictment for warcrimes committed in his role as leader of the shadowy svengalis of neocon foreign policy.

Nobody said much about back-room Washington trickery involving men with undignified names like 'Scooter'. Could a career steeped in public service finally come down to this?

It's too early to begin writing the political obituary for the man with the ice-cool nerves and leathery voice. It's true, Washington is abuzz over the ongoing investigation into the Valerie Plame affair, and the role played by Karl Rove and the Veep staff. When I saw the arm-waving by Chris Matthews early in the day I discounted it. Mr. Hardball has hyped scandal after scandal - none of which has had any significant impact on the Bush administration. And even the Washington Post warns that it's too early to leap to conclusions.

But today the conservative organ NewsMax published the rumor that Cheney was set to resign, and the vice presidency would be given to Condi Rice. NewsMax usually ignores with religious intensity any bad news about the Bush administration. Could this have been leaked as a trial balloon to test the reaction of "the base" to a reorganization of power? Was it a failure of quality control for right-wing media, or a sign of things to come?