Is Cheney Strongarming Bush for a Pardon?

Dick Cheney has admitted that he worked to obtain clearance for waterboarding terrorism suspects.

"I was aware of the program, certainly, and involved in helping get the process cleared."

I think Dick Cheney has just handed George w. Bush his very own Christmas list - presidential absolution for Cheney, Rumsfeld and their minions for waterboarding and other acts of torture undertaken in the Quixotic name of Bush's "War on Terror."

US courts have considered waterboarding cases before and held them to be torture. America's War Crimes Act defines torture as a war crime punishable by life in prison or, if the victim dies, the death penalty.

So what's Cheney up to? Is he questing for martyrdom? I think not. Anyone who managed to score five, FIVE, deferments during the Vietnam War isn't the sort for martyrdom. That's Grade A prime Chickenhawk all the way.

I suspect Cheney is setting up the "we did what we had to" narrative the Repugs will cling to as the Bush/Cheney Middle East fiasco slips, in failure, straight through their fingers. That should grease the way for Bush to issue a general pardon to Cheney, Rummie and right down the line to the people who actually got their hands wet.