Lexington: Dick Cheney under the microscope

摘要

Dick Cheney has never been a great fan of open government. His staff refuse to reveal how many people work in his office, let alone what they do there. He went to court to keep the membership of his energy commission secret. You can find the White House and the Pentagon on Google Earth. But the vice-president's official residence is pixellated out. Which makes the trial of Mr Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, all the more notable. The defence finally decided against calling Mr Cheney to testify. But nevertheless the trial, which is now reaching its final stages, has cast a rare shaft of light on the vice-president's dark world. His handwritten notes have been projected on giant screens. His bureaucratic fingerprints have been examined in the smallest detail.