Power Behind the Throne

(Newser) - John McCain’s desire to keep his distance from the Bush Administration is expected to keep Dick Cheney away from the Republican Convention, say GOP officials. There is a “mutual understanding” between Cheney and McCain’s staffs that the unpopular VP is “unlikely” to attend, one official noted, though another said the two teams are “trying to work it out.” More »

(Newser) - Ex-Congressman and ex-OMB director Rob Portman has much to offer John McCain as a running mate, writes Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza. "If Washington-based political operatives picked the vice president, Portman would have it hands down" because he's "that rare breed of politician who is equally conversant—and skilled—at policy and politics." More »

(Newser) - President Bush has invoked an unprecedented executive privilege claim to bar FBI interviews with Dick Cheney from a congressional committee probing the leak that exposed Valerie Plame as a CIA agent, Newsweek reports. The Bush order argues that turning over the records of Cheney's grilling concerning the scandal would violate the president's right to confidential communication with his advisers. More »

(Newser) - Tony Snow, economic policy, veepstakes, and the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae crisis sparked conversation on the Sunday talk show circuit today. Time sums them up: Fox News Sunday paid homage to late newscaster and press secretary Tony Snow; Dick Cheney called him "the best" he's known. Arnold Shwarzenegger applauded John McCain's bipartisanship and Iraq policy on This Week , but dismissed the idea of working at a McCain White House . More »

(Newser) - An undercover probe has confirmed rumors that donors to President Bush's $200 million library are gaining access to his inner circle, the London Times reports. Bush lobbyist Stephen Payne offered an undercover reporter face-to-face meetings with Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice, among others, for payments of $600,000 to $750,000. “Cheney’s possible, definitely the national security adviser" Stephen Hadley, Payne said. More »

(Newser) - In the wake of Iranian missile tests, Israel’s defense minister will visit the US for talks next week to press the case that Tehran poses a serious nuclear threat, the Jerusalem Post reports. Yesterday, Ehud Barak suggested that Israel is ready to attack. "We have proven in the past that we are not deterred from acting when our vital interests are at stake."  More »