A reader writes:
There may be no rational explanation.
A shrewd operator like Cheney might well have foreseen that outing Plame would produce a storm of inquiries and bring more, not less, attention to the dubious WMD argument for war. But he went ahead anyway. Possibly he was sending a signal to any restive CIA analysts to keep their mouths shut if they wanted to keep their jobs. And given an acquiescent Congress and easy-going media, he may have thought there would be no consequences.
But I often get the impression that Cheney is just barely keeping a lid on his anger and spite. Maybe this time it blew. The visceral need for payback trumped calculation.
Then again, maybe he isn't as shrewd as we all assume.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/07/-i-why-i-the-perjury-ctd/227032/
