Greg Mitchell commits a new crime.

Dick Cheney: The New 'Baghdad Bob'?

Is the former Iraqi propaganda minister inhabiting the soul of our vice president? It sure seemed this way during Cheney's highly delusional interview with Wolf Blitzer this week.

January 27, 2007) -- Is it just me, or is Vice President Cheney, in his latest statements, starting once again to sound like another balding, rose-colored-glasses wearing war spokesman, Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf, better known as “Baghdad Bob”?

For that matter, has anyone seen "Bob" lately? Perhaps, as a trained propagandist, he is in the bunker with Dick, writing his material.

By now you have read excerpts from Cheney's interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN this week, filled with delusional statements -- reminiscent of his "last throes" claims -- about things going so well in Iraq and refusing to admit any mistakes (beyond counting on the American public to strongly support the war forever). Asked, for example, if there is still a deadly mess to clean up in Iraq, Cheney replied, "No there is not. There is not. There's problems — ongoing problems — but we have in fact accomplished our objectives."

Is it time to start calling him "Beltway Bob"? Or "D.C. Dick"? Or perhaps "Bunker Bob"?

Baghdad Bob, of course, was Saddam Hussein's minister of information, later immortalized on t-shirts, Web sites, and even a DVD for his optimistic, if fanciful, statements about Iraq's triumph over the American infidels, right up to the point his boss left the building. Baghdad Bob somehow survived and later worked as an Arab TV commentator, sans trademark beret (although he now seems to have inhabited our vice president's body).

I hope Mr Mitchell understands that in the new, 21st century America, with its now-streamlined Constitution, contempt of warmongering vampire is a crime.