'A former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney told a
federal grand jury that his superiors authorized him to give secret information
to reporters as part of the Bush administration's defense of intelligence used
to justify invading Iraq, according to court papers.

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said in documents
filed last month that he plans to introduce evidence that I. Lewis
"Scooter" Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, disclosed to
reporters the contents of a classified National Intelligence Estimate in the
summer of 2003.

The NIE is a report prepared by the head of the nation's
intelligence operations for high-level government officials, up to and
including the president. Portions of NIEs are sometimes declassified and made
public. It is unclear whether that happened in this instance.

In a Jan. 23 letter to Libby's lawyers, Fitzgerald said
Libby also testified before the grand jury that he caused at least one other
government official to discuss an intelligence estimate with reporters in July
2003.

"We also note that it is our understanding that Mr.
Libby testified that he was authorized to disclose information about the NIE to
the press by his superiors," Fitzgerald wrote.’

Libby: White
House 'Superiors' OK'd Leaks

Actually it transpires that Mr Cheney did not have a licence to shoot quail in Texas... He fired his gun thus illegally and got a reprimand

It doesn't take long Gus ......

"Late Show with David Letterman," CBS:

"Good news, ladies and gentlemen, we have finally located weapons of
mass destruction: It's Dick Cheney."

"But here is the sad part - before the trip Donald Rumsfeld had denied
the guy's request for body armor."

"We can't get Bin Laden, but we nailed a 78-year-old attorney."

"The guy who got gunned down, he is a Republican lawyer and a big
Republican donor and fortunately the buck shot was deflected by wads of
laundered cash. So he's fine. He took a little in the wallet.”

---

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC:

"Although it is beautiful here in California, the weather back East
has been atrocious. There was so much snow in Washington, D.C., Dick
Cheney accidentally shot a fat guy thinking it was a polar bear.

"That's the big story over the weekend. ... Dick Cheney accidentally
shot a fellow hunter, a 78-year-old lawyer. In fact, when people found
out he shot a lawyer, his popularity is now at 92 percent."

"I think Cheney is starting to lose it. After he shot the guy he
screamed, 'Anyone else want to call domestic wire tapping illegal?'"

"Dick Cheney is capitalizing on this for Valentine's Day. It's the new
Dick Cheney cologne. It's called Duck!”

---

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Comedy Central:

"Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a man during a quail
hunt ... making 78-year-old Harry Whittington the first person shot by a
sitting veep since Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, of course, (was) shot
in a duel with Aaron Burr over issues of honor, integrity and political
maneuvering. Whittington? Mistaken for a bird."

"Now, this story certainly has its humorous aspects. ... But it also
raises a serious issue, one which I feel very strongly about. ... moms,
dads, if you're watching right now, I can't emphasize this enough: Do
not let your kids go on hunting trips with the vice president. I don't
care what kind of lucrative contracts they're trying to land, or energy
regulations they're trying to get lifted - it's just not worth it."