Transcript of Cheney interview

Hume: Will it affect your attitude toward this pastime you so love in the future?

Cheney: I can’t say that.  You know, we canceled the Sunday hunt.  I said, look I’m not — we were scheduled to go out again on Sunday and I said I’m not going to go on Sunday, I want to focus on Harry.  I’ll have to think about it.

Hume: Some organizations have said they hoped you would find a less violent pastime.

Cheney: Well, it’s brought me great pleasure over the years.  I love the people that I’ve hunted with and do hunt with; love the outdoors, it’s part of my heritage, growing up in Wyoming.  It’s part of who I am.  But as I say, the season is ending, I’m going to let some time pass over it and think about the future.

Hume: On another subject, court filings have indicated that Scooter Libby has suggested that his superiors — unidentified — authorized the release of some classified information.  What do you know about that?

Cheney:  It’s nothing I can talk about, Brit.  This is an issue that’s been under investigation for a couple of years.  I’ve cooperated fully, including being interviewed, as well, by a special prosecutor.  All of it is now going to trial.  Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence.  He’s a great guy.  I’ve worked with him for a long time, have enormous regard for him.  I may well be called as a witness at some point in the case and it’s, therefore, inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case.

Hume: Let me ask you another question.  Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?

Cheney: There is an executive order to that effect.

Hume: There is.

Cheney: Yes.

Hume: Have you done it?

Cheney: Well, I’ve certainly advocated declassification and participated in declassification decisions.  The executive order —

Hume: You ever done it unilaterally?

Cheney: I don’t want to get into that.  There is an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously focuses first and foremost on the President, but also includes the Vice President.

Hume: There have been two leaks, one that pertained to possible facilities in Europe; and another that pertained to this NSA matter.  There are officials who have had various characterizations of the degree of damage done by those.  How would you characterize the damage done by those two reports?

Cheney: There clearly has been damage done.

Hume: Which has been the more harmful, in your view?

Cheney: I don’t want to get into just sort of ranking them, then you get into why is one more damaging than the other.  One of the problems we have as a government is our inability to keep secrets.  And it costs us, in terms of our relationship with other governments, in terms of the willingness of other intelligence services to work with us, in terms of revealing sources and methods.  And all of those elements enter into some of these leaks.

Hume: Mr. Vice President, thank you very much for doing this.

Cheney: Thank you, Brit.

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