You Should Know Who This Guy Is

David Addington is not the sort of fellow to seek out the limelight. From his perspective, this is definitely a good thing. Unlike Bush’s man Rove and Libby, Addington’s predecessor as Cheney’s Chief of Staff, the media has largely let him do his work in peace. Unlike Rove, and his boss Cheney, the media never constructed the evil advisor narrative for Addington. In fact, they never constructed much of anything around Addington. As a consequence, despite the fact that many of his deeds are more egregious then those of anyone else in the administration, and his power greater than that of most cabinet secretaries, he is under no scrutiny form the administration’s opponents.
Who exactly is Addington? A succinct definition is that he is Cheney’s Cheney. He has been close to the VP since his before his days as Secretary of Defense for the first Bush. During the transition period in 2001, Addington helped set up a single executive office, instead of the traditional and separate office of the VP. More specifically, he is a lawyer specializing in intelligence. Back in 2001, he was the brainchild behind Bush’s executive order establishing military commissions dictated at the discretion of not Congress or the courts, but the Secretary of Defense. And as for Presidential signing statements, who else but David Addington? Addington comes from the counterintuitive school of thought that proposes the President’s power has been in decline for the last several decades, and it is time that his authority be restored. And while his legal views may not make much sense, in the twighlight of the Bush years, with much of the administration discredited or impotent, he is a figure to watch for. At least until January 2009, the Bush vision of security at all costs will prevail. Addington has Cheney’s ear, and Cheney is clearly a man who has the President’s ear. While that may not count for much, it still counts for something.