Moonie Mag: Bush and Dick on the outs

UPDATE: Stephen Colbert told Marc Maron on Morning Sedition today that he sees this public rift between Bush and Cheney as a planned stunt that will eventually lead to Cheney's resignation and Bush being able to bring in a bright, shiny new VP who would then take attention off all the administration's problems and give the GOP a front runner. Sounds sensical to me.

Insight: "The role of Vice President Dick Cheney as the administration's point man in security policy appears over, according to administration sources.

Over the last two months Mr. Cheney has been granted decreasing access to the Oval Office, the sources said on the condition of anonymity. The two men still meet, but the close staff work between the president and vice president has ended.

'Cheney's influence has waned not only because of bad chemistry, but because the White House no longer formulates policy,' another source said.

'There's nothing to input into. Cheney is smart and knowledgeable, but he as well as Bush are ducking all the time to avoid the bullets.'

The sources said the indictment and resignation of Lewis 'Scooter' Libby marked the final straw in the deterioration of relations between President Bush and Mr. Cheney. They said Bush aides expect that any trial of Mr. Libby, Mr. Cheney's long-time chief of staff, would open a closet of skeletons regarding such issues as Iraq, the CIA and the conduct of White House aides.

'There's a lack of trust that the president has in Cheney and it's connected with Iraq,' a source said."