Who's the Lamb?

Tom Schaller at TAPPED, echoed by Bernhard at MoonOfAlabama, speculates that the Libby trial will be the last hurrah for the Vice President. Tom says:

Cheney is the final sacrifice -- the last layer between Bush and the disapproving public, the skeptical media, and the angry Democrats. In one sense, having him there has always provided Bush a human (and humanizing-by-contrast) buffer against the hordes who oppose him and his policies. To sacrifice Cheney is therefore to have sunk to but one level above the very bottom, the core of the presidency itself. When Cheney goes on television, as he did last week with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, proclaiming the Iraq war a success, he demonstrates that he is either (a) unhinged from reality; or (b) playing a willing role in his own, inevitable discrediting and marginalization.

Apart from the laughter provoked by 'angry Democrats', I tend to see this another way, Bush is the buffer, Cheney is the leader. The beauty of having Feckless Leader in front of the cameras and Cheney watching from above is that the role-reversal insulates Cheney from responsibility, while allowing him to run the 'deep-state' with all the resources of the presidency.

I replied to Bernhard's post in a comment:

I don't doubt that the Libby trial is an attempt to bring down Cheney before it's really too late. The odds of its succeeding are problematic, at best. Certainly, he shows no sign (from his last belligerent interview) that he could be convinced to step down for 'health' reasons. An indictment is another matter, but it would take a brave prosecutor to tackle that. Could that be one of the reasons for the removal of many US Attorneys?

A question that needs to be answered by those predicting that Cheney will be sacrificed is this, sacrificed by whom? Bush? Don't make me laugh (again). Rice? Beyond laughter. The only one who can sacrifice Cheney is Cheney himself.

If you're looking for a sacrificial lamb, there is a perfect candidate. I'll leave it up to you to guess who.