NY DAILY NEWS: Dubya-Cheney ties frayed by scandal [View All]

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http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/363529p-309592c.html

Dubya-Cheney ties
frayed by scandal

'There has been some distance for some time'




BY THOMAS M. DeFRANK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF


Vice President Cheney may be losing influence over President Bush as controversies surrounding the Iraq war strain their relationship.

WASHINGTON - The CIA leak scandal has peeled back the veil on the most closely held White House secret of all: the subtle but unmistakable erosion in the bond between President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Multiple sources close to Bush told the Daily News that while the vice president remains his boss' valued political partner and counselor, his clout has lessened - primarily as a result of issues arising from the Iraq war.

"The relationship is not what it was," a presidential counselor said. "There has been some distance for some time."

....

"The public side of the relationship hasn't changed," a close presidential loyalist said. "The private side of the relationship is not to the degree it used to be. Cheney has been his gray-haired senior adviser. That's the void that needs to be filled."