I wrote up a reaction to the day’s two big speeches over at the Washington Post:

President Obama and former Vice President Cheney weren’t so much a study in contrast today as a portrait of harmony. Both men agree that the Bush administration’s anti-terrorist policies were largely correct. Cheney signaled his acceptance of this view by vigorously defending those policies. Obama signaled it by largely adopting those same policies and emitting a fog of words to cover up the fact. (See this defense of Obama for a run-down of all the continuities.)
One big disagreement remains, and it is over the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques.” The Obama administration has not settled on just what techniques it is going to use, but it has condemned the previous administration for using torture. Cheney challenged Obama to release the memos on the intelligence we gained by using the disputed methods. This is one bit of transparency Obama has resisted, even as he has revealed more sensitive information. (Cheney: “For reasons the administration has yet to explain, they believe the public has a right to know the method of the question, but not the content of the answers.”) President Obama should take Cheney’s advice. He has had some practice in doing just that.

Comment there.