Dan Pfeiffer, White House Communications Director, today:

I think we all agree that there should be honest debate about these issues, but it is telling that Vice President Cheney and others seem to be more focused on criticizing the Administration than condemning the attackers.

Just to clarify, this is the same former vice president who we were told was Darth Vader, ruthless and cruel, obsessed with terrorism, draconian and lacking in perspective, stopping at nothing to find anyone who could be even remotely connected to al-Qaeda and using excruciatingly painful forms of interrogation that leave decent souls traumatized and Jack Bauer wincing.

And now we’re supposed to believe he’s insufficiently interested in condemning the attackers? He’s beyond condemning him; he wants to waterboard him until his lungs qualify for a federal wetlands status.

Look, guys, I realize you’re on the defensive, but pick a line of attack and stick with it.