In a speech less than two weeks ago, Dick Cheney blasted the New York Times for “publishing secrets in a way that could only help al-Qaeda. It impressed the Pulitzer committee, but it damn sure didn't serve the interests of our country, or the safety of our people.” Prior to that, Cheney's most famous comment about a journalist was probably agreeing with his (nominal) boss, George W. Bush, that Times reporter Adam Clymer was a “major league asshole.” A “Big time” asshole, Cheney emphasized.

On the other hand, he never shot a reporter in the face, as far as we know.

That apparently makes Cheney the perfect choice to speak at a presentation of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation Journalism Awards today.

Here's a description of the foundation's journalism awards:

In 1988, the Gerald R. Ford Foundation established the Journalism Prize Competition. With this annual award, President Ford wanted to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is proud to continue this tradition. Again this year, the Foundation will award two $5,000 prizes for distinguished reporting on the presidency or national defense during calendar year 2008. The awards will be presented in June 2009 in Washington, D.C.

Yeah, Cheney is the perfect choice to speak at an event honoring “enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense.”