The latest Newsweek has a friendly Liz Cheney profile, coming in the wake of the "shameful" attack she helped orchestrate last week against the “Al Qaeda Seven” DOJ attorneys. The thrust of the Newsweek article is that the controversy, which sparked a backslash among conservatives, had been a boon for Cheney politically, as she ponders possibly running for public office.

According to Newsweek, the “Al Qaeda Seven” attack “may have only turbocharged” her fledgling political career.

But where was Newsweek's proof that Cheney's attack campaign paid off for her politically? That it had “turbocharged” her standing? After all, Cheney doesn't represent any constituents. She's not running for office. She's not out raising money. Basically, her job is to go on TV and say mean things about Democrats. So how do journalists quantify her ups and downs. How do they determine if last week her career was “turbocharged”?

Here's Newsweek [emphasis added]:

Cheney's aides could barely contain their glee last week at the ruckus they had stirred up. “For $1,000, we've driven the debate for over a week,” said one political adviser, who asked not to be identified because the group, co-led by conservative commentator Bill Kristol, wanted to speak only through official statements. Or as one of Liz Cheney's biggest fans, Rush Limbaugh, put it on his radio show: “It sure as hell got everybody's attention, didn't it?”

Oh, I see, Cheney's aides told Newsweek the “Al Qaeda Seven” ad had been a homerun, so the weekly reported that as fact. Seems a bit fishy to me.

UPDATED: Note that in the lede, Newsweek portrays Cheney as being on a roll.

When the Republican Jewish Coalition hosted its annual winter conference at Las Vegas's splashy Palazzo hotel earlier this month, party luminaries such as Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham showed up to hobnob with some of the GOP's most generous donors. But the guest who seemed to excite the audience the most was a diminutive, former mid-level State Department official who has never held elected office. Introduced by Miriam Adelson, wife of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, Elizabeth Cheney delivered a rousing attack on Barack Obama's foreign policy that won her a standing ovation. It was an impressive performance by Cheney, a policy wonk, law-school grad, and mother of five who may now be bidding to establish America's next political dynasty.

But what exactly was was “impressive” about her performance? That Cheney bashed Obama and won a standing ovation from a right-wing audience? Talk about setting the bar too low.