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First, the names: Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzalez.
And no, they're not immediately getting arrested, nor will we get mug shots, and sure, Baby Bush will undoubtedly pardon them. But it still feels nice to say that Dick and Alberto have been indicted, along with six others.
A grand jury in south Texas indicted Mr Cheney and Alberto Gonzales, the former Attorney General, on state charges that they blocked an investigation into the mistreatment of prisoners.
The indictment cites a "money trail" relating to Mr Cheney's financial stake in prison-related businesses, including the Vanguard Group, which has an interest in privately-run federal jails in the region.
According to a grand jury in Willacy County, Mr Cheney is "is "profiteering from depriving human beings of their liberty".
It also accuses him of a conflict of interest and of "at least misdemeanour assaults" on inmates because of his links to the prison companies.
Mr Gonzales is accused of using his position to "stop the investigations as to the wrong doings" in county prisons.
The grand jury wrote that it made its decision "with great sadness" but said it had no other choice but to indict the pair "because we love our country".
There had been question yesterday of whether, or when, the judge would sign the indictment. We now know this:
A Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a state senator and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a South Texas federal detention center. ... [H]e will allow them to waive arraignment or have their attorneys present rather than appear in person at the hearing. Banales also said he would issue summonses rather than warrants for the indicted since all have served in some public capacity. That would allow them to avoid arrest and the need to post bond.
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