Is Cheney's house off-limits to Google Earth?

Sharon Weinberger, a blogger on national security issues, noticed the other day that Google Earth had blurred its image of the vice president's house -- at the Naval Observatory on Massachusetts Avenue. She wondered if Google Earth, which has reportedly bowed to requests from China's government not to post images of Beijing's military installations, was bowing to pressure from the Bush administration to obscure Dick Cheney's house.

So C2C (Countdown to Crawford) reached out to Google Earth to get the direct skinny. Larry Yu of the press staff e-mailed that Google gets its images from third-party suppliers, and some of them "may blur images before they provide them to Google." In this case the supplier was the U.S. Geological Survey.

In this instance, our image was from the USGS and given the resolution involved the USGS blurred it.  When you zoom in a far as possible in the highest resolution available in Yahoo Maps and Microsoft Live Maps, you'll notice those images are blurred too. So ultimately, this is not something that's exclusive to Google Earth or Google Maps. 

So, not a Google Earth issue but a U.S. government issue. Still, Weinberger's question is well-taken: Is the administration fudging photos of Cheney's house because of rumors that there's a bunker hidden underneath?

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

Comments

[Wilbur Varela]

Vice president Dick Cheney is a war criminal, and the man most responsible for the fiascos in Iraq, the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, the the lies about the yellowcake uranium and the run up to the invasion, and the man responsible for manipulating the DOJ to allow torture and secret trials. It is probably prudent that he hides the details of his residence, because men like him prefer the shadows. One day he will come to justice, in this world or the next.

[Wilbur Varela]

Vice president Dick Cheney is a war criminal, and the man most responsible for the fiascos in Iraq, the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, the the lies about the yellowcake uranium and the run up to the invasion, and the man responsible for manipulating the DOJ to allow torture and secret trials. It is probably prudent that he hides the details of his residence, because men like him prefer the shadows. When our own government is above the law, why should any of us obey? One day he will come to justice, in this world or the next.

[Ron]

How would blurring a photo of the VP's residence hide evidence of an underground bunker? It is most probably blurred to reduce the chance that Al Qaeda or other mideast terrorist groups will use Google Earth as a planning tool for an attack on the VP.

[Almost Angeleno]

One of the most, if not THE most hated man on earth? I can see why he wants to hide.

[mADDIE]

Absolutely off limits...he' the VP for goodness sakes. What an idiotic column...but of course we're dealing with fanatical unamerican libs...HA!

[Bill Fitzgerald]

The Daily Show "covered" this months ago as part of its series "You Don't Know Dick" --

[Almost Angeleno]

"Absolutely off limits...he' the VP for goodness sakes. What an idiotic column...but of course we're dealing with fanatical unamerican libs...HA!"

I'll bet you weren't saying the same blather when Cheney's goons were bussed into the White House area and began shouting up at Gore's VP residence to "get out of Cheney's home!" shortly after the 2000 selection?

Ah wingnuts.

[James E.Sullivan]

I have read some comments from the radical left and feel sorry for them. They have no idea of the security that must be provided for the Vice President of the United Stats whether it is Vice President Cheney or one of their lefties.

[David Chen]

Come on...If he is a war criminal then prosecute him or just shut up with the accusations.

Its getting old...

[thetrutthurts]

Just listen to the idiots that have been brainwashed by the liberal media. How sad they are. Dick Cheney has served this country most of his life doing what is in the best interest of the American people and what does he get? See the above libs comments. Most other countries in the world would imprison these fanatical idiots just for their words. No wonder most of the world hates Americans for example, these libs are a bunch of spoiled brats that does not appreciate our freedoms that guys like Dick Cheney have given their entire lives to protect. I believe that Dick Cheney through his association with Halliburton has and is being badmouthed due to Halliburton being strongly anti- union. The most loudly heard union bought pawn is Rep. Henry Waxman from California. Enough of my time has already been spend addressing the liberal idiots. You'll love Obama.

[Al Ferreira]

Bill Fitzgerald is right. This is old news. I didn't realize China was able to wield so much power over Google. "Oh almight dollar, how I adore thee"

[Sean K]

mADDIE: I suggest if you don't like liberals you take you and your redneck views to the south where they belong. This is OUR state. A BLUE state. Where people still care about someone besides themselves and their immediate family.

[Ron]

I'd rather have "THE most hated guy on earth" as our VP who keeps us safe than a nice guy who is not able to protect us. The world is a dangerous place. Someone who simply speaks well and makes us feel good is not qualified to be President, nor is he likely to deter Al Qaeda, North Korea or Iran.

[DanR]

>> Is the administration fudging photos of Cheney's house because of rumors that there's a bunker hidden underneath? <<

Even if the pic wasn't blurred you shouldn't expect to see what's underneath the house...

[Seven Star Hand]

This idea, supported by some, that we need evil leaders to best protect us is exactly the mindset that has resulted in the mess the world is in now. If you want to be protected, stop causing so much harm to others that they are desperate to defend themselves by harming you.

Dick Cheney is one of the USA's high-level official criminals and now a war criminal. He is protected because Judeo-Christians have rigged the political landscape against everyone else. These are the people who pretend to serve the Creator, out of one side of their mouths, while doing and supporting blatant evil out of the other side.

Ever heard the term, strong delusion? Cheney is hiding because he's done great harm the world over and knows that sooner or later Karma will pay him a long-overdue visit and exact just recompense.

The same will happen to those that continue to support such evil leaders.

Get a clue while they are available to be had...

[CharlotteBadBoy]

Again bitter angry liberals calling our VP a criminal.....please enough with the empty slogans, will you just admit you guys lost the 2000 election. If he wants and underground bunker that his choice, not yours! Dick Cheney is an American patriot and has served our country with honor and dignity.

Can you make the claim for your former VP canadate John Edwards. Cheney isn't the one fathering kids out of wedock and then hiding in the bathroom.

[A.J.]

You are all so very wrong. The left is going to tell you that he is the worst man and right is going to tell you he is the best man. How about some truth. To live in terror is how you are all living and this is a shame. This is America to take people’s rights away because some bad men crashed some planes is only proving that they have created terror in our lives and it worked so keep tearing each other down. It has worked you are all scared. Whatever your political party your scared that Republicans will take your freedoms and spend every dime America has and those Democrats will kill babies and takes your guns. We are the UNITED States of America I can look at any house on Google its outdated and so what you and my house are on their why not Cheney’s. So many cry babies grow a pair because it won't be long we will be against each other and that is the spark that terrorism was built for to tear us apart and to take everyone’s freedom. Be careful being so right about everything everyone is wrong it just matters of time. Hate me or them (terrorist) not each other.

[rusputin]

Absolutely off limits...he' the VP for goodness sakes.bushes henchman

[BOb]

liberals are all communist, and they want to destroy america. they are cheering for the terrrorist and covering up for them in the media. yes there were wmds in iraq and saddam did aid terrorist, the CIA lied because they wanted to help their buddies on the left. and george bush is more of a liberal than a republican anyways. george bush is a liberal so why is it that these liberals hate him so much, hes a socialist just like the left.

KEEP ON WATCHING((AND BELIEVING) THE LIBERAL MEDIA!!!! WACKOS LEFTIST!!!!!

[Jan in TX]

Wow - that earthquake must have knocked a LOT of cage doors open - what a bunch of LOONS on these forums. This is the vice president. Period. I don't care if he is a leftist or a bible thumping right winger, this is AMERICA, and contrary to the imagination of some of the lunatics, these guys *ARE* the leaders of the free world. We protect them and their homes.

[monica]

You say that we are liberals and we get our information from the "liberal media." Well, I am what you consider "a liberal," and I don't believe a WORD printed in the mainstream media. Surprised? MOST OF US DON'T. Because the truth is that the mainstream media is OWNED and CONTROLLED by the corporations -- Disney (ABC), Time-Warner (CNN), News Corp (Fox), etc. -- they are all owned by corporate interests, and THAT is what the news these days serves -- corporate interests. The ruling elite....the ever-shrinking group of people who control all of the wealth in this country. They make huge campaign contributions, they are in bed with the gov't...... they make deals with the politicians, so the gov't, WHETHER IT'S A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC GOV'T, ultimately serves THEIR needs.
And because they (corporate leaders) own the media, it's easy for them to keep us all BRAINWASHED AND UNINFORMED -- the media serves to make us fearful (crime, identity theft, whatever) and to keep us hating each other (dems vs. republicans) so we DON'T pay attention to what's REALLY going on. And who controls all of our money and what they are doing with it. They want us to be fearful, mindless CONSUMERS who are so miserable that we just spend money and make them richer and richer. Did you see Wall-E? WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!!!!!
It's not ABOUT liberal vs. conservative...what do those terms really mean, anyway? NOTHING, really. We all want the same things.....low taxes, healthy families, peace and happiness. Stop hating each other, or they will truly divide and conquer us.

[CPT Z]

Funny we will blur the sattelite image of a home in the United States but we do not blur sattelite imagery over Iraq or Afghanistan. Balad Air Base in Iraq gets regular rocket and mortar attacks every week and you can still zoom right in and find where all the housing units are. I'm sure there are some peope who find this overly useful.

[Tom]

Blurring it aint gonna help but so much if anyone wants the pictures all they have to do is show money.

[Sandra]

here it is

[james spiropoulos]

This guy is the most foulest,most wicked and most evil man ever to have been in the whitehouse.
he was the puppet master ++with george dumb bush as his little puppet.
my god are americans the dumbest voters on earth,and the past administration,the most corrupt in modern history.
Im sure Mugabe and and the rest of the black African dictators look on this past eight years of the great fiasco,that was george bush,and dick cheney,not forgetting Rumsfield,the modern day Westmoreland,as war mongers,and they shake their collective heads.
Dont worry the great blach Hype will not do any better for your country,as the new prime minister here in Australia,had filled the disaffected with promise and hope,and gave them nothing.