Has Vice President Cheney's Clout Been Downsized?

Vice President Cheney is on his way to Japan, where he will not meet with the Defense Minister who called the Iraq war a "mistake." Jumio Kyuma has since said he meant it should have been better thought through. The Vice President will visit Australia as well as Japan, partly to reassure them about the recent deal with North Korea.  But he may be holding his nose about the kind of arrangement Cheney and his conservative allies long tried to avoid. Is it a sign that the Vice President is not as powerful as he used to be?  We ask Michael Abramowitz, who reports for the Washington Post.