Patricia Zengerle reports from Washington on the President’s one-week break away from two wars, global recession and domestic politics.

THE White House offered support yesterday for Vice President Dick Cheney, a powerful proponent of the Iraq war, after the conviction of his top aide dealt a fresh blow to Cheney’s political reputation and raised new questions about his influence.

In a cramped nuclear shelter deep beneath the White House, President George Bush stared across a spare wooden table and told his national security team, "Get the troops ready."