The switch never had anything to do with politics, everyone involved insists. So chalk it up to karmic coincidence, that Google Maps' once-blurry overhead views of the Vice President's residence suddenly cleared up, just when Dick Cheney was finally leaving the building.

For years, the press and the 'net-going public ribbed Cheney, for the pixelated pictures of his official home, by Washington's National Observatory. Other important locations inside the Beltway could seen seen clearly in Google Maps and Google Earth; the fact the Cheney's place was blurred seemed like a perfect metaphor for his secretive nature.

But Google reps tell Valleywag that they didn't have anything to do with the smudges. The U.S. Geological Survey took the aerial imagery, and made the decision to blur. Once Google got satellite pictures of the area, from the Digital Globe eye-in-orbit, they uploaded the better quality pics. I talked to some folks in the satellite business, who confirmed the sequence. So there's no conspiracy surrounding our now-former VP. At least this once.

By the way, Sharon wrote back in July a really fascinating overview (excuse the pun) of the national security implications of all this overhead imagery. Go click.

[Photos: Gizmodo]