Posted on 03/12/2019 1:03:13 AM PDT by blueplum
Full Title: Former vice president Cheney challenges Pence at private retreat, compares Trump’s foreign policy to Obama’s approach
A chummy discussion between Vice President Pence and former vice president Richard B. Cheney quickly turned into a vigorous back-and-forth over President Trump’s foreign policy at a private gathering Saturday, with Cheney comparing the president’s instincts to those of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, according to a transcript obtained by The Washington Post.
Cheney’s questions for Pence — which prompted Pence to joke about the lack of “softball” topics — provide a revealing glimpse into the churning and often strained debates inside the Republican Party, where longtime hawks such as Cheney have increasingly balked at Trump’s engagement with autocrats and his noninterventionist approach to U.S. military efforts in the Middle East.
The discussion also underscored Pence’s comfort in acting as Trump’s unwavering ally and spokesman before a crowd of powerful Republican skeptics and donors, with the vice president shrugging off most of Cheney’s anxieties and praising Trump as a candid and transformational leader.
But the cracks between the more isolationist Trump wing and more hawkish Cheney wing of the Republican Party were on full display, unfolding in a conversation that was designed as a vice-presidential chat but became an almost academic exercise as Cheney peppered Pence with questions and Pence responded carefully but forcefully.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
We are still in Afghanistan now, because W. took his eye of the ball and went into Iraq. The coalition would have finished off the Taliban and been out of Afghanistan before Obama was elected. There’s a pretty good chance that had the US not gone into Iraq, there wouldn’t have been an Obama presidency.
“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.”
Simply, hearsay, nothing more.
Cheney trying to defend 18 years of fighting in Iraq......with little accomplished.
And Saddam and his two sons would still be in power. Saddam had invaded Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Prior to that he invaded Iran. He had set Kuwait’s oil fields on fire. He had tried to develop a nuclear weapons capability, which Israel took out.
After the Gulf War, we had set up no fly zones in the north and south of Iraq to protect the Kurds in the north and the Shite Muslims in the south. US, British, and French aircraft maintained the no fly zones on a daily basis with no end in sight. Saddam was violating the cease fire agreement. He was also providing sanctuary for terrorists like Abu Nidal. Saddam was a bad actor. His removal was a good thing.
The problem with politicians is they just don’t retire.
Go to bed Dick. Just go away.
after the chat, pence declined an invitation to go quail hunting ...
Cheney always had his own agenda, which certainly isn't Trump's. Much of his popularity with conservatives had more to do with how much the left hated him and with how many toes he could step on, rather than with agreements on policy. Those who are angry at other RINOs and neocons and NeverTrumpers, shouldn't want to give Cheney a pass.
Cheney was a “War time consiglere “, we don’t need that now. Put your hawk back in his cage.
Cheney is a piece of shit. Just say it. Indefensible.
No he’s not
Cheney and the constant war mongers are wrong about the middle east. Trump is right and that doesn’t make him an isolationist.
Mike Pence should just be thankful The Dick didn’t take him bird hunting.
Cheney should sit down and shut up. His time is past and he and his boss screwed up enough things.
Fortunately, the Bush-Cheney wing of the GOP no longer has complete control of the party and Presidency on foreign policy, trade, and (especially) immigration, but they aren't completely out of loop either. Pence is much closer to the establishment than Trump and can be won over to their side, and the fact remains that most of Trump's cabinet and advisors are similarly closer to Cheney's agenda than they are to the agenda that Trump ran and got elected on.
I agree with the first part of that, but Cheney certainly has a "pot to piss in."
As High-Priest of The Military Industrial Complex, Cheney and Co. made untold millions Churning young American bodies through Mideast s***holes.
More like a handler and tutor appointed by daddy to babysit a son with less than stellar abilities.
The bottom line is that the vast majority of the American people agree with President Trump and not with the neocons about this. We do not want to be the world’s policeman. It is not our responsibility to fight every battle for everybody else. Defend our vital national interests? Absolutely! Get involved militarily because some tyrant or warlord in some irrelevant shithole is doing bad things and that hurts our feelings? Hell no.
Tell the Yurps the time for counting on Uncle Sugar to provide for their defense for them is over? Hell yes!
We must also add that this is the Washington Post filtered through the MSM electronic media. That is similar in consistency and appeal to diarrhea filtered through a pasta colander.
Maybe we should start with something SIMPLE, have Cheney get the Bushes et al on board with protecting OUR country first, BUILD THE WALL!
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