Very young
And a few weeks ago is pretty good
Posted on 02/08/2007 7:56:09 AM PST by presidio9
Sometimes you wonder what planet Vice President Dick Cheney is living on.
Last month, speaking of the war in Iraq, Cheney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in a prickly interview:
"(The) bottom line is that we've had enormous successes, and we will continue to have enormous successes. It is hard. It is difficult."
Anyone keeping up with the daily news from Baghdad knows that few people in the last few months -- especially those in the military -- are bragging about big successes to quell the violence in Iraq.
Even within the White House, Cheney seems like a man lost in his own little world.
While Cheney is making upbeat assessments of the war, President George W. Bush is giving more downbeat assessments, acknowledging that the military occupation is not going as well as he had hoped.
That is why he is asking for more troops to make a last stab at stabilizing Iraq, torn by its civil war.
The vice president has been putting his head in the sand for a long time. When he first came to power as the No. 2 leader of the U.S., he was depicted as Bush's prime minister.
After the 9-11 terrorist attacks, it appeared that Cheney was running the show until White House image managers intervened to lessen the perception that Bush was somehow not calling the shots. Cheney then lowered his profile.
His experience has obviously not improved his vision. After the first Persian Gulf War ended in March 1991, Cheney -- then serving as defense secretary in the first Bush administration -- was asked on ABC-TV why Operation Desert Storm had not gone all the way to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
He replied prophetically: "I think for us to get American military personnel involved in a civil war inside Iraq would literally be a quagmire. Once we got to Baghdad, what would we do? Who would we put in power? What kind of government? Would it be a Sunni government, a Shia government, a Kurdish government?
"Would it be secular, along the lines of the Baath party? Would it be fundamentalist Islamic?" he asked. "I do not think the United States wants to have U.S. military forces accept casualties and accept responsibility of trying to govern Iraq. It makes no sense at all."
So what happened to all those wise observations on the way to the U.S. invasion in 2003?
Well, a lot of things apparently occurred in Cheney's life that must have made him lose the perspective formed in his earlier days, when he started his government career as an obscure, mild chief of staff for President Gerald Ford.
Before that, he managed to avoid the Vietnam War, which he supported. Given five draft deferments, he explained to the Washington Post in a 1989 interview that "I had other priorities in the '60s than military service."
During his six terms as a Wyoming congressman, starting in 1979, he touted his conservative credentials so much that he voted several times against Head Start, the federal program for poverty-stricken preschool children.
He went to the Pentagon as secretary of defense in 1989. Some officials who worked closely with him in his previous incarnations say he has changed. Former national security affairs adviser Brent Scowcroft has said he doesn't know him now.
It's probably because Cheney was one of the original neo-conservative signers of the Project for A New American Century -- a blueprint published in 1997 for the United State to dominate the Middle East politically and militarily in the aftermath of the Cold War.
Cheney has been a lightning rod for many of the ills in this administration. Early on, he built the stonewall of secrecy by refusing to identify members of his energy task force. He also is Bush's strongest backer in sidestepping the law and empowering his role as commander-in-chief.
Cheney's name has cropped up often in the perjury trial of his former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, in connection with the outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame.
Despite his access to top government secrets, how many times can you be wrong?
Remember last year when Cheney said the Iraq insurgents were in their last throes of resistance? And remember earlier when Cheney knew where Saddam Hussein had stored all those non-existent nuclear weapons?
No wonder no one is listening to him any more. Time has passed him by.
Very young
And a few weeks ago is pretty good
Pardon?
Attraction comes from within, one could say that physically Bill Clinton is/was attractive but he does zero for me.
Plus also to many women another attractionthe is that he still obviously cares and find his wife of 40 plus years attractive
Earth.
What planet were you born on, Helen? We've all been trying to figure that out for a while.
He's back in that undisclosed location he went to after 9-11.
I know I will get persecuted for this, but better Helen Thomas than someone's arse. Not much difference, but still....
He wasn't a bad looking dude when he was younger--boy he def didn't age well-- and he ain't that old.
I am Russian Orthodox and I can tell you from experience that many Orthodox also have a very patristic view of the world and strong beliefs about the "place" of women. I happen to disagree with them (as the belief comes from the individuals rather than from the tenets of my religion - very unlike islam) and will say so given the opportunity.
As I said before - have a good day.
Sorry, you miss the point yet again. They are being 'masculine' as they define it as men, not as the women define 'masculinity' which, in the Western sense, is essentially equivalent to 'neutered'. You yourself said that men should define 'masculinity'. Well there you have the ultimate definition of masculinity made by men. By your own words, you must acknowledge that.
Unless, of course, your words mean nothing more than that you get to define both sides of the argument to your advantage when it is convenient for you.
"I am Russian Orthodox and I can tell you from experience that many Orthodox also have a very patristic view of the world and strong beliefs about the "place" of women. I happen to disagree with them (as the belief comes from the individuals rather than from the tenets of my religion - very unlike islam) and will say so given the opportunity."
That's what I just said. You think you get to re-define both sides of the argument even though you previously admitted that men should define masculinity. Except when that clashes with *your* definition which means that you get to switch sides yet again.
As I said before, it's all about you defining the terms of the argument to suit yourself as it is convenient, no matter how contradictory that is.
Yes, I know...
I didn't say they "should" define it, just that they are better equipped understand what it is to masculine - just as women are better equipped to understand what it is to be feminine.
Well there you have the ultimate definition of masculinity made by men.
Really? You think that the barbaric, sadisitic and 7th century views held by moslems is the ultimate definition of masculinity made by men? Wow, that's telling. I can say that I certainly do not share those views. I also don't define masculinity as what you call the Western definition of "neutered".
Also, I absolutely am not "missing the point" when it comes to Islam and the main problem with it. The treatment of women is one of the problems with it but not the most important one. The most important problem is that they want to take over the world and create a new Caliphate and will kill anyone who aims to stop them from doing so.
On that note I'm finished with this conversation. Again, have a good day. Take care.
Young Mr. Cheney had a cute smile, and if I'd met him when we were both single, I might have fallen for him.
Thanks for the additional pictures and the excellent summary of why so many of us feel a rather personal (at an appropriate distance :-) affection for the Vice President!
I could say something about crazy hollyweird chicks with ho-tats whose implants are smarter than they are ... but that would be uncharitable.
Lynne Cheney is so stylish. What a tasteful, yet daring, color her suit is!
OK, then just because women are 'better equipped' to understand femininity doesn't mean that they should define it either.
"Really? You think that the barbaric, sadisitic and 7th century views held by moslems is the ultimate definition of masculinity made by men? Wow, that's telling. I can say that I certainly do not share those views. I also don't define masculinity as what you call the Western definition of "neutered"."
No, you are confused. That is what the natural result a male 'understanding' of masculinity and that was *your* position. You haven't given a definition of masculinity, but apparently that includes the right to openly disagree with the patristic beliefs of the religion you claim to hold and, at the same time, claim not to 'neuter' that same masculinity.
"Also, I absolutely am not "missing the point" when it comes to Islam and the main problem with it. The treatment of women is one of the problems with it but not the most important one. The most important problem is that they want to take over the world and create a new Caliphate and will kill anyone who aims to stop them from doing so."
And I didn't say you 'miss the point when it comes to Islam'. What you 'miss the point' about is when you claim special ability to best 'understand' femininity yet deny men the same ability. I know, it's all about you getting to define both sides of the argument as necessary to suit yourself.
On that note I'm finished with this conversation. Again, have a good day. Take care."
Probably the best thing you could do in this case.
Thanks, snugs. :-)
You have a wonderful photo collection. And you share so nicely, too. ;-)
Let's just drop it. Sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. For the third and final time: Have a good day. All the best - really. :)
Your responses to me don't make any sense blinachka. From what you've written I feel as though you completely misunderstand what I wrote because your replies don't make sense in response to my posts.
"Let's just drop it. Sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. For the third and final time: Have a good day. All the best - really. :)"
Is that your final, final, really I mean it final answer or are you just saying that?
(That's been the point all along...) ;-)
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