Posted on 05/26/2009 6:48:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Dick Cheney, the most publicity averse US vice president in decades, is now the most outspoken former White House power broker of modern times after a stunning political transformation.
Freed of the shackles of office, Cheney is now in the eye of fierce public debate, while in power he often lurked in the shadows.
Leading the Republican charge against President Barack Obama on Guantanamo Bay and harsh CIA interrogation methods, Cheney is rocking Washington with a rare clash between past and present administrations.
“Today, I’m an even freer man,” Cheney said before his blistering assault on Obama’s policies at the American Enterprise Institute last week.
“A private citizen, a career in politics behind me, no elections to win or lose and no favour to seek.”
Cheney is surely however trying to write an early draft of history on the Bush administration.
As outspoken as his former boss ex-president George Bush has been silent, Cheney’s assault does however hold risks for a demoralised Republican party searching for direction.
Leading lights of some administrations - former vice president, later president Richard Nixon in the 1960s and ex-secretary of state Henry Kissinger in the 1980s, for example, have defended their actions once out of power.
But Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer says Cheney’s role, in the current political war with the Obama administration, is unusual.
“There has been no one as vocal as Cheney,” Zelizer said.
Cheney did not flinch in a public duel with Obama last week, giving a forensic examination, in his trademark monotone, of how the US has, is and should be fighting the global anti-terror campaign.
He revived the arguments that the “war on terror” was a new kind of war and must be fought with new means, including, if necessary, harsh treatment of suspects.
Associates of Cheney say that his motivation is not at all sinister - he simply believes Bush-era methods kept Americans safe and is dismayed to see some of them dismantled.
“Our defence is simple — we were tough on the terrorists through all legal means and we were able to prevent an attack from happening again,” said Dana Perino, Bush’s last White House spokeswoman.
“If a person is viciously attacked for years and he believes that that is wrong on the merits than he should take the opportunity to respond.
“Why should we sit around and let them smack us around for years? And then when we defend ourselves, we’re described as angry.”
Cheney’s detractors argue he is playing an old game of politicising national security.
His approach holds risks for his limp party after electoral shellackings that many blame on Bush.
“It is a high risk strategy for Republicans they are betting everything on an administration that lost control of both the White House and Congress,” said Zelizer.
Democrats seem happy to slug it out against Cheney, who is providing an almost daily reminder of the unpopular Bush years. Despite a slight rise in his popularity in recent days — a 37% favourable rating in a CNN poll last week, compared to 29% when he left office, Cheney lags well behind the popular Obama.
Obama had a 62% favourability rating in the same poll.
A Rasmussen Reports survey this month found that just 38% of voters agree with Cheney that Obama’s policies have made them less safe.
Cheney’s arguments may also not have the same hold on the public mind as they once did and some say they were ultimately rejected inside the Bush administration.
“You know, watching vice president Cheney, it appears as if he’s extending an argument that ... was had inside these walls for many years during the administration in which he served as vice president,” jabbed White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Friday.
While no one would accuse Cheney of wishing for another attack on the US, his arguments are likely a preview of the political debate that would follow any subsequent incident.
Cheney’s contention is that the Bush-era interrogation methods, Guantanamo Bay, expanded wiretapping and other methods kept Americans safe in the eight years following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
So by implication, if an attack did occur, Republicans might argue that it was because of the very policies that Obama rejected.
I have always admired Dick Cheney. Such a rock solid human being. He gets his point across without anger, without sounding the least bit shrill. My definition of a man.
I caught about 90 seconds (that’s all I could stand before gagging) of @$$munch Chrissie Matthews show tonight. What in heck is with the idiot’s constant use of the pronunciation “Chee nee” when calling the former VP’s name?
And WHY pray tell, are other Republicans Scared to follow Cheney’s example ? Huh ? I can’t HEAR YOU !
Let’s give the MSM another chance to do a Cheney ? O’reilley put up Obama ..... then Cheney. No contest on Facts, Substance, and who was blowing smoke.
My dog can outbark Obama. And we have plenty Republican mutts.
“Cheney?s detractors argue he is playing an old game of politicising national security.”
I am REALLY sick and tired of this BS. The donks politicized EVERYTHING GW and Cheney did to keep us safe, and now they have the gall to keep repeating this line? FOAD, leftards!
See Dick kick Butt!
Kick Dick Kick!
Hear Obama whine.
Whine Obama whine.
Whine, whine, whine.
A@sshole.
Because that's how it's pronounced? I caught bit on TV the other day with Lynn Cheney, and she said it's "Chee-nee." After a few decades of people geting it wrong, hey stopped correcting folks.
I don’t believe that just 38% of the country believes that Obama’s policies are making us less safe. A lot this is is the Obama mesiah effect. You can’t say anything against the mesiah can you?
This fellow seems to have forgotten the fact that the Obama & his buddies came out strongly to hang the previous administration for the “torture” of the innocent terrorists. There was no way Cheney could keep quiet.
Dick Cheney is having the time of his life ripping the ass off of ERKL.
I wish the leaders of the GOP would follow his lead. I can promise you this, I will not register again as a Republican, until we get rid of the Moderates who are running this Party. As the Bible says, you can’t be in the middle. You have to chose one side or the other. Of course, that’s speaking of following Christ, not of politics, but I think there are words of wisdom that should be followed here, as well.
GOP leaders...listen up....many of us are tired of your moderate ways. We did not support McCain because of his moderate stance, although many of us voted for him, reluctantly. Give us a strong, Conservative leader, and actually back him; get rid of the Bluebloods in the NE running the Party; get rid of those wanting to copy the Democratic platform; and give us true liberty or give us death. The time is now!!
Signed,
I Publius
From, the Great State of Texas
ex-GOP political activist for 24 years; soon to be third party supporter!
“I can’t HEAR YOU !”
The Marines only want a few good men.
In the Republican party a few would be a lot.
I presume his President asked him not to be vocal (and in retrospect what a huge mistake was that!) and Big Time complied. Oh, if only ...
Cheney/Palin 2012
“So by implication, if an attack did occur, Republicans might argue that it was because of the very policies that Obama rejected.”
Oh hell yeah. Obama will OWN it.
He claims that the things we will not do will protect us better then the proven things we did do.
He owns the next one because he failed to do everything in his power to prevent it.
Obots like Matthews hasn’t had an original thought in over 10 yrs.
Pray for America and Our Troops
Ok, I give up: What’s ERKL?
So, you think the media would have truthfully written of comments Bush and Cheney made if they had fought back????
Since when did they do anything Bush wanted? Propaganda is the media game. You would have heard nothing about it.
Bush did the same thing he did during the controversy over the election in Florida - turn the fighting over to others and get on with the business of being President. Remember, he was in Crawford setting up his cabinet as Jim Baker, his lawyer and former White House big wig handled the legal wrangling for him. Bush talked to Jim once a day to see how all going (as we sat glued to our TV sets watching Al Gore try and steal an election.
A powerful show of discipline, prioritizing, and faith.
There ya go, Annie!!
CHENEY/PALIN 2012
We can make it happen.
The tv show in the early ninties with the kid wearing pants way up his chest and big round glasses who would screw up and say”Did I do thaaaaat?”.Pretty funny show.
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