Posted on 07/07/2004 10:41:28 AM PDT by areafiftyone
ALBANY — President Bush should consider dumping Vice President Dick Cheney from the Republican ticket this year, an influential former GOP senator said Wednesday. Alfonse D’Amato said Bush should consider putting Secretary of State Colin Powell or Sen. John McCain of Arizona on the GOP ticket. There was no immediate comment from the Bush-Cheney campaign. Bush has long maintained he wants Cheney to be his running mate. The D’Amato advice came one day after Bush’s Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, announced he had selected Sen. John Edwards to be his running mate. “Let me note that Vice President Cheney is a decent, honorable, and patriotic American, a man of great intellect, who has served the president and the nation with dedication,” D’Amato said in a statement released by his office. “But we should make no mistake, we are a nation at war with a vicious terrorist foe, and in war hard decisions must be made.” “As an observer of politics, I believe the president can guarantee his essential re-election by looking to several other notable individuals who would add a great dimension to his ticket as a running mate,” the New York Republican added. Placing Powell “first and foremost” on his wish list to replace Cheney, D’Amato said the retired general “would help galvanize the nation and offer a truly historic opportunity for American unity and pride.” McCain, said D’Amato, is “a genuine American hero who would also help bridge the political divide in our nation and assure the president’s re-election by a wide margin.” “While I believe George Bush will win re-election even without this bold stroke, he will insure a broader, deeper, more resonant reaffirmation of his leadership if he places his duty to continue as president above any one individual,” D’Amato said. “The president deserves more than simple re-election,” the former senator added. “He deserves a mandate to continue to lead this nation to peace and prosperity.” D’Amato, who is now a highly successful lobbyist and consultant, first raised the possibility of Bush dropping Cheney from the GOP ticket in an interview Tuesday night with the NY 1 cable news channel in New York City. D’Amato is a regular commentator for NY 1. In his NY 1 appearance, D’Amato said that while he realized his comments would “shock Republicans and probably get them angry,” he said, “I think we can do better.” The former senator said he believed Powell would run with Bush if the position was offered to him. That, said D’Amato, “would change politics in America for the better.” “Instead of millions of African-Americans having their votes taken for granted or just saying, ‘Republicans don’t care about us, they don’t reach out to us,’ this would send an incredible signal,” D’Amato said. “It would turn many of the battle (ground) states into tremendous wins for Republicans.” D’Amato said McCain, who had been unsuccessfully courted by Kerry as a running mate, would help the GOP win votes from independents and conservative “Reagan Democrats.” D’Amato, who lost his Senate seat in 1998 to Democrat Charles Schumer, is a political mentor to New York Gov. George Pataki, who is considered a potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate.
Originally published on July 7, 2004
Part of the hatred is Cheney's failure to come out and debunk, forcefully, some of the disinformation floating around about what he said or didn't about the Iraq war. Since it is poorly addressed, the errors become "truth."
He has very poor PR people. Basically he should go.
Condi is a nice person, and extemely smart, but her executive leadership experience is very limited.
Forgive my ignorance, but what is IMHO?
The average American voter seems to value style over substance (see "Clinton, B.J."), so in that I can see validity to D'Amato's statements. While Cheney is 100 times the man Edwards is, and will likely dismantle Edwards in a debate, I don't think Joe Voter will see that. However if Bush were going to replace Cheney he should've done it months ago. If he did it now the headlines would read: "Panicky Bush Dumps Cheney", subhead: "Questions Over Haliburton Too Damaging".
And they say Bush can't think on his feet!
hehe.
And what, pray tell, has President Bush ever done or said to warrant your admonition?
It is not he floating the stupid "dump Cheney" idea. Quite the opposite. It is one thing to note the absurdity of the notion, another to chastise the president for something he has not done and never will.
Oh yea ... didn't he play a Senator on TV, once upon a time?
These people in the entertainment media really need to stop digging up the dead.
It's getting scary.
its a good answer, and the lack of experience theme is something they are going to have to hammer away at day and night against Edwards. Because we shouldn't discount the "pretty boy" factor amongst suburban independent women. WABC radio had some of them calling in this morning, coo-ing about Edwards. That demographic needs to be scared straight - you want a pretty face, or do you want your kids to be blown up on their way to school on the bus.
Where's Clarke? To hear him tell it, he was in command.
I think the only way The Prez would do this is if Cheney had a heart attack or something equally serious and asked to be removed from the ticket. Otherwise, save 2008 for a POWELL / MCCAIN ticket or a McCAIN / GUILIANI ticket. (It can't be Powell and Rudy; they are both from NY.) Cheney will not be the standard bearer in 2008.
Thanks.
exactly right. he has allowed himself to be defined.
but its not just him, the entire white house political team stinks in this regard. they don't even have the sense to get rid of Scott McClellan, who is a terrible press spokesman.
What evidence do you have that Cheney would be associated with Plame in any way, aside from her husband's scurrilous lies?
I heard that on the news. That was vintage Dubya.
Yeah, I'd listen to him. NOT.
Yep. When "if I tell you something you can take it to
the bank" Cheney gets through mopping up the floor with
Mr. Edwards, Mr. Edwards will look like Ned in the First
Reader, just like they all do who tangle with the Vice
Prez.
Poorly worded on my part.
My comment GW better keep Cheney was more of a lament from the usual cast of characters that lament the sky is falling every time the AP comes out with a new hit piece. IMHO, the dems fear Cheney and are behind the dump Cheney movement.
President Bush has been nothing but loyal and supportive of V.P. Cheney. I wish the topic "dumping Cheney" would stop because it ain't going to happen
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