Posted on 05/13/2009 3:42:28 PM PDT by lewisglad
Enough, already. That's the reaction of many Republicans to Dick Cheney's surge of media appearances to defend the Bush administration, especially on national security issues. "I don't think anybody would call him and say, 'Shut up.' It wouldn't work," says a GOP strategist who formerly advised Ronald Reagan. "He obviously feels that his work as vice president is under attack. But he is not our best spokesman."
The concern among Republican strategists is that the public will think Cheney is speaking for the GOP, and this won't be helpful because the former vice president remains an unpopular figure across the country. Another prominent GOP strategist says Cheney should lower his visibility and give younger party leaders a chance to take the spotlight.
Meanwhile, White House officials are pleased that the abrasive Cheney is drawing so much attention. "The former vice president has made his views pretty clear, and the president has made his views pretty clear," an Obama adviser said today. "We had a big debate on this during the campaign, and the president sees it as a debate that has been resolved because the American people spoke so clearly [in the election]."
Cheney's reasoning for going public has become a favorite topic on the political circuit in Washington. Some of those who know Cheney well say he is motivated by a desire to defend his legacy as a principal architect of George W. Bush's national security policies that are under attack from the Obama administration and congressional Democrats—especially the waterboarding of suspected terrorists that President Obama has defined as torture.
Cheney is said to genuinely believe that Obama is taking the wrong approach on national security, leaving America weaker. He is also angry that former Bush advisers may be prosecuted or face disbarment or legal censure because of the advice they gave internally to justify waterboarding. Cheney is described as deeply disappointed that President Bush didn't pardon Lewis Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, after Libby's conviction for misleading prosecutors trying to investigate leaks. (Bush did commute Libby's 30-month prison sentence.) And Cheney doesn't want other Bush advisers to be punished for, in his assessment, simply doing their jobs.
The former vice president stirred the pot Sunday in a CBS interview, arguing that "enhanced interrogation techniques" such as waterboarding did not represent torture. The former vice president said that such methods were legal and that they generated important intelligence on terrorist activities. He argued that Obama's reversal of some of those policies made America less safe. Yesterday, in an interview on Fox News, Cheney repeated his criticisms. A week from tomorrow, Cheney is scheduled to address the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. His topic: "Keeping America Safe."
Republican strategist = oxymorn
Go Darth!
What a joke.
He’s an AMERICAN and our former Vice President. Let him talk.
If they had the cojones he wouldn’t have to be out there at all... morons.
Yes and what is is doing is kind of important.
They saved lives with EIT and the commies want to use that against him. He should speak out until Pelosi is in danger of indictment then they will BACK OFF.
GOP straterist is an oxymoron, with the emphasis on moron.
Im so glad all of these people speak for us (sarcasm) If Cheney doesnt speak who the hell is. Damnit this pisses me off.
NAME NAMES!!!
If the choice is Cheney or Steele, I’ll take Cheney.
Think of what these idiots are saying - that it won’t work to criticize democrats.
Meanwhile the democrats never had any problem with criticizing us.
I see. So the Democrats can mouth off at will, act like spoiled children, call everyone names and blame everything on racism, sexism and homophobia . . .
But a man can’t defend his record after eight years of service . . .
What whiney little wimps these unnamed “spokesmen” are! When you have a big job to do...standing up to the Leftists in government and media...you expect a man to step forward. Cheney, bad heart and all, is the only man around, it seems.
Screw the RINO wing.
The fact is, if it wasn’t for Cheney, who WOULD be standing up to defend Bush’s war on terror?
Certainly not that pack of cowards.
Can we replace Steele with Cheney?
Keep talking, Mr. Vice President. We want to hear what you have to say.
I did not like GWB, so I guess that extends to Cheney. I think much of the mess we are dealing with today is a direct result of the Bush admin, so I can’t say I disagree with telling Cheney to take a vacation. We can articulate our message just fine without the baggage that Cheney and Bush bring along.
Ditto that.
Lord Sidious will not be amused by these RINOs...
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