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Cheney Defends Himself

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 03:49:52 PM EST
Tags: Dick Cheney (all tags)
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Vice President Dick Cheney defended himself and the Bush Administration today on Fox News Sunday.

Cheney expressed no regrets in today's interview, vigorously defending the Bush administration's war and counterterrorism policies and saying he was untroubled by opinion polls showing that he and Bush are among the most unpopular White House occupants in modern times. "Eventually you wear out your welcome in this business, but I'm very comfortable with where we are and what we've achieved substantively," he said.

In discussing his views of broad executive power on national security issues, Cheney said Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt "went far beyond anything we've done in a global war on terror," and said that all U.S. presidents since 1973 have viewed the War Powers Act -- which gave Congress the role of declaring war -- as unconstitutional.

He also mocked Joe Biden. The transcript is here.

< Cheney Implicates Congressional Leadership On Civil Liberties Abuses | Speaking For Me Only >

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    Cheney Defends Himself | 17 comments (17 topical)

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    It should be obvious (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by SOS on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 04:11:18 PM EST
    The past 8 years of the Bush/Cheney regime constitutes gross economic malfeasance, which could rise to the level of sedition. The definition of sedition is four pages long, and it can be found in Statute 792 of US Title Code 18.

    In other words, they knew that what they were doing would severely weaken the United States, both militarily and economically.

    Cheney's disrespect for us (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by lilburro on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 05:57:38 PM EST
    is just really really depressing.  How anyone can be so cutthroat and mean-spirited, yet base most of their decisions upon some ideal of protecting our country, is beyond me.  Why is he on TV right now?  Does he think defending his legacy is a smart political move?  Is he just doing it for the pleasure of gloating?  Bring him to justice, please.

    He knows he's not getting (none / 0) (#11)
    by Salo on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 10:22:17 PM EST
    A comeuppance

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    Fer Cripes Sake Mr. Big Britches (5.00 / 0) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 07:04:53 PM EST
    You are shortly FIRED!  Just go home and keep quiet and hope that the black suburbans don't show up for you in the next few years!  Feel lucky dude.  You know what happened to the last second in charge of a dictatorship on the globe that was escorted out of power!?!  His head popped off during the hanging.  Just go home and feel grateful that you were born on the soil you were born on.  If a dark day comes when they do come for you, a show of humility can be beneficial to the length of your incarceration and you might want to keep that in mind during any and all future interviews.

    Curious quote (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by cal1942 on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 09:21:01 PM EST
    ... said that all U.S. presidents since 1973 have viewed the War Powers Act -- which gave Congress the role of declaring war -- as unconstitutional.

    I guess that Pol C in comment #5 said it all.

    I'll only add that Cheney either hasn't read the Constitution or believes we're all stupid enough to buy what he says.

    Either case demonstrates how unfit he is.

    He came in ugly (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by Radiowalla on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 09:31:24 PM EST
    and he's going out ugly.

    HE repeated much of what he said before (none / 0) (#1)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 03:51:33 PM EST
    What IS new is his implication of the Congressional leadership.

    To me that is what is important here and I wrote spearately on the subject just belwo you.

    I believe that if what Cheney said is true, then Congressional leaders are also implicated in potential crimes.

    It's obvious that... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Salo on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 10:27:01 PM EST
    The next prez is going to merrily continue the criminality in Afghanistan and the democratic leadership will be responsible for the coming debacle

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    Yeah, that's (none / 0) (#13)
    by JamesTX on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 11:31:30 PM EST
    apparently the case. I am still waiting for all the Obama groupies to tell us just exactly what it is that we "won". Apparently, it is very superficial, like everything else nowadays. We lost our collective ability to think critically about political leadership during the Reagan administration. There has been a whole generation who came to age after that. Apparently, it is enough for these people that Obama is the first African American elected and that he is technically a Democrat. For them, that apparently is the so-called "progressive victory". That is, there is nothing new on the way. It is just symbolic, like a TV commercial. The idea of "change" must have some kind of new alternative definition. I really think it is time to start looking at getting out of here. I should have done it before they tanked the dollar, but it is important to face facts now. There won't be any meaningful justice for my kids. I really can't look them in the eye and tell them there is anything special or great about this society. The great experiment in democracy has apparently failed. We can change the pictures on the cover, but we can't change the story. There is apparently no way out of this cycle. Our political discourse is empty and deceptive, and there doesn't seem to be anything new on the way. Too bad.

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    No problem, (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 03:54:09 PM EST
    our posts are on different aspects of his interview. I hadn't seen yours when I posted mine, but since they don't duplicate, it's not a problem.

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    Definite appoint a special counsel (none / 0) (#4)
    by mmc9431 on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 05:30:32 PM EST
    The defense that "other were wrong or worse" is no defense. This just amplifies the need to go after these people. If we sweep all of this under the rug, administrations in the future will be using the same reasoning. The standards will continue to erode.

    Deadeye Dick's at it again. (none / 0) (#5)
    by Pol C on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 05:50:10 PM EST
    The only thing Cheney handles worse than a hunting rifle is our founding document:

    No President has ever signed off on the proposition that the War Powers Act is constitutional. I would argue that it is, in fact, a violation of the Constitution; that it's an infringement on the President's authority as the Commander-in-Chief.

    I'd love to hear that argument, as the power to declare war is specifically given by the Constitution to Congress. And after seeing how anal Cheney is about Biden not getting his articles of the Constitution right, I'll even point Deadeye to where: Article One, Section Eight. The War Powers Act is superfluous, not unconstitutional.

    Oh, I forgot. Dick Cheney thinks the Vice-President has the right to do anything that the Constitution does not expressly forbid the Vice-President from doing. All that blather about what the executive branch can and cannot do is meaningless, as the Vice-Presidency is a fourth branch of government that cannot be held to the rules of any of the three specified ones. That is, of course, until Congress threatens to stop appropriating money to fund the VP's office.

    I'm not surprised (none / 0) (#10)
    by Salo on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 10:17:37 PM EST
    The dems do not have the guts to arrest him and Cheney knows Obama will escalate the war in Afghanistan like a good little puppet

    i didn't think it was possible (none / 0) (#14)
    by cpinva on Mon Dec 22, 2008 at 12:09:44 AM EST
    for me to dislike someone worse than i do bush. to his (dis) credit, cheney has succeeded where many have failed: i actually loathe him. were i to see him on the street, i would walk up and punch him in the face. with any luck, i'd break his nose and knock out a few teeth, before i was hauled away.

    and that would be just a smidgeon of the suffering he's helped unleash in the past 8 years. he also expressed the opinion that, during times of war, the president is above the law. that pretty well describes the royal bush administration's position. he cited lincoln and FDR as examples.

    does this man actually know anything of the history of his own country, or is he merely playing the ignorant fool on tv?

    nuremberg trial (none / 0) (#15)
    by Oceandweller on Mon Dec 22, 2008 at 04:26:22 AM EST
    Cheney is the live proof that no one, no country is immune from the political pathology which lead to the german trials. The US are simply discovering that just like Germany had rotten apples, we also have our fair share. The only good news is that our political system prevented Cheney to run full amok...
    We should considreed us blessed to only have 2 wars , countless Iraqi deaths, so many amputee soldiers and our economy in shred but without ignominous death camps, gulags and argetinian like missing persons...
    Impeachment is not possible this late, but Justice and the honour of We the People certainly would benefit of having Bush and Cheney tried.
    It will take a few decent vice-presidents to give back some luster to the position and say what you want, Biden might not be bright but compared to Cheney he is a shining refreshing beacon of honesty.
    Time will tell if Iraqis will be as forgiving as us and will allow him to soil this earth much longer than january 20th,2009...

    ok, i don't know how to break the news (none / 0) (#16)
    by cpinva on Mon Dec 22, 2008 at 07:27:51 AM EST
    to you..........

    We should considreed us blessed to only have 2 wars , countless Iraqi deaths, so many amputee soldiers and our economy in shred but without ignominous death camps, gulags and argetinian like missing persons...

    but we do. our dachau is guantanamo bay, cuba. perhaps you've heard of it? granted, there are (so far as i know) no gas chambers or ovens, but the idea is the same: indefinite confinement, no charges, never heard from or seen again.

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    Nuremberg trial (none / 0) (#17)
    by Oceandweller on Mon Dec 22, 2008 at 12:00:13 PM EST
    oh, but I do know about guantanamo prison and I am plenty awqare of the shameless abuses played in Abu graib
    I know the difference between Hitlers loons and 2000-2008 USA
    BUT I agree on that with you
    Cheney given another time and location would have beena very happy nazi or GPU kommissar.
    Which is why we are bleed by the fact this creature was not around when Addolf was around

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    Cheney Defends Himself | 17 comments (17 topical)

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