American Morning
Frum: Cheney should not be criticizing Obama
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/12/intv.frum.gop.art.jpg caption= "David Frum says the GOP's strength lies with actual governance and achievement at the state level."]
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is now standing up for former Vice President Dick Cheney after Cheney took aim at the White House, Democrats and even Colin Powell. Powell suggested that Republicans need to move toward the political center to survive and Cheney took a shot questioning whether Powell was even a Republican anymore.
Limbaugh commented on the matter, saying “What motivates Dick Cheney? Love of country. National interest. He doesn't need this abuse. He's the lone voice. But if we're going to moderate and try to make ourselves look like we're on the same page as Obama, well, he is going to get all the credit for all the good and we’re going to all the blame for all the bad and there is going to be no reason to ever vote for Republicans.”
David Frum is a conservative columnist and editor of newmajority.com and was a speechwriter for former President George W. Bush. He spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Tuesday.
Kiran Chetry: How troubling is it when you have two very polarizing figures like Rush Limbaugh and former Vice President Dick Cheney taking up a lot of air time for the Republican Party? As a Republican, does that concern you?
David Frum: Look, Dick Cheney is a great man and one of the most effective and knowledgeable people in the Bush administration and all of Washington. The country owes him a great deal. But this kind of dispute reminds me of those t-shirts you sometimes see at boot camps and things like that... the beatings will continue until morale improves. The firings from the Republican Party will continue until the party gets bigger. I don't think what we need is a fight between Dick Cheney and Colin Powell.
A Republican Party that’s not big enough to include Colin Powell – well that’s not a very big party… Many people inside Washington think of Colin Powell as a figure who’s about domestic politics. But in the eyes of America he is the general who won the only unequivocal victory this country has seen in any war since World War II. So if you want to say we don't have room for him, well we have room for all the generals for the losing wars we don’t have room for the generals from the winning wars and I don't think that's a very appealing message.
Chetry: You said Dick Cheney is a great man. And we’re not questioning that. The problem is he is wildly unpopular with the general public. I think he has a 19% favorability rating. Even among the GOP I think it’s something around 50%. When he takes shots at someone like Colin Powell, he said I'm questioning whether or not he is even a Republican, how does that help the GOP brand?
Frum: Well look, we've got a breakdown here in some of the conventions and etiquette of one administration to another. I don’t think most people understand this. The U.S. government isn't very good at preserving a memory between one administration and another. You have to get on the phone sometimes. The new president has to call the old president and the new vice president has to call the old one. If you are shooting at each other, it makes it impossible for that kind of conversation to happen. And the country loses.
At the same time you have the Obama administration talking about prosecuting people from the Bush administration for actions done in the course of their public duties and that is unprecedented, too. I think we all need a drink of cold water. And we need to understand the old president and the old vice president should not be criticizing the new administration. And the new administration should not be threatening to prosecute the old administration.
Chetry: On his radio program yesterday, Limbaugh said the GOP needs to show a strong contrast to not look like Democrats. What is your response to that? You have to stake out some sort of ground that is not necessarily we agree, but here are the slight places we disagree with the president?
Frum: Well, he is right on the principle. A party wants to draw a contrast between itself and the other party. Sharpen the choice. You want to do it in a way that puts the larger share of public opinion on your side and the smaller share on the side of the party you're fighting. Rush Limbaugh seems bent on determining the opposite. There are only about 1 out of 5 Americans who strongly disapprove of the job President Obama is doing.
There’s a larger group who have some anxieties and doubts about it. You need to talk to them. You need to talk to not just your core 20% but to that bigger group in order to get to 51. About a third of the country describes itself as conservative. That would be a great base for a political party in Italy. But in America, you need that 33%, plus another 18 and those are the people Republicans need to be talking to now.
Chetry: If you had your dream face right now of the people we would be talking about for the Republicans, not necessarily Rush Limbaugh and not the former vice president, who do you think you need to keep an eye on?
Frum: The Republican Party will recover from the states. That is where its strength always comes from. I'm very excited about governors, like Governor Huntsman in Utah who has some very interesting environmental ideas. He’s pro-life but open to a softer line on some of these more contentious social issues like same-sex unions. Governor Crist, in Florida, who’s accomplished one of the most important environmental achievements of any politician in America by reclaiming the Everglades from the sugar industry. Those are two exciting leaders, we have a lot of others. Governor Pawlenty. Governor Jindal I think is very promising. So that is where our rescue will come from, from actual governance, actual achievement at the state level. That is the history of the party.
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Cheney + Limbaugh = Psychopath + Sociopath
Why are we still having conversations with Dick Cheney? His party lost. No one cares what he thinks. He needs to go back to the rock he craweled out from.
Richard Cheney is an imbecile!
No one cares what he says anymore!
Most of us never did! No one respects him, not even as the VP.
Rush Limbaugh is a moronic right wing extremist who needs to go take some more drugs!
@commonsense
I don’t remember even ONCE hearing Bush blame 9-11 on his predecessor even though Clinton admitted failing to act on Saddam and Osama Bin Laden as his biggest regrets.
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Actually, Bin Laden was trained under Reagan. I never hear that either.
Isn't Cheney the guy that said: "We'll be greeted as liberators." and, " We're in the last throes of the insurgency." Why, with that sort of track record on the truth would anyone care and/or listen to him now? He's a bitter, old hack who can't stand it that people finally realized what an a** he is. Let's see, what's the word?...Oh yeah, Loser.
Its not about Republican bashing for me. As I recall, Dick Cheney got on the news circuit before the Iraq War (Rumsfeld went so far as to blame 9/11 on Iraq during the week of 9/11) and sold the war as if Al Queda was sitting in Iraq training to use airplanes and nuclear weapons. The intelligence was at best failed, at worst fabricated, and at most sparse. Yet he used that to achieve an aim that clearly transcended the events of the time and involved a larger policy that he helped formulate with the other neocons in the 1990s.
It was a deliberately misleading sales pitch. Those who apply such tactics should not be considered leaders, and I will certainly disregard what they say afterwards, including now.
This is an opinion I hold independent of CNN's Obama rallying/ Cheney smearing journalism tactics. I simply have no time for Mr. Cheney because he lied to me.
CNN and the demos think this is a major issue . . . get a life and start doing some real analysis . . . look at the future of no dollars in the goverment to pay for the many things the demos keep preaching and talking about. Come on CNN . . . stand up and do some real analysis . . . the USA is in deep financial trouble and you do not have enough intelligence to report the facts.
Why anybody listens to Cheney Anyway? He is a fundamentalist just like Ben laden. His extremist ideology polarized and divided people, promoted hatred and destruction, and pushed the world to a almost breaking point with 8 years in white house. If not prosecuted by court, he will no doubt be judged by history as someone who had done great damage to humanity. I hope next time Face The Nation will exercise better judgment than giving him any air time.
Chaney is allowed to say pretty much what he pleases (which he does), and I'm allowed to ignore him (Which I do 😉 ).
The only reason I feel that Colin Powell is sticking up for President Obama is because of the color of his skin. I could care less what color Obama is, but I think there are alot of people who care about that and will either use it for him or against him. When will the people of the U.S. ever learn? Seems at times we are going back to the slave days instead of moving ahead!!!
Some people have been complaining that the media is now saying for the old administration to shut up... You're complaining that it's a double-standard in favor of the Democrats. Did you not read the part where Frum said the current administration shouldn't be prosecuting the old one? He gave one point for both sides.
Stop cherry-picking from this article and read the whole damn thing. He's trying to make a point that bickering between the old administration and the new administration shouldn't be happening, but all you're focusing on is the suggestion that the old administration shut up.
Oh, and to those of you complaining that Obama dissed the old administration when it was in power - he was a Senator, not an ex-president or ex-vice president. I doubt Obama will criticize the administration that follows him.
President Bushes first four years he had very high approval ratings..Then Katrina hit, we launched an illegal war, gas went over 4.00/gallon, the housing/economic bubble collapsed..After all this plus numerous other happenings i did not mention resulted in a 23 percent approval rating at the end..Doesn't anyone think that not taking care of the USA first lead to his demise?
Where was all the concern when Jimmy Carter was making statements about George W. Bush? The intense media attention to this is yet another indication of the bias in the media.
As a former Democrat and now a Republican, we should not moderate. Our beliefs in our economic/social approach will be enough to stand on in the long run. There is no need to move to the "center" IE be more like Democrats. The out of control, insane spending, and takeover of the private sector will come home to roost. Don't believe me, read up on some history. Stay tuned!!
3 words for Rush Limbaugh...paranoia...insecure...scare tactics. I mean really, I think the Republicans are smarter than this and they shouldn't align themselves with such paranoia. He's entertainment! and it's dangerous to keep validating a person of challenged mental capacity. Cheney is smart, but he's old school...it's time to open up your minds.
When the Republican party became all about shifting our industry and jobs offshore and winking at the influx of cheap immigrant labor, that's the day it died. Their huge losses in the last election are a delayed reflection of that. Republicanism/Conservativism = dead until they bring jobs back. The Democrats better watch out as well because their lack of aggressiveness on the issue of getting jobs back will bite back. Strange that this issue is never directly addressed by politicians. Could it be the corporate lobbying $$$ silencing them???
When the GOP starts fighting over who is "more" republican than the next guy, you know you have some problems. When the "voice" of the conservative party and the former Vice-President start talking in the same fashion, the nerves must really be raw. And to top it off, throw an American icon under the bus at the same time; a true sign of "Uniters – Not Dividers".
Let's get back to conservative government and let the states sort out the social issues. Protect my borders and foreign interests, provide for national infrastructure, and protect the environment.
K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Senator
Republicans should realize that it is there attitudes rather than their philosophy that has pulled their party down. Indignities to anyone that doesn't share their beliefs has allienated many of their followers. Their belief is that the party is more important than people and that their way is the only acceptable way. As their membership declines, this is the moderates leaving first. What is remaining is becoming to represent only the extreme right wing view. As with the boom and bust of the 20's to the 50's, the Republican party was out of power for 24 years, perhaps again.
I cannot stress enough that Gov't is like running a business, you do not see any growth for 4-5yrs after your changes have been implimented. Bush's 1st 4yrs were from an uprising housing market which the Dems knew exactly what they were doing and promoted the drive with or without credit. In Bush's 2nd term his policies began trickling in now, and the next 2-3yrs of Obamas term will be due to Bush's policies that are still in tact, Not the Dems. In 2012 – 2014 you will see Obamas policies effecting our lives.
America can win a war overseas what the heck is wrong with our own leaders who feel they can take down what proud American Dream business owners build, Dems should find a new profession. If a private company fails, another will come along and take its place. The only thing gov't should do is during bankruptcy ensure the tax payers gets their money back, either thru govt funding or courts and law suits, isn't that what these high atty's get paid to do?
Military wins the wars, Citizens build America, Attys try cases, Govt? has their hands in too many issues, and regulating too much of our lives and dreams!! And shameless to say they don't pay their own taxes, or take pay cuts like us and get away with it.
All you Cheney-bashers better watch out, else he might invite you on a hunting trip...
Hmpf – what is going on – Cheney said and did nothing for 8 years except shoot his good buddy in the face w/a shotgun and bring heart disease to the forefront of America. Limbaugh was silent for once b/c he knew his party was stuck – STUCK. Bash Clinton, Bash Obama but heaven forbid anyone bash Bush/Cheney. I think it is hysterical that Cheney / Limbaugh have to scream for anyone to listen.
Republicans couldn't let go of Clinton b/c GW was such a flub and now they are terrified of Obama. I see a lot of crying wolf and temper tantrums – very unbecoming of a former VP, not surprising from Limbaugh.
The day I see the Bush Administration / Republican Party take any responsibility for anything will be the day hell freezes over and pigs fly. GROW UP!
Please remember there is a difference between entertainment and news.
Cheney should be heard – at least I want to know how his diabolic mind works. It may be a good lesson for everyone to learn how a seemingly patriotic and politically savvy American can so callously ignore our constitution & yet portray himself to be protecting our nation. Perhaps it will help us to stop such 'unpatriotic' people to win elections and attain the level of legitimacy that Bush/Cheney achieved.
The next election can not come to soon for me, Acorn with their stolen votes. A President that won't produce his birth certificate. Young Senator form Ilinois who fillibustered to block reforms in Fannie Mae in 2005. Look what the Democrats are they remind me of Tricky Nixon with his slick lies. Obama and his Treasury Secretary are going to sink everyone of the unions workers jobs at Ponitac without even getting a vote from the UAW folks at Pontiac. That seems fair, they voted Obama in now reap what they have sown. Obama is just one slick teleprompter reader with no financial acumen at all. He will make a us a thrid world nation by the time we get him out of D.C. The press is also financially illiterate. How dumb none of them even covered the big correction this year the FAS 157 Mark to Market or as it was made in 2007 Mark to Lie rule. Mark to Market was enacted in late 2007 with the rule that sank a majority of companies financial books of the lie entered by their accountants. Didn't anyone there under stand this huge lie the FAS 157 was, assets are not worth zero because for one exact day in the accountants books you can not sell them that day wake up. Don't any of you folks have any common sense. Your all being taxed at 50 to 60 percent on taxes or more this is what is dragging the economy down. Add them up S.S. 7 percent matched by your employer another 7 percent thats 14 percent. Add your state and local income tax for me that 8 percent now your at 22 percent. Then add your property tax mind's at 3 percent now that makes 25 percent. Now add your federal 25 percent that makes 50 percent. Now add your sales tax 7 for me thats 57 percent. Now lets add medicare 1.65 makes for 58.65 now lets add your federal and state fuel tax 43 cents for my state works out to be another about $750 for my wife and I that means add another 1 percent makes for 59.65 percent. I have not even mentioned the match on the medicare by your employer the workmens compensation of 1 to 3 percent tax your employer pays. Do you get it were broke out here carrying all these folks on our back. Get off my back. Over paid governemt workers wages are way out of line by 30 to 50 percent in my small town. Firemen making 100 grand a year, small town mayor getting 114 grand way out of line. We are going to vote taxes down like you would not believe. Its coming the silent majority has had it with the liberals, the press, and the overspending governments. Were coming to get you and your not going to like it, tough get ready for some pay cuts or hair cuts down to the scalp.
Rush Limbough is an idiot and Cheney not far behind. Let the "talking heads" talk; because that is all they can do. They are not leaders of anything; if they were leaders; they would be doing something. If our country isn't safe, why isn't Cheney working with our administration. He must know something. And the fat walrus Limbough, he should get up off his chair and do something.
Maybe two wrongs don't make a right but I have to side with Cheney on this one. When (and still is) Obama was campaigning how many times did he bash Bush and Cheney. As I recall his favorite term was "failed Bush Policies". Sorry but what goes around comes around. It is not okay for the Dems to get away with bashing the Reps and then come down on Cheney for doing the same thing.
It's a really tough choice on who we want as the center of the Republican party. On one hand you have Powell with a distinguished military career who put being an American over being a Republican. Then you have Cheney who got five deferments to evade the draft and stay out of Vietnam. Or Rush Limbaugh who got out of Vietnam because he had a cyst on his rear end, and an imaginary football injury. Do we want people who actually served, or chicken-hawks like Cheney and Limbaugh who have never put on a pair of combat boots?
Questions, questions...
I'm sorry, but the fact is that the democratic party is populated with highly educated, worldly and open minded individuals. IT IS A FACT! The republican party is populated with trailer trash PERIOD. It's a matter of mental capacity. You republitards really can't comprehend nuance and subtlety. I certainly do not consider conservative view points exclusively republican, it is not conservatism that is the problem, it is your 4th grade education.
-Kevin in Denver
The media in this country has gone to S**! They help the democRATS condemn Cheney and Bush for keeping the country safe. Even though the Democrats knew how it was all being done, the RATS just didn't have the guts to stand up for what they supposedly believe in even though they have been in power for the last two years in Congress. Now that they control the media, Congress and the White House, its okay to come out against harsh interrogation, because they can manipulate the findings. Princess Pelosi is proof, she knew and did nothing even after she became speaker of the House. What a big fat liar. I believe what comes out a democRATs mouth about as much as I believe in the tooth fairy.
Oh yeah and its okay for leftist elitest to call conservative protesters "racists" and call for serious illness on concervatives in the name of "comedy." So much for a kinder, gentler government run by democRATS
When Mr. Cheney was in office he constantly critized, so now that is no longer there, he has the right to speak up about those in the White house.
Is this a double standard now ???
He should continue to speak his mind.
I'm confused about what Rush actually wants on the domestic front. Individual liberties and small govenment? Sounds great in theory. In practice – well that's a different story. Bush 43 grew the gov't by what, 40-50% at least? And it wasn't discretionary spending. All our money goes to social security, medicare, defense and interest on the national debt. All the other cabinet level agencies are tiny in comparison. Don't think we need a Dept of Agriculture, Energy, Education, Commerce, Veterans Affairs or Interior? Fine – eliminate all of them and you still can't balance the federal budget.
The nations problems are a lot deeper than politicians want you to believe. The only people making money in this economy are the blowhards on TV and radio. They are inciting civil war by distracting us from the real issues while they get rich. Wake up people. Turn off your TV and do your own research.
So, let's just imagine the next Republican congress and White House:
Rush Limbaugh, President
Laura Enghram, VP
Ann Coulter, Secy of State
Sean Hannity, WH Press secretary
Bill O' Reilley, Asst Press Secy
DICK Cheney, Secretary of Defense
Danielle Steele, Secy of something irrelevant
Glenn Beck, Asst to Defense Secretary
Boy, the world would be so much safer than it is today (they'd probably throw Colin Powell in Guantanamo for treason i.e. supporting Obama.
shak May 12th, 2009 12:39 pm ET
I would like Frum to shut up. We do not want him and Collin like people who voted for Obama knowing fully well that Obama did not have values of Republic party and its agenda. Frum and Collin voted for Obama knowing fully well that McCain was a good man with so much experience. So, shut up Frum type of people and join the Democratic party.
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Was is it, like 23% of Americans consider themselves Republican now? Heck with the latest round of 'get out' we've been hearing from you, I wonder what the percentage is now? 🙂
Cheney can't comment on Obama but it was OK for Clinton to go out of the country to tell all his supporters that Bush is awful all for the$$$$$. I know they were private speches so i doesn't matter. I never heard Regan or Bush 41 ever bad mouth Clinton. How is it when Hillary said it's every AMerican's right to speak out about the Bush or any other administration, but you can't say anything about Obama. I guess that should only be the Obama way !!!!!!!!!!NOT I
With the exception of Colin Powell, everyone who served in the Bush Administration should be arrested, tried and convicted of "Treason". After that, they should all be taken to the Hague and tried for "War Crimes", and "Crimes Against Humanity". The sentence of execution should then be carried out on live television. That is what they deserve. Bush and Cheney should have to go last so that they can see the results of their folly.
Not so fast, if Obama & people in his administration can be critical of the previous administration & their actions, then it's only fair that they be able to take heat from them as well. The door swings both ways, that's what America is all about. I actually like Obama & many of the things he proposes, but not all of them. Freedom of speech...remember...
Ahhh.....I love Republican logic....Torturing human beings is Aokay....but gay people wanting to get married....NOW THAT'S AN ABOMINATION!!!!.....morons...
Steve in the West has it right! How can Frum call a man who completely ignores the constitution, actually goes above the constitution, commits deplorable crimes, exasperates and fuels terrorists motives to inflict hate on americans - a great man. Cheney was hiding in bunkers with Rumsfeldt long before he was vice president devising plans against enemies that didn't exist. He suffers from paranoia and needs medical attention.
crips and bloods, hells angels and outlaws, wear your colors proudly.
🙂 sure, vote by your gang affilition.
Hmmm....wasn't it "treasonous" for anyone to speak out against the Bush/Cheney administration? Now it's OK for Cheney to do the same to the current administration? Hypocrisy at its finest....No shock here. GOP is done. They are no longer relevant with these closed-minded lunatics.
Your man, Obama, is constantly criticizing Bush and Cheney. Why is it unacceptable to you for Cheney to set the record straight when Obama starts running his mouth?
Oh please just go away...The GOP promotes HATE they are not for anything that opposes all people but the wealthy and the rich. Dick Cheney ethics are deplorable he and Rush Limbaugh are carbon copies...What a coward! How sad....! Very Sad!
D.C a great American huh? Great at what? Serving his country in time of need,I think not,lest we forget those 4-5 deferrments during the V.C conflict. Oh yeah for got that one huh? D.C needs to SHUT HIS MOUTH !!and go hunting and hope not to shoot anybody!!
I am so sick of the media promoting Rush Limbaugh & Dick Chaney on their bad behavior. This is sad! When will this ever end? As a country, we need to grow and go on. Please, please, reporters, continue to promote the positive and leave the negative alone even for one day.
Let Cheney talk all he wants. But some of us remember the peril in relying on him, particularly when he is "certain."
Simply stated, Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies and against us.”
Dick Cheney address at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention – August 26, 2002
"I'm convinced, absolutely convinced, that [using enhanced interrogation techniques] we saved thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of lives.”
Dick Cheney on Face the Nation – May 10, 2009
Warning: Dick Cheney “certainty” has been known to cause serious danger to human decency.
Cheney....a GREAT man? That statement clearly shows how delusional Republicans really are. Let's point out what makes him a great man. He shot his "friend" in the woods while hunting. He outed a covert CIA operative. He authorized torture of "suspected" (not found guilty) military combatants. He lied about WMD in Iraq. He gave no-bid contracts to his ex-employer Haliburton and made millions, perhaps billions in the process. He had one of the lowest public ratings out of any Vice President in the history of this country. He has a lesbian daughter whom he does not believe deserves the same rights as he does. I could go on and on about the hundreds of things that makes this man so great. Wait...I must be a Republican because I'm delusional now.
Todd,
Here is your chance. Be their defense bud....let's hear it.
(Silence)
Just what I thought.....
Hmm,
Rush is just being rush, problem is that there is no other "leading conservative" voice out to seriuosly contend against the democratic future push, so Rush is it. Cheney is speaking from the side of pride, pride in the job he did, pride in the perception of america he created, simple pride.
But if he or any republican had a real good leg to stand on, they would recognize that the country "overwhelimingly voted the democratic congress and president, thus rejecting those republican ideal of growth.
If they say they kept the country safe, then america would have voted for the party that would keep them safe, obviously that wasnt the case.
What get me is that republicans keep trying to speak for "all americans" not all americans nor a majority of americans voted for, are voting with, nor even support current functions and ideals based in conservative mantra.
There is a disconnect and everytime they use the term..."where just saying what americans want" they show that disconnect more and more.
I hope Cheney keeps providing the prosecution with details of his support of illegal torturing. Confession is good for the soul.....and even better for the prosecution.
We all talk about " the base " of the Republican Party. Republican leaders are so worry of upsetting " the base " and in the way they allienate the other 70 % of possible Republican voters. Republican leaders should realize that " the base " is part of the problem. The 20-30 % of " the base " of the republican party has become so fanatical in their views that makes them look like the other base, al-qaeda. Ironically, al-qeada means " the base" in Arabic.
Its time for Cheney to clam it up..... apparently he missed the election results of November 2008.
Not sure if people know this or not, but 911 happened on Cheyney and Bush's watch so how safe did they keep us? The republicans only know how to tear down and destroy, they have not done one thing to help this country or economy and are not offering to help. They are proud to be the party of no.
@pointofview
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Remember that by keeping our country 'safe' as you state, more than 30,000 Iraqi people have been murdered. That was a direct result of our invasion and the destablization of the country. Saddam was not a great man but Bush made some serious mistakes. Bush lied about WMD right along with his buddy Cheney.
Afghanistan I completely supported invasion of.
And yes, democrats were in power the last two years and I am no fan of Pelosi either. She should have done her job and impeached both of them. I don't know where you work, but if my employer is not pleased with my performance chances are I'd be fired. This should have happened to both of them long before our last election.
psychos like cheney should be prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison in Gitmo. Too bad Obama decided to shut Gitmo down.
As a former republican, who is now an Independent, perhaps they need to listen to Colin Powell because he's right and a great man and American. Cheney? Great? No-Way!! But thanks for the laugh.
For pointofview, the Dems had 50 votes in the Senate. Not much you can do with that. Bush knew any veto was up held. Interesting that the only bills vetoed were after the Repubs lost control and all the deregulation that took placed had a huge affect on making this recession significantly deeper and worse than it should have been.
Much of this took place during the last 16 years which were controlled by the Repubs.
pointofview- Dick Cheney is the mastermind of the biggest government funded business opportunity and money laundering scheme in history. He cares more about money and power than he does about people. The Iraq war was a lie he perpetuated and benefitted from. Tax payer money went into the war and came out as corporate profits for him. People hate Dick Cheney because he lies and uses fear against people for his benefit. That's the kind of person he is.
pointofview...
You write Bush and Cheney helped keep us safe after 9/11. Where were they DURING 9/11??? Not keeping us safe? Last I checked, the last time we had been attacked on our soil before 9/11 was WWII. Thats many years of numerous presidents keeping us safe. 9/11 happened on Bush's and Cheney's watch. Too bad Bush and Cheney hadn't learned from day 1 that as leaders it was they who were now responsible for the well being of our nation. It is people like you, "pointofview" who take 9/11 as an example of success by Bush and Cheney. I believe slacking off and learning by mistake at the expense of thousands of lives as an example of failure.
If we "moderate" and try to look on the same page with Obama?
Seriously? When people are forced to moderate, it spits in the face of democracy, and every principle that this country was founded on. Opinions are opinions people. Each of you is criticizing on this very thread, so by each of your statements, whether you be in favor of or opposing Cheney's statements, you are being hypocrites.
Grow up people. Think for yourself. If you don't like opinions, then don't read, write, or ever watch TV.
A move towards moderation (i.e. – societal homogenization) is a move towards socialism, and a loss of our human right to do, act, and say as we please within the law.
Did anyone see "palin" in the list of governers?
Sour grapes. The Republicans went too far to the right. They let the religious right have too much control and too extreme values (ever heard of "seperation of church and state!"?).
Funny because I 'm pretty sure Jesus would be a democrate. Really if you look at his values and teachings, they are more in line with the Dems; not the greedy, self serving, moral imposing that the Republicans have turned into.
Cheney, Limbaugh...cry all you want. America spoke, you lost. Suck it up and take your lumps just like the Dems did for the last 8.
The GOP is out of touch with reality, and are falling apart. They have a nitwit slob like rush speaking on their behalf, then some freak like cheney who finally woke up after 8 years and suddenly wants to be heard? They've destroyed our nation, and have the nerve to criticize the new administration because they now have to clean up their mess.....
I will truly enjoy the day I get to see the GOP implode, which won't be long.
It is time to clear this up. Rush Limbaugh is not a candidate for office. Rush Limbaugh has been elected to nothing. Rush Limbaugh is not a politician. Rush Limbaugh is not in charge of anything, except three hours of radio time everyday. The fact that the left is continually worried about Rush Limbaugh is one of the funniest things I have seen in quite a long time. Keep commenting on Limbaugh. All you do is shine the spotlight on him and make him more popular.
The only thing Dick Cheney needs to do is get away from Limbaugh, as he is nothing but a dirt bag who runs his mouth but does not have the fortitude to run for oofcie but criticize evey elected offciial. he whines like a two yearold when someone questions his stupid rambling. As a Republican I can only say that Cheney and Bush did what they thought was right though like the others I cann disagree with my aprty but still support their causes!
I would like Frum to shut up. We do not want him and Collin like people who voted for Obama knowing fully well that Obama did not have values of Republic party and its agenda. Frum and Collin voted for Obama knowing fully well that McCain was a good man with so much experience. So, shut up Frum type of people and join the Democratic party.
I'm a registered Republican and voted for Bush-Cheney both times. Once I heard the blatan lies and double talk coming out of the Whitehouse (WMD vs freedom for Iraqi's, Dana Perino's "The war did not cause the rise of oil prices" lie) I voted independent this time around so my vote would truly count. I question Cheney's sincerity. I think they are still trying to salvage reputations. I also still despise liberals as we all should. They are as bad as ultra conservative Republicans.
Hey David Frum, Dick Cheney is not a great man by any stretch of the imagination! He`s a war criminal! He`s done way to destroy this great country than any VP in our history! I and this country owes that man nothing but a supeona to stand trail as a traitor of this country! He was more interested in filling his pockets from no-bid contracts with Halliburton and fleecing the American People through his ties with big OIL!! I say between Dick and Rush its a toss up as to who the bigger villian is!
Why do people keep saying Cheney is a great man? I think i've heard that four or five times the last week or two. If he's so great, why do we need to be reminded so frequently?
After 911, strong bipartisanship got behind Bush & Company, right or wrong. Today, as a nation, we're more at risk than in 2002. Treason comes to mind when I consider the way Cheney, Rush, and the Republican party is acting. Agree or disagree, we are "One Nation..." How about we act like it!
"Look, Dick Cheney is a great man and one of the most effective and knowledgeable people in the Bush administration and all of Washington. The country owes him a great deal."
Look, all above is PROVEN false at great loss of blood and treasure. Why is Frum's opinion even germane?
The new President should call the old President and the VP should call the old VP – yikes! What would that call sound like? "I need to know how you screwed this up so I can do the same thing" Obama/Biden got elected precisely because they were NOT going to be a do-over of Bush/Cheney.
Oh oh oh! CNN is politically dominated by Liberals some of u say? GO watch FOX news, at least CNN tries to show both sides of the story and tries to be fair unlike FOX news being all about republican propaganda
Cheney is divisive. He was used to being a puppet master to Bush, and now no one is listening to him, so he has to rant. Colin Powell is showing a lot of class and intelligence by not making out of control comments. Limbaugh and Coulter are entertainers who make their millions by mouthing off. We are a nation of many different viewpoints, and our leaders cannot lead by only leading a few extremists (whether to the left or the right). It seems apparent that Colin Powell understands this, even though he is not running for office. It's a pity more politicians haven't followed his lead.
Cheney slamming Powell – what a joke. Powell is a decorated war veteran. Cheney had 5 draft dereferments during the Vietnam war. ecause he lacked cajones. How gutless to have no problem sending thousands of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen to their deaths while he lacked the courage of his convictions during VietNam. What a gutless coward.
Interesting points of view. Seems there a few views relecting current demographics. The previous administration cannot defend its foreign policy as it was predicated on lies. No money could be made in Afghanistan so why not Iraq where Cheney and his pundits of disaster capitalism could remake a country whiile the individual responsible for the WTC attack is still free to roam.
Time for the nation and people to hold elected officials accountable and responsible. Push forward the charges and indict Bush, Cheney, Rove .
I say let the dogs bark just like mine does but only when he needs to go to the bathroom. Perhaps both Rush and Cheney need a bathroom break. Bush proved to be the wise one by just keeping his mouth shut, I credit him for not joing the dogs.
Oh please! "Wildly upopular, polarizing figures?" When has CNN ever said this about Barack Obama, or Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton or Bill Ayers or Jeremiah Wright or...etc,etc,etc. It's ALWAYS the republicans who are "polarizing" with CNN.
If the republicans can't criticize Obama – who can? The media certainly isn't doing it, the comedians aren't doing it, now the republicans aren't allowed to either? Oh, and we're also not allowed to criticize those RINO's (supposedly in OUR OWN PARTY) who go against their own party platform?
How about just a little objectivity? Don't answer, I know; you ARE objective...
Cheney has every right to comment on what Obama is doing as the new administration has been bashing their predecessors since taking office. The media presented a very negative image of the Bush administration for quite a few years and the American public was convinced of this after hearing it day in and day out. But the facts are, we were amazingly safe during the Bush/Cheney administration after 9-11.
I don't remember even ONCE hearing Bush blame 9-11 on his predecessor even though Clinton admitted failing to act on Saddam and Osama Bin Laden as his biggest regrets.
While your at it, release Clinton's records on what he was planning for Iraq and Afghanistan but failed to act on to make American safer.
Someone ought to explain to the drug addict that Republicans are already getting the blame for all the bad, and they deserve the lion's share of it.
Cheney is about as great a man as Charles Manson. There is nothing that Cheney and Bush did to "keep us safe" after 9/11. In fact, what they did is polarize a lot of world opinion against us. Condoning - in fact, specifying - torture lost us a tremendous amount of respect and cooperation around the world. The only reason we haven't had another attack is simply the fact that the terrorist groups haven't planned one. In a country where freedom is our right, we cannot prevent another one without givng up that freedom. As Benjamin Franklin said, however "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety", and that is what happened under the Bush Administration.
Cheney, who should be facing the World Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity based on the Iraqi war, as well as criminal charges for his no-bid contracts to his buddies at Blackhawk and Halliburton, needs to keep his trap shut.
Dave- Your question about how safe did Cheney keep America before 9/12? Maybe you should ask your former (Impeached) president Clinton that question. He didn't do anything during his 8 years in office to secure America's safety. I.e. Oklahoma City bombing, WTC attack in 1993, USS COLE, etc........ Hmmmm, interesting how you forgot about the accountability card for your party.
Frum, Obama, and administration have been attacking not just individuals like Rush, Cheney, and Bush, but also veterans and calling them terrorist, the among the most patriotic of Americans for which Obama's Napolitano recently apologized for. If you haven't been attacked by a democrat or lib, you don't love your country.
Cheney shouldn't be criticizing anyone, let alone the Obama administration. When you've had four deferments to avoid going into the military, this makes him a Yellow Belly Coward who perfers to hide behind those who were slaughtered all in the name of oil.
Cheney needs to spend time on his knees asking God for forgiveness of his sins.
I'm at odds with people talking about Gov. Jindal of Louisiana. What has he accomplished in one of the poorest states in the nation? You should first have a state that's at the top of some list before you talk about the leader of that state being the leader of this country. No leader from that state should be considered for anything, especially the leader of this country. What's he going to do, bring it down to the level of the state of Louisiana. Ridiculous to even consider Gov. Jindal as a leader of a party..... He nor his state has not accomplished anything that would be considered eye poping OR is it that he's from a slave state.......
Cheney should just go write his revisionist memoirs ...
Did anybody give this advice to Clinton and Carter after they went after Bush for 8 years. Cheney is just saying what the last 3 CIA chiefs are saying, is Obama is making huge mistakes in all national security. If we are attacked again because of his love for the terrorist then he should be tried for treason.
Cheney and Bush did mess up our nation deeply, sure they kept us safe after 911 but not from 911. Plus they botched up Iraq terribly causing these past six years of horrendous bloodshep over there and just barley is the nation now stablized. Yes the problems aquired by our nation are from the republicans. AMericans were seriously angry and anyone who disagreed with them were made to look like fools. Love of country? HARDLY, more like a love for themselves and their own interests. Right this is a free country and we are now free from the last administrations lies, hypocracy, and dictatorship. They practically did as they pleased irregardless of the wishes of the rest of the nation. Cheney should be exhiled from here I say. ....Cheney is an un-prosecuted criminal who willfully broke the laws of the United States in misguided attempts to pursue his vision of unlimited power executive power and silencing critics who disagreed with him. What the country owes him is a trip to jail......I strongly agree with this person
Powell is a supposed moderate. The Republician candidate, McCain, was a moderate; however, Powell endorsed a Democratic.
Cheney is correct when we asks, "Is Powell a Democrat?"
This man was in hiding for 8 years, didn't see him, and he did nothing. Now he comes out lashing at Obama, OH PLEASE, SHUT UP.
Dear Republican Party: Once you get Rush to shut up and stop trying to entertain us with his no-nothing – has never done anything attitude, I'll be more inclined to listen to what the Republican's have to say. As long as you have Mr. Cheney now deciding to step up and give his opinion, which he should have done when he had the opportunity, I won't be listening either. We, the people, aren't necessarily stuck on any side, we just want who wants the best for ALL people.
I say let him talk, let Limbaugh talk, let Gingrich talk, let them all talk. Because the more they do, the more repulsive the GOP looks, and the more it shrinks.
I guess no one in America can have an opinion or criticize the actions or job performance of someone, even though the Democrats have been doing it for years, but that's different. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, it has to stop. Please.... ever heard of freedom of speech, free to live like you want, opportunity, and patriotism or has that been changed by political correctness! I did not agree with everything the former adminstration did, but I respected their position and decisions.
This country has gotten into the blame game, the scapegoat and away from being accountable for our own actions as Americans. We need to love each other as Americans with the same purposes and vigor as our forefathers and stop being led by the nose to failure. Wake up America and smell the coffee!
Maybe Cheney will pull off another domestic terrorist attack so he can brainwash the country again and become president.
it is absolutely unconscionable that Cheney and Rush are the leading spokespersons for the Repulican party. Sending them to jail is to let them get away too easy for the damage they did to this great country and the world. They need to be shipped to hell and have them rot there for eternity. If Republicans have any sense left to save/redeem their party, they will reject these two clowns immediately and move on to create a broader coalition based on true conservative principles.
When Cheney took office in 2000 with FORMER Prez. Bush, he agreed to PROTECT the Constitutional rights of the American People. There was no provisions or "buts' opposing this oath. After 9/11 that oath was thrown out the window in the name of War. Where were the Democrats since then? Not in Power! 51 out of 100 is a majority, but not enough to get anything done. Don't down and blame Democrats for 2 yrs they had majority but no REAL power! Get your facts straight. The Bush/Cheney Admin is what put this country into the gutter. Them ALONE! Both are Republicans. Oh and just another fact, since 1980 other than Prez Clinton, the Republicans have held majority in everything including the executive and congressional offices. So hunny, blame your friends the Republicans for the country's downfall, not the 1 person that gave a "majority" to Democrats for a total of 2 yrs. That is NOT true power! This demise didn't happen in 2 yrs, it happened over the course of decades!
Dick Cheney is not "a great man." He's a snake and I wish he'd crawl back under the rock he came from and take that idiot Rush Limbaugh with him. For eight years we heard virtually nothing from that gas bag. He should shut up....
These 2 guys do more harm than good to both the U S A and their own party .. Rush & Dick. There is no need for this kind of criticism right now when the Country has been brought to its knees by the Greedy money people who the the G O P favors, tolerates, and encourages. Thank you.
Rush (got a job through my daddy) and Dick ( never fired a gun at anything that could shoot back) are cowards. Neither will sacrifice their comfy lifestyle to help America.
Regarding the previous comment : "After 9/11 he helped keep this nation safe"?? I'm always confused by statements such as "made this country safer". By what measurement is this country safer? Is this simply because there hasn't been another attack on the United States? Is it a certainty that this would have occurred without our country shamefully being the aggressor in a war based on the promises of weapons of mass destruction? Would we be safer without the increased methods of torture that we inflicted, the same measures that we killed the Japanese for when they used them on U.S. troops during WWII? Being the bully on the block doesn't make you safer, it makes you a target for all the kids who are sick and tired of being persecuted. What ties did the 9/11 attack have to Iraq? What ties does it have to the war we're fighting in Afghanistan? And what about Iran, do we need to invade them to be "safe"? Where does the madness end. Obama is focusing our efforts inwards towards improved infrastructure, science and alternative energy sources that are sustainable. Isn't that what will really make us safer?