Former Vice President Dick Cheney, unloading on President Barack Obama on FOX News tonight, says 2010 will be a good year for Republicans and that Obama is no longer seen as invincible -- though he concedes that his own naming of candidates for 2012 may not be doing them any favors. Photo of Sean Hannity and Cheney courtesy of FOX News.
by Mark Silva
President Barack Obama, bowing to other leaders of the world, fails to understand the concept of "American exceptionalism,'' former Vice President Dick Cheney contends.
"There's never been a nation like the United States of America in world history, and yet when you have a president who goes around and bows to his hosts and then proceeds to apologize profusely for the United States, I find that deeply disturbing,'' Cheney says in an interview that FOX News will air tonight. "That says to me this is a guy who doesn't fully understand or share that view of American exceptionalism that I think most of us believe in."
The Republican also contends that Obama is a "more radical'' Democrat than he first appeared to be - yet stops short of calling Obama, as some critics have, a socialist: "I don't want to use that kind of a label."
"I saw him when he got elected as a liberal Democrat, but conventional in the sense of sort of falling within the parameters of the national Democratic Party,'' Cheney says in the interview with FOX's Sean Hannity airing tonight at 9 pm EST and again tomorrow, same time. "I think he's demonstrated pretty conclusively now during his first year in office that he's more radical than that, that he's farther outside the parameters if you will of what we've traditionally had in Democratic presidents in years past."
Cheney, a former congressman who has served four presidents in his party, says this of the coming midterm elections: "Prospects for the Republicans in 2010 are very good... I think we'll pick up a lot of seats.
"Right after Obama was elected, there was the view that he was invincible,'' Cheney tells hannity. "He could raise more money than anybody else. He had this machine that smashed the Clinton campaign and then won the national election, and that he'd be around for eight years and now I think that has changed fairly dramatically."
At the same time, Cheney is reluctant to suggest party names for 2012: "At this point I'd be reluctant to pinpoint anybody. It might hurt them more than it would help them coming from me."
Cheney maintains that Obama has shown the world a dangerous lack of understanding about the war on terror. He maintains that the Obama Justice Department's planned trial of the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and al-Qaida accomplices in a federal courtroom in New York will make him "a hero in certain circles.''
The former vice president calls the trial of the terrorist known as KSM and others in criminal court "a huge mistake...
"He'll be able to go in whenever he's up on the stand and proselytize, if you will, millions of people out there around the world including some of his radical Muslim friends and generate a whole new generation of terrorists,'' Cheney says. "I think it will make Khalid Sheikh Mohammed something of a hero in certain circles, especially in the radical regions of Islam around the world.
" It will put him on the map. He'll be as important or more important than Osama Bin Laden, and we will have made it possible."
The former vice president, who has accused the president of "dithering'' with the decision about a new U.S. troop deployment in Afghanistan, says in the interview with Hannity:
"Everybody is watching. The Taliban are watching, the al-Qaida are watching, the Afghans who are on our side are watching, and when they see hesitation, uncertainty, lack of clarity from an American president, they begin to think the Americans aren't going to be here very long.... Then you see governments in that part of the world start to shift their alliances and their friendships. For example, just in the last two weeks the prime minister of Kuwait has gone to Iran on an official visit, the first time in 30 years. Why did he do that? Well, he wants to make sure he's got a foot in all camps."
Cheney says this, however, about the president's plan to start drawing down troops from Afghanistan in July 2011:
"It's better than withdrawal now."
"This notion of uncertainty, the difficult time he has putting it together, all of this feeds into the basic al-Qaeda strategy,'' Cheney contends. "Remember the way al-Qaida operates and what their underlying plan is - 'if you kill enough Americans, you can change American policy.'
"When they see (the president) announce in advance that there's going to be a withdrawal 18 months down the road, they come to the point where they feel like their strategy, their worldview has been validated and in the meantime, your task of trying to control the situation, trying to put down the Taliban and so forth, has simply gotten harder because you're weak and indecisive when you made the decision to do it,'' Cheney says.
"The Obama administration is now going back to that pre-9/11 concept that this is all about individual crimes and a problem for law enforcement,'' Cheney contends. "It's not a war to be fought and prosecuted as we ordinarily would prosecute it."
Comments
I just have one question?
Why isn't Darth in prison yet?
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Posted by: BushCo War Criminals | December 8, 2009 3:57 PM
How about we draft The Dick Cheney into the wars that he started in Afghanistan or Iraq?
It's never too late to serve your country, right Dick?
The right wing war profiteeers need as many bodies as they can get, even old decrepids like you.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/01/politics/campaign/01CHEN.html
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Posted by: Former Republican | December 8, 2009 4:03 PM
I hope all of the right wing Neocon warmongers live long enough to see first hand the horrors they inflicted, as they are confounded by President Obama's wise alliance-building and diplomacy in all of our efforts throughout the world.
Cheney should be treated only with the derision and parody that he deserves. He wouldn't even be talked about anymore except that the Conservative loving Coporate Media clowns seem to think that what he says actually matters.
In their insanely disproportionate response to 9/11, BushCheney were an extreme aberration - an object lesson that has already been refuted by lawful trials of terrorists in England, Spain, and, significantly, Eichmann in Jerusalem in 1948.
The worst terrorists we could ever fear - lone wolves - are in our very midst, fomented by fear- and hate-mongering by a cowardly, insurgent minority Republican party.
Posted by: Steve Slaton | December 8, 2009 4:17 PM
So chickenhawk Cheney runs to Hannity and whines about Obama being a radical. If anyone is more unpatriotic, detestable, or disturbing then this criminal I am unaware of who that would be.
We all need to remember, Cheney never served. In fact he's a draft dodger (5 deferments to avoid combat in Vietnam) and a spineless coward. I will also mention Cheney has been convicted twice for drunk driving, so he's also an irresponsible moron.
This is also the man who ignored pre 9/11 intelligence from the CIA, Israel, and England about the impending terror attacks which killed 3,000 Americans. Smarmy Cheney then lied to and deceived the American public about Iraq and Saddam Hussein's WMD's (who Cheney and Rumsfeld were best friends with for a long while). After 9/11, chickenhawk Cheney ran off to a super secret undisclosed locaton where he remained in hiding for months. Bush and Cheney failed to finish the 2 wars they started. I say lets send this foul smelling unpatriotic coward to Afghanistan to fight the bad guys. Either that or send him to The Hague.
Posted by: Doug R. | December 8, 2009 4:23 PM
To Darth, exceptionalism means:
1.free to start wars without provocation
2. free to torture, as long as we don't call it that.
3. free to imprison, throw away the key, without the accused even knowing what they are charged with.
4. frree to spy on it's own citizens without a warrant
5.free to kill hundreds of thousands on a hunch (or a fabrication?)
6.free to pollute with impunity
7. free to make up stuff in order to secure oil
8. free to blow-off its critics, foreign and domestic, with a terse, "so".
Dick, do us a favor and go "Cheney".
Posted by: dt☢ | December 8, 2009 4:58 PM
This man is so deluded he should really be checked for mental capacity. He has committed the most egregious of war crimes and helped destroy the reputation of our country in the world. Of course Obama believes that America is exceptional but he knows that part of being exceptional is to have respect for others and not to try to force our way of life on others.
Posted by: Karen | December 8, 2009 5:03 PM
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/zombie_reagan_raised_from_grave?utm_source=videoembed
Posted by: HaHaHa! | December 8, 2009 5:26 PM
While I wouldn't necessarily compare the US justice sytem to those of other countries I believe it is possible to try terrorists. If it was such a big deal why didn't the Bush administration try them after the 6 years they had them in military custody? I the terrorists to pay, not sit in a tropical dog run and sunbathe.
Cheney isn't exactly a shining light on the foreign policy achievements of hte Bush administration.
Posted by: Todd M | December 8, 2009 6:02 PM
Dr. Szell, with the help of the Salabis, has lured Patient A to a secure undisclosed location and Erhard and Karl have him strapped in the chair.
Are you radical? Dr. Szell's question sounds almost musical above the sound of water being drawn and handwashing.....
Are you radical?
A bit sharper.
Patient A turns and asks "Are you talking to me?"
Dr. Szell, by this time visably annoyed, asks, quite sharply:
"Are you radical?"
"Tell me what you mean by 'radical'", Patient A says....
"Are you radical?" a note of fatigue and resignation colors Dr. Szell's reiteration of the question......
"Yes, I'm radical. I'm so radical you wouldn't believe it....." Patient A extemporizes.....
"Are you radical?".... Dr. Szell asks, sotto voce.....
"No. I'm not. I'm very far right. So be careful" Patient A counters......
Dr. Szell turns the Luxor lamp full in Patient A's face and unrolls his dental instruments......
Posted by: ornery | December 8, 2009 6:18 PM
The first one that should be Prosecuted is Cheney. I won't even show him pas respect by referring him as VP. He with other big shots sold our country down the drain for the love of money and power.
He should be tried as a war criminal.
Posted by: Phil Bq | December 8, 2009 8:24 PM
Hannity is such a Cheney tool.
Posted by: Vivian | December 8, 2009 9:23 PM
Wow! Cheney brings out the looniest of the loons.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | December 9, 2009 12:42 AM
Cheney brings out the best of the Left as usual. Keep it up Dick its working!!!!
Posted by: John Anthony | December 9, 2009 1:59 AM
Wow! Read this one. It is really good. And this gentleman says it just like it is.
This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii
for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president. Consult : http://xrl.us/bgeewc
Posted by: Jerome Raviv | December 9, 2009 4:04 AM
Obama is clueless. Liberals call it "nuanced."
Posted by: JamesJ | December 9, 2009 8:57 AM
Good ole Dick.
Always riding shotgun for the Bush Dynasty (if you'll pardon the expression...)
Dick, we know you can't pass the physical and are a permanent 4 F.....
But your powers of oratory are magnificent....
Inspire us, Dick!
You are such a great example of exceptionalism yourself!
You are the living embodimen t of American exceptionalism, Dickster!
The Ugly American, version 1.0
Posted by: ornery | December 9, 2009 9:07 AM
Most of the posters must be from Zeros homes state cause you folks are insane. Drink your kool-aid and praise be to Obummer our dear socialist leader.
Posted by: David | December 9, 2009 9:21 AM
I am so grateful for Fox the Noise for presenting this blithering boob, whenever they can. He is an inspiration to all of those who are intellectually and morally challenged. He sure has been riding shotgun for the Bush Danasty. I think he even took a few heart attacks, for them as well. What a stand-up guy, when he isn't cowering in some corner, or responding to the call of his country. I'm sure most boys and girls, of the Republican-Libertarian Party, want to grow up and be just like him. That is sure something we can look forward to, with trepidation !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 9, 2009 11:03 AM
Truth - such a tiny little word, yet the leftists of the world run away from it with vim and vigor.
Liberals cannot stand their ideas (throw money at the problem) or their agenda (government needs to control everything) or their concepts (big government is good) being challenged.
Why does the left hate Cheney? Because he speaks the truth. You don't like it? That is very unfortunate, because the truth ALWAYS has a way of coming out...
Posted by: Mark | December 9, 2009 11:57 AM
Go Cheney! In spite of all the deluded liberals who are responding to this article....they who never can argue a point....when they're confronted with FACTS all they can do is ATTACK. There are many patriotic Americans who love our country and agree 100% with Mr. Cheney! AND.....many of us have sons, fathers, grandparents who have served and died for our country. Let's see how this country turns out when Obama has sucked all of the money from the 'greedy, evil rich' people and the businesses....there will be nowhere left to suck money from!
Posted by: Karen | December 9, 2009 5:00 PM
You can always tell right away when you stumble into a viewership of liberal weenies. LOL
The Truth always hurts liberals. It's sad.
Posted by: Doug | December 9, 2009 6:06 PM
Posted by: Doug | December 9, 2009 6:06 PM
Spoken like a true 13%er
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/us/politics/17poll.html?hp
Why does the left hate Cheney? Because he speaks the truth. You don't like it? That is very unfortunate, because the truth ALWAYS has a way of coming out...
Posted by: Mark | December 9, 2009 11:57 AM
The Truth always hurts liberals. It's sad.
Posted by: Doug | December 9, 2009 6:06 PM
That would be that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11 and that there were no WMD's, right?
Let's see how this country turns out when Obama has sucked all of the money from the 'greedy, evil rich' people and the businesses....there will be nowhere left to suck money from!
Posted by: Karen | December 9, 2009 5:00 PM
Who exactly has Obama sucked money from, Karen? Big business? Really? So much for helping out the Auto Industry. Wall St.? Do I need to comment on that?
If all these "patriotic Americans" are so in agreement with Cheney, why is he the most unpopular vice-president in history? And guess what, Karen? The right doesn't own the "patriot" franchise.
Posted by: dt☢ | December 9, 2009 8:01 PM
It is so touching to see the self-proclaimed "patriots" rush to Darth's defense, and citing virtues of his "truthiness", yet?
http://www.antiwar.com/worthington/?articleid=13952
Posted by: wounded animal | December 9, 2009 8:15 PM
What the Hell! Who in the hell does Cheney think he is? As if someone would listen to him or his daughter! Cheney, why don't you go and take a buddy hunting this week! Remember when you went hunting while drinking, without a license, shot your buddy in the face, and did not report it for over 24 hours. Where and who has the transcripts from your court appearance for that incident? Remember the republicans never do anything for this nation they only do things to this nation! whiteagle38
Posted by: Raymond L. Juneau | December 9, 2009 9:11 PM