As a booknote to Scott’s piece below and to provide the video for Mike’s post here is the presser on Obama’s decision to finally listen to calmer heads and not release the detainee photos:
And while I don’t agree with Allah at Hot Air often, I am completely on board here:
The meme of the hour, per Republican strategists and Bill Clinton, is that Dick Cheney needs to quiet down about torture and go away now. Really? I find it hard to believe The One would have backed off on the photos if not for Cheney’s media campaign to convince people that torture works and that Obama’s being cavalier about counterterrorism. Granted, he’s personally unpopular with most of the public, but the fact remains that he’s almost uniquely well informed to comment on this subject, which can’t help but be persuasive. If he’s got a liberal as staunch as Richard Cohen questioning himself, what’s he doing to the rest of the country?
And I for one thank Mr. Cheney.
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Wanna really get the loons frothing at the mouth… start putting it about that Cheney is going to run for President… I want the pop corn concession…
Until now, the Bush administration couldn’t talk about these things in detail. Now that Obama has declassified the material (Bush never would have put the CIA in this position), Cheney can talk to his heart’s content. I appreciate it, would Nancy have ever come to light as the lier she is, if not for Cheney keeping this thing going? Well he didn’t keep it going, MSM did trying to humiliate him.
Who is the statesman here in a sea of crazies.
You can say what you want about Mr. Cheney, to me he is man with whom you cannot Bull****! He would run circles around you.
Nobody in the world thinks he is a joke or have tried to mess with him. Unlike Biden, a total loco VP who has no idea as to what is going on.
Mr. Cheney is a man of principle and he has kept America safe. We should thank him for what he is doing for our military and our country.
And Pres. Bill Clinton should worry about himself and his wife instead of saying the things that he says, it does not show well on him. Sadly, he is starting to sound like Jimmy Carter…
If I was offered a position with the CIA yesterday I’d still be a happily retired Gent and refuse.
The Carters & Clintons gutted the CIA. Obama killed the residue and Panetta was sent to sweep up.
Anyone notice that la pundit, Walsh, doesn’t name any GOP strategist names? Hummmm… more anonymous sources as the mainstay.
Another point – considering how “rudderless” everyone believes the GOP party to be, and how little inroads they have made with a viable “stop the damn spending and growing government” message that lies at the heart of a conservative platform, why would I take *any* GOP strategist opinions seriously? They have obviously proven themselves as impotent.
Last… of course the media is going to try and stop Dick from talking. He’s effective and efficient, if not well liked. Then again, effective and efficient are not exactly standard pol traits… As Curt and Hotair point out, were Dick not bringing reality to light, it would have been glossed over by a petulant, prozac’d out media and thug mentality administration. But of course they want him to shut up. Dissenting voice in America? Of course not… not in Obama’s “remade” America.
Love Cheney… always have.
I tend to take the President’s word when he speaks of the commanders in the field who made their case about what impact the release of the new images might have on security. President Obama made the right call. The safety of the troops trumps their public release.
I think VP Cheney is not a factor in the Presidents decision, and politically only revving up that 20% shrinking base.
In the beginning my opinion about the documents and pics was to keep it closed. In a time of war we don’t need to dig this shit out and risk unintentional consequences. Now I think I would be fine to have the secret courts that handle classifieds material take on the case to determine if war crimes were committed. That is based upon VP Cheney making claims about saving lives. Ok, let jury nullification not convict if he can prove that in court. That would include investigating the Speaker and what she knew and when she knew it, and her culpability. Let them all be hoisted on their own petard.
None of us will know the real truth, just the strategically leaked parts from partisans trying to defend a political position, we should not play games with our national security by allowing these critical elements to be disclosed publicly.
I wonder if it’s the same GOP strategists who did such a lousy job managing John McCain’s campaign?
Frankly, I’d rather take my chances with pitbull Cheney than a room full of anonymouse GOP Strategists.
If it wasn’t for Cheney everyone would buy into the Obama lie about waterboarding not being necessary to save American lives.
By the way, the waiting period for review on Cheney’s request for declassification is up in a few days. Who wants to bet on whether Obie will agree to declassify the memos which show the direct correlation between enhanced interrogation and the intelligence which foiled plots and saved lives?
P.S. If anyone thinks Cheney is going over the top with his rather mild but frank criticism we need only remind ourselves of the precedent for post-VP behavior set by Al Bore:
@Mike’s America:
“*Frankly, I’d rather take my chances with pitbull Cheney than a room full of anonymouse GOP Strategists.
Pittbull Cheney keeping the wolves from attacking or Chihuahua Biden negotiating with the wolves…. no brainer for me.
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Hooray for Cheney!
Just a couple of updates to add to this thread. WaPo had a story yesterday with the lead “As Cheney Seizes Spotlight, many Republicans wince”
Newsbusters Tim Graham picked up on the same thing I did that WaPo and US News Daily were using anonymous sources, and how the heck do we know they weren’t the losers that were advising Arlen Specter, of if they are some of those young 20-something “strategists” you see on the cable talking heads shows with little first hand knowledge and experience.
But it sure makes for a great headline for the left…
@blast:
Interesting charge by Tom Ricks about Obama being “rolled” by Odierno/military commanders. And Peter Feaver questioning whether it is Obama “getting rolled” or “getting informed”.
Commenter:
From President Obama’s statement:
The catch-22 of course, is that among the conspiratorial-minded anti-American opinion-holders, nondisclosure will stir their imaginations into the belief that the photos are worse than abu Ghraib; that we’re hiding the photos because they’re too shameful. They will always be ready to believe the worst. The mere media coverage and controversy may be putting troops in danger. Then again….since when did America’s enemies ever need the excuse?
Same thing with all this talk of “torture”; calling the released memos “torture” memos. It’s made the debate all but settled in people’s minds that the Bush Administration had been involved in torturing detainees. And anti-American Muslims will not give the U.S. the benefit of the doubt and will believe the worst about the treatment of detainees in general.
I am sooooo behind the curveball in my FA reading. Mata beat me to the observation: