Couric & Co.
April 9, 2009 12:34 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Cheney Crossing The Line?

By
Katie Couric
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Katie Couric's Notebook
4871340 Did former Vice President Dick Cheney cross the line when he said the Obama administration has made America less safe in the brief time they've been in office?

I asked the new Attorney General, Eric Holder, about that in an exclusive interview.

He stopped short of calling the comments inappropriate. But he did say he respects President Bush for providing a period of silence as this new team formulates policy on tough topics like Guantanamo Bay.

Politics is a rough and tumble sport. After all, then Senator Joe Biden called Mr. Cheney the worst vice president in history when he was out on the campaign trail.

These barbs sound more like the rhetoric of radio talk show hosts than elder statesman.

We should never shy away from insightful criticism. And in the white hot spotlight of the presidency a fair amount of back seat driving simply comes with the territory.

But it's fair to give the new kids on the block a chance to get their learner's permits first.

That's a page from my notebook.





Eric Holder interview:



Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by dagneytaggart April 16, 2009 11:29 PM EDT
Katie, you are so full of it. Wasn't it you who chose to tear Sarah Palin apart because she wouldn't tell you what newspapers she reads? Didn't you just win an award for your behavior towards her? Didn't you say that she should spend the next few years with her head down and learn some things? Meanwhile, you helped us elect someone with less experience than her for the Presidency of the United States, someone who doesn't know what language Austrians speak, someone who doesn't know about DVD region coding, someone who has since tripled the national debt? Alaska has a surplus right now. Hmm.

Anyway, we are supposed to give the President a learner's permit? No. That's what the Vice Presidency is for. You should really be ashamed of yourself. A pox on you.
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by u8i82 April 13, 2009 5:06 PM EDT
Hey Mz. Cheerleader,

How much of a chance did you and your Leftist playground bullies give Bush?

What hypocrites you are!
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by GregoryTart April 13, 2009 3:47 PM EDT
Is this the same Katie who let Biden get away with saying FDR went on the Television after the stock market crashed? Who sandbagged Palin, and then never corrected the record when Kissinger said Palin was correct on what he said? Wow, a Republican critizes a President who bashes his predecessor every chance he gets, and Katie thinks this might be pushing it. I thought this was America.
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by DaSaintFan1 April 13, 2009 3:32 PM EDT
"Learner's Permit"?? This is not a job that you LEARN as you go.. if you're not qualified to be President of the United states, you _dont'_ run for the office.

I mean, I wasn't exactly a fan of some of President Clinton's policies, but at least he had some executive leadership as a governor, as did President Bush.

The media kept pushing Obama as the "guy everyone in the world would love"... forget the fact that you in the media ignored the fact that Senator Obama knew NOTHING about how to run things. (again, the old "mean old conservaitve" questioning media objectiveness).

North Korea sets of a missile that could take out our friends in Japan... as well as reach the United States... and you expect Obama _Now_ to "learn" to deal with this for the what.. the next time? When one DOES reach our shores? When the next missile goes off and kills millions of our Japanese or Australian allies?

The President of the US is the CEO of arguably the "largest company in the world" (The US Economy).. and he doesn't know how to run it? He's the CinC.. and he needs to learn how to use it?

Ironically, if this were any private enterprise... and the company flounders, because the CEO doesn't know what he's doing, and shows no signs of knowing what he's doing, the stockholders vote the CEO out immediately before he ruins the company.... And the US govt is a much bigger industry than any free-market company out there... there is _no_ Learning curve once you're at the top of the employment chain!
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by claydowner April 12, 2009 2:46 PM EDT
I like moderate Republicans like Maine's two Senators and Pennsylvania's Senator Specter. These moderate Republicans usually go beyond rhetoric to find common policy consensus kind of like mature adults should try and act. I part company with right winged neocons like Dick Cheney. The Bush Administrations policies have failed in Iraq and the ultra-conservatives have been resorting to fear mongering because they can not tolerate the idea of President Obama having a successful administration. The Obama Administration has been in office less than 100 days and the attacks from the right wingers just intensify.

Here is a question for ultra-conservatives: Where are your solutions to problems with energy independence, affordable health care, and the economy? How about eduction policy? Your policies of tax cuts for the top 2% have failed all Americans so what are you going to propose now? Stop the whining, moaning and single issue fear mongering you Republicans. Our country needs common sense solutions to problems like health care that are tearing the financial guts out of American families and small businesses you allegedly are supposed to support. Until you Republicans stop the fear mongering and start coming up with concrete solutions to real economic problems facing Americans on Main Street the Republican party will make itself irrelevant to Main Street America's future. Most Americans under 30 years old do not identify with anything Rush Limbaugh and Fox news commentators are talking about. All the conservatives have are fear mongering and single issue right wing extremist politics that guarantee the minority status except in the Deep South. The Republicans are becoming a regional party not a national party.
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by happymiller April 12, 2009 10:05 AM EDT
So now, all of a sudden, we care what an ex- VP has to say? I didn't think most people cared what a sitting VP had to say. Whether I agree, or disagree, with Cheney, is unimportant, as far as I am concerned he is just another private citizen. Surely there are more serious issues for you to work on than the comments of an ex-VP! Or are there other issues at work here? hapmiller.
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by mrtek April 12, 2009 2:03 AM EDT
George Bush and Dick Cheney! Why does anyone care what they think of the new administration. They left us broke, in two wars. Isn't Cheney the one who seemingly didn't care that a CIA Officer was outed and possibley put in danger. That the reason I don't care what the man says!
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by snydersweb April 10, 2009 11:39 AM EDT
I have all the respect in the world for our presidency but it just seems to me like President Obama is flying by the seat of his pants here. Dick Cheney is a seasoned veteran when it comes to foreing relations. Hey, how long after President Bush took office did it take the Bush bashing to start. Cut the double standard.
www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TheGH4Effect.html
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by ericgarrison April 10, 2009 10:57 AM EDT
Is anyone really surprised at further nonsense from Dick Cheney? The man destroyed our country's great reputation across the globe, and is now living fat and happy on his Halliburton profits. Those of you who continue to buy his baloney need to wake up.
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by wtcmedic911 April 10, 2009 12:30 AM EDT
its only crossing the line as shes one of the Obamagazim gals.
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