Cheney Hits Obama Hard, Tradition Be Damned
Even President Bush – who was often the target of criticism from Mr. Obama during the campaign – has said the new president "deserves my silence." But Cheney, who has been front and center in the debate over the release of the Bush-era interrogation memos and potential prosecutions for devising the interrogation techniques, clearly disagrees. He has gone so far as to suggest that there is a "high probability" of a terrorist attack under the new administration.
"This is an unusual political event," said CBS News Senior Political Correspondent Jeff Greenfield. "Generally, departing presidents leave the field to the new president, and generally, vice-presidents just don't have that much to say that would be of interest to the press and public."
"But Cheney (a) had more power than any other vice-president and (b) he was by all the accounts the leading voice for a response to September 11th that accepted virtually no limits either to executive power or to the tactics that might be needed to confront America's enemies," Greenfield continued.
"So Cheney's criticism needs to be seen in that light," he added. "It's his legacy, even more than Bush's, I think, that's involved with the tactics at issue here."
Noted CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller: "It's Dick Cheney's nature to speak his mind." Knoller points out that Cheney was urging Mr. Obama not to stop CIA interrogations of "terrorist prisoners" even before he left office.
"He doesn't lunge for the spotlight, but he's willing to spend time in it on his terms," Knoller said.
Liz Cheney, the former vice president's daughter, suggested in the Times story that her father feels he cannot worry about decorum when the country's safety is at risk.
"When he sees the current administration making decisions that he believes are making the nation less safe, he does not believe there is any obligation under those circumstances to be silent," she said.
Cheney is not a popular figure; Democrats have cited him with glee and even some Republicans have said they wish he would leave the spotlight. But Knoller said a little perspective is in order; the former vice president is not, he points out, simply toting the party line.
"While Cheney is critical of the new president's policies, he wasn't shy about criticizing George W. Bush either for refusing to grant a presidential pardon to 'Scooter' Libby, Cheney's one-time chief of staff, convicted in the CIA leak probe," said Knoller.
"And while Cheney made news in recent interviews with FOX and CNN, he's selective about who he'll talk to and turns down more interviews than he does," he added.