Cheney Steers Clear Of Libby Mess

VP Says Some Democrats Have Been "Irresponsible" On Iraq In Pushing For Withdrawal Timetable

(CBS)  Despite the conviction of his former chief of staff in a high-profile trial, Vice President Dick Cheney said today that he has not had an opportunity to speak to his friend, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the highest-ranking official of the Bush administration to be convicted of federal crimes.

During an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, the vice president also said he expects the Democratic-led Congress will eventually relent in its demand that future funding for the Iraq war be tied with a timetable for withdrawal.

"I think the Congress will pass clean legislation," Cheney said. "I don't think that the majority of the Democrats in Congress want to leave America's fighting forces in harm's way without the resources they need to defend themselves."

Congressional leaders have been invited to meet with President Bush at the White House on Wednesday. Both the House and Senate have passed supplemental funding bills for the war that include timetables for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by March 2008. Mr. Bush has vowed to veto such legislation, and Democrats do not have enough votes to override him.

While some Democrats, such as Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, have signaled a desire to send the president a bill he will sign after an initial veto, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said his party will not back down. Cheney said such actions would be "irresponsible," especially after the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed the nomination of Gen. David Petreaus to lead combat operations in Iraq.

When suggested by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer that a majority of Americans want a timetable for American troop withdrawals from Iraq, as has been voted on in Congress, Cheney said, "Well, there is also a majority that I think would prefer to have us win. And there is a fundamental debate going on here in terms of whether or not our objective in Iraq is to quote 'withdrawal' or whether our objective in Iraq is to complete the mission. And I think a majority of Americans would prefer the latter."

Recent events in Iraq, including a Thursday suicide bomber attack on the Iraqi Parliament building, have not dimmed Cheney's hopes for victory, he said.

"I don't want to underestimate the difficulty of the task, Bob, but just because it's hard doesn’t mean we shouldn't do it."

"There is no question it's a very difficult assignment, but we've got a new commander in the field, we’ve got a good strategy in place, and I think we will soon see positive results," he said.

He said leaving Iraq now would signal U.S. withdrawal from a global war on terror, sending the wrong message to allies such as Pakistan. "Are they going to have any confidence at all that the United States is going to stay and complete its mission?" Cheney said.

In response to Schieffer's suggestion that Cheney's 2005 remark that the Iraq insurgency was in its "last throes" might make some dispute his optimistic take on the war going forward, the vice president suggested his comments lacked hindsight ("We have to respond to questions from the press and we do the best we can with what we know at the time"), but still spoke that progress in Iraq was evident.

"My statement at the time that you referenced was geared specifically to the fact that we just had an election in Iraq where some 12 million people defied the car bombers and the assassins and for the first time participated in a free election," Cheney said. "We had three elections in 2005 in Iraq: We set up a provisional government, then we got a ratification of a brand new constitution, then elections under that constitution of a new government, the government that is in place now. I still think in the broad sweep of history those will have been major turning points in the war in Iraq."

In other current issues, the administration continues to back Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Cheney said, even as the controversy surrounding the firings of eight U.S. attorneys continues to grow. E-mails released Friday showed that successors for the attorneys were under consideration nearly a year before their firings — an apparent contradiction of Gonzales' testimony before Congress.

"He is a good man," Cheney said of Gonzales. "I have every confidence in him. The president has every confidence in him."

The vice president would not discuss the conviction of Libby on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice as part of the investigation into the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. The case is under appeal.

Cheney called the verdict a "great tragedy" but said he had not talked to Libby since he was found guilty on March 6. "I haven't had occasion to do that," he said.

He also refuted claims by Reid that, amid a hostile Congress and the president's declining approval ratings, he and other members of the administration had become more isolated that Richard Nixon's White House during the Watergate scandal.

"It's a ridiculous notion," Cheney said.

[inventagod]

Cheney WHO?

[tuckerndfw]

OBL has higher approval ratings with American voters than D. Cheney.

Who cares what Cheney thinks?

Any congressman who votes to give the Bush administration any more money to waste on Bush's fiasco should be impeached.

[king77shaw]

pure evil ... I can't watch or listen to him ... I was forced to change the channel ... shame on CBS for airing his propaganda ... leave him to swim in the Fox News cesspool ...

[samthetvcat]

This is kind of immature of me, but eewww - he's so creepy.

[bigsk8fan]

be careful of your comments. Cheney has already shot people who have gotten in his way. in any case, i hope cheney is wrong. i voted in democrats in order to block the current administration's warmongering policies. they no longer have a boot licking, rubber stamping, republan congress to count on. they still keep saying things are changing with a new general. unfortunately, we still have the same pres and vp. and we see daily reports that insurgent bombings are occurring, even in the green zone. we are supposed to believe cheney's lies that things are getting better. we need to leave iraq now.

[forthepeopl1]

its time to take over washington. they still think they control us americans, just look at what he said. It's a ridiculous notion," Cheney said. to this'
He also refuted claims by Reid that, amid a hostile Congress and the president's declining approval ratings, he and other members of the administration had become more isolated that Richard Nixon's White House during the Watergate scandal.
who is in denile here.. time to go head hunting in washington

[forthepeopl1]

were are the 4 years worth of e-mail from rove?????? thats the big question that all of congress should be demanding.. asap give them up now or go to jail until you get them just as it would happen if i was consealing a informemt.. its the same..so why has it not happening....

[crater7]

CONGRESS SHOULD ATTACH AN IMPEACH BUSH-CHENEY BILL, SO WE COULD BRING OUR TROOPS HOME. IF THE IRAQI INSURGENTS/TERRORIST WANT TO FOLLOW US HOME, WE WILL DEAL WITH THEM APPROPRIATELY.
DEMOCRATS SHOULD NOT GIVE IN TO THIS CROOKS.

[forthepeopl1]

i'am not affaid to say anything about this crimenal. he and bush are murder and lier the this country. and if he thinks he big anough to try let him. i am a vet. and i was train by the best, no body not even these monkeys can try to take my country and s/h/i/t/ on it no longer. and when americans start seeing it faster. they will understand..its time for a american coup on washington.

[dallison7]

"I think the Congress will pass clean legislation," Cheney said. "I don't think that the majority of the Democrats in Congress want to leave America's fighting forces in harm's way without the resources they need to defend themselves."


WHAT A PIECE OF SH(T!!!

THIS GUY IS A PIG!!

The administration is trying soooo hard to spin this in the direction that 'a veto supports the troops'!!

This congress better not give in!! STAY THE COURSE!!

[iceman_1960]

"In response to Schieffer's suggestion that Cheney's 2005 remark that the Iraq insurgency was in its "last throes" might make some dispute his optimistic take on the war going forward, the vice president suggested his [Cheney's] comments lacked [the benefit of] hindsight."

What Cheney's comments lacked was foresight, not hindsight.

Can you believe this joker ? The worst Vice President in American history.

Have another heart attack and drop dead, Goebbels.

[pared1]

Impeach Bush & Cheney and let's start to repair all the damage these two idiots have done.

[iceman_1960]

D*ick Cheney: "My comments lacked the benefit of hindsight."

What a stupid excuse.

Every idiotic decision in history could be defended that way.

Napolean: "My decision to invade Russia lacked the benefit of hindsight."

Captain of the Titanic: "My decision to speed up in the iceberg field lacked the benefit of hindsight."

Just keep flapping your gums right up to November 2008, Cheney.

[iceman_1960]

Cheney said, "Well, there is also a majority that I think would prefer to have us win."

99% cannot define America's "winning" in a civil war that has no front lines.

"Winning in Iraq" is a meaningless Pie-in-the-Sky term in a war like that.

This isn't Iwo Jima, where the American side just slugged it out till all the enemy were killed, then raised the flag in victory.

How would we even know that we had won ? If all the crazy car bombers knock it off and make nice for a year ? (Maybe they would just be waiting us out.)

Has Israel won over the Palestinians yet, after 58 years of fighting ? Iraq is that kind of war.

Help is on the way: Cheney's next heart attack. I hope it's both soon and fatal.

[forthepeopl1]

I would like to ask all that post herw one question.and please get all that post everwhere and ask them to post there answer here.

1/ why sould any american in this country follow any laws of this country?? while our own elected that run this country do not have to play on the same field as all americans.?????

[carolschneid]

Mr. Schieffer,

Bet you walked away just shaking your head (& not in agreement) after this weeks "guest" comments. So did the rest of us. Well atleast Cheney believes what he is saying & is consistent.

Carol Schneider
STL-MO USA

[tuckerndfw]

"Be careful of your comments. Cheney has already shot people who have gotten in his way."

Posted by bigsk8fan at 11:10 AM : Apr 15, 2007

Thanks for the laugh. I actually laughed out loud when I read that.

[rharrin1]

It shows the surge is working, now they attack INSIDE the green zone. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, IN THEIR LAST THROES, STAY THE COURSE.

The only stay the course we need is for democrats to stay the course on FUNDING.
If bush vetoes it will show HE is the one who does not support the troops.

How many countries or rulers after invading could hang on to what they took? They even had competent leaders.

[iceman_1960]

Cheney said, "Well, there is also a majority that I think would prefer to have us win."

Translation: "I want to save face. So does Bush. We'll pay any price in American lives and Iraqi lives and American tax dollars to make that happen."

[l8c6]

This guy is like dealing with a teenage girl with a borderline personality disorder. If you don't have the money fool and send troops in harms way without adequate support---IT WILL BE THE WHITEHOUSE'S FAULT!

The trust of a big majority of americans has been lost with this set of arrogant dictator wannabes. Step aside oh despisers of democracy and take your deceiptful form of nation building back to your think tanks and sit on it till your war mongering ways are consumed by your mortality.

[l8c6]

This guy is like dealing with a teenage girl with a borderline personality disorder. If you don't have the money fool and send troops in harms way without adequate support---IT WILL BE THE WHITEHOUSE'S FAULT!

The trust of a big majority of americans has been lost with this set of arrogant dictator wannabes. Step aside oh despisers of democracy and take your deceiptful form of nation building back to your think tanks and sit on it till your war mongering ways are consumed by your mortality.

[forthepeopl1]

hey to all man in black.. you better be very very close to your bosses. america cant take the constance lieing anymore from our leaders in there mines.

so everyone ready to answer the question. should america follow ant laws.

[hapibeli]

Cheney is as pathological in his arrogance, culpability, and inability to distinguish fact from fiction as all of the Bush administration. These people are dangerous to all life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

[tuckerndfw]

"why sould any american in this country follow any laws of this country??"

Posted by forthepeopl1 at 11:34 AM : Apr 15, 2007

When George Bush announced the "Bush doctrine," and then began arguing he was not restricted by any known laws, which congress seemed to support, the US entered into anarchy.

Legally, no one is obligated to comply with any laws upon implementation of the "Bush doctrine" (the invasion of Iraq).

But, as a practical matter, police and courts still enforce laws even though they have no legal authority, under the "Bush doctrine," to do so.

In other words, don't expect the police to ignore you while you rob a local bank. George Bush and cronies are allowed to rob the US Treasury because the GOP refuses to uphold the law (US Constitution).

But you can bet they'll enforce it on people who are not part of the Bush Mafia.

[iceman_1960]

"Be careful of your comments. Cheney has already shot people who have gotten in his way."

Today on "Face the Nation" Cheney shot himself in the face.

No enemy of his could have done a better job of destroying him than he did.

[iceman_1960]

"He is a good man," Cheney said of Gonzales. "I have every confidence in him. The president has every confidence in him."

If Cheney and Bush both think he's a good man, that settles it.

Throw Speedy Gonzales in prison and throw away the key.

[tuckerndfw]

Mr. Schieffer,

Bet you walked away just shaking your head (& not in agreement) after this weeks "guest" comments. So did the rest of us. Well atleast Cheney believes what he is saying & is consistent.

Carol Schneider
STL-MO USA

Posted by carolschneid at 11:35 AM : Apr 15, 2007

So was Adolf Hitler.

[Renegade.Rivers]

It is amazing how out of touch Limp_Dick Cheney is with reality, maybe Viagra has eaten up his brain. I really wonder what kind of drugs they are passing around the White House. Shrub is mad all the time, and just daring Congress to impeach him, LDC is living in another world and hiding in the bushes when Shrub gives a speech, which don't seem normal, and Rover "accidentally" erased all the e-mails. Sure would make a good Cheech and Chong movie. Oh, but don't turn on the lights, I don't want to see. This is the craziest political party I ever did see.

[forthepeopl1]

hey tuck. thank you for reminding all what is the rights of americans..i have thought that what you said but wanted to here from someone instead of my head. thanks.

but if more americans new this i would think washington would be scard to death.

[forthepeopl1]

cheney is a pervert. and prays on little americans to fight. bring back the draft and see how long it takes to put a end to this war... it would end before the vote is past..

[shingles1]

Cheney: "our objective in Iraq is to complete the mission."

What's the mission?

It went from nonexistent WMD, to Saddam's nonexistent 9/11 link, to spreading freedom and draining the swamps of hatred, to what? Saving face? The message that withdrawal would send?

As opposed to the message sent by our flailing about like a helpless pitiful giant, unable to secure the GREEN ZONE for God's sake! What kind of message does that send?

Well, at least we're STEADFAST and showing RESOLVE in our stupidity.

[iceman_1960]

"1/ why sould any american in this country follow any laws of this country?? while our own elected that run this country do not have to play on the same field as all americans.?????" - Posted by forthepeopl1 at 11:34 AM : Apr 15, 2007

I obey the laws just because it's the right thing to do, regardless of what others do. A law would have to be egregiously wrong and immoral for me to turn to civil disobedience.

Plus, I've heard that prison really s*ucks.

"The law is like a fisherman's net. The little fish are caught. The big fish break through the net and escape." - Anarcharsis the Scythian, to Solon the Athenian.

[iceman_1960]

"cheney is a pervert. and prays on little americans to fight." - Posted by forthepeopl1 at 11:55 AM : Apr 15, 2007

And God, if there is a God, does not answer the prayers of perverts like him.

[roach9703]

Just what are we going to "win" in Iraq at this point?
Some military security contractors, according to the Washington Post are going around like goons indescriminately killing people. What is that, democracy, rule of law ( not according to Brenner)or just empire-on-the-cheap? Apparantly, these "contractors" are not subject to law, American, Military or Iraq. Convenient isn't it?
Saddam is gone, a good result, but a horrible,ineffective process. It seems we have a Nixon paranoia machine with out the competence in foreign policy. This sounds like a great receipe for a horrible war on us!

[oldhacks]

IMPEACH NOW!

[iceman_1960]

Usually spelled Anacharsis.

"He marvelled that among the Greeks, those who were skillful in a thing vie in competition; those who have no skill, judge" %u2014Diogenes Laertius, of Anacharsis.

Anacharsis was a Scythian philosopher who travelled from his homeland on the northern shores of the Black Sea to Athens in the early 6th century BCE and made a great impression as a forthright, outspoken "barbarian [non-Greek]," apparently a forerunner of the Skeptics and Cynics, though none of his authentic works have survived.

Anacharsis was half Greek and the son of a Scythian chief, from a mixed Hellenistic culture, apparently in the region of the Cimmerian Bosporus. He cultivated the outsider's knack of seeing the illogic in familiar things. His conversation was droll and frank, and Solon and the Athenians took to him as a natural philosopher, not unlike the way the French took to Benjamin Franklin. His rough and free discourse became proverbial among Athenians as 'Scythian discourse'.

Arriving in Athens about 589 BCE, he came to the house of Solon, philosopher and lawgiver, and said, "I have traveled here from afar to make you my friend." Solon replied, "It's better to make friends at home." Thereupon the Scythian replied, "Then it is necessary for you, being at home, to make friends with me." Solon laughed and accepted him as his friend.

- Wikipedia

[victoriarum]

How much dirty laundry can be hung out to dry before the word justice is used in the proper context.

Pray for Peace, God Bless each of you.

[iceman_1960]

Posted by didntinhale at 12:12 PM : Apr 15, 2007
+ report abuse

Reported again.

I guess the Moderators take the weekends off. "didntinhale" won't get banned until Monday.

[iceman_1960]

CBS Rules of Engagement:

"Very important: if you see a comment that you feel is inappropriate, let us know by clicking on the "report abuse" button."

[abbe7]

"Cheney called the verdict a "great tragedy" but said he had not talked to Libby since he was found guilty on March 6. "I haven't had occasion to do that," he said."

That's what you discussed BEFORE he was found guilty which is of interest ...

[antoniof123]

Well, it is pretty much a 100 percent vote Cheney is a D I C K.

[condumism]

Cheney, a stockholder in the private government contract NaziCo known as Bechtel, will say anything to divert attention away from the waste and fraud of US taxpayer money that goes to feed the completely unnecessary US Miltary Industrial Complex. Even the Mormon's at Brigham Young University are now demnanding the Pig Cheney be replaced as keynote speaker for their May graduation ceremonies. Which begs the question, why do these FAscist Neocons only speak in front of the US MIltary, payed audiences, or fundamentelly ill christain nutt case orgainzations? It's summed up in one word: COWARDS!

[dallison7]

The weather sucks in South Florida, raining. I just mixed myself a nice 'Salty-Dog' and I'd like to make a toast...

HERE'S TO BLOODCLOTS!!

[john1416]

I continue to hope that Bob S. learns sometime soon that he's been manipulated and misinformed by folks like little *** Cheeeeney. No hard questions, no clear answers, no challenge follow-up. I watch the program and I watch the suck-up each Sunday. Go figure?

[hazelknows]

and to think, we were (and maybe still) a shakey surgeons hand away from ridding ourselves of this greedy, war mongering bottom feeder, wanta be christian.

[aeasus]

A war does not end until one side stops fighting! Why does Bush have to be the last person to understand that,instead of being the first?

Victory in Iraq was to rid that country of WMD's,then it was to remove a tyrant dictator,then it was to establish a democratic government. My question is.. what will the final definition of victory in Iraq be...?? How long will it take? How much will it cost? And why should we support it?

Without knowing this information and having a clear plan to it's completion,my vote is to end it NOW!!! It's simply mismanaged!

[rafterman1]

"and also that the Troop Surge was working"

Sunday, 18 killed in a market blast. 8 killed in a suicide bombing in Baghdad. Saturday, 40 bodies found in Baghdad. Yeah, that troop surge is working just fine. Frankly, I don't think that the Iraqis can take any more success from the troop surge.

So coward, going to sign up yet? Or just keep sending others to their deaths in Iraq's civil war just so you can prop up your party? Actually, I don't blame you for not signing up. If your unit found out the kind of "support" you've been giving them (keeping them fighting in an unwinnable civil war and keeping them away from their families for - now - 15 months at a time), well, it would not go well for you.

[iceman_1960]

"Love it when my words of truth inflame you so much that you resort to censorship." - didntinhale

Posting the same long message over and over again is not an exercise in free speech. It is spamming. Spamming is a form of Internet vandalism.

And prohibiting spamming is NOT the same thing as censorship of ideas.

Get a clue, troll.

[iceman_1960]

"I just might have to think up 1000 new names to post under. That might be fun. If i can just keep irritating one Liberal democrat per day then im doing my Job." - didntinhale

Vandalism, on the Internet and elsewhere, is against the law.

Technically, you could be prosecuted for it.

That won't happen, but CBS does have at least two links to your actual identity: an email address and your Internet address.

They could use it to contact your ISP and (with a court order) have them reveal your actual identity, that of the person or persons paying for the service. That would pull the mask of anonymity off you.

They won't over something as trivial as this, of course. But they could.

[pussylib]

Spamming is a form of Internet vandalism.

And prohibiting spamming is NOT the same thing as censorship of ideas.

Get a clue, troll.


Posted by Iceman_1960

Icedork? Spamming is what happens when someone sends you an unsolicited email to your email address. Being a moronic Liberal troll I know things get jumbled and confused.

Your Liberal Mouthpiece and front man SEVEN PESOS has been pasting the same message on everyboard chat board since this website started.

I post political satire and repost so that some of the new viewers/posters who have not read it. It does deeply hurt me that you dont dig what i have to say Icedork =)