The Cheney Exit Interview

On "Face The Nation," Vice President Talks About Iraq, Executive Powers, And Why Obama Needs To Keep Gitmo

(CBS)  Cheney said that Israel has a right to defend itself from rocket attacks by Hamas which have been launched from the Gaza Strip. Israel has faced increased criticism for its offensive which began 9 days ago, during which more than 500 Palestinians and 5 Israelis have died, plus countless more injured,

Scheiffer asked if Cheney thought the Israelis' ground invasion might widen the conflict and prove to be a mistake.

"Well, I think it's important to remember who the enemy is here," Cheney said. “You've got a U.N. member state being attacked by a terrorist organization, and to go after that terrorist organization, I think, [Israel] probably decided that an air campaign wasn't enough, that they had to go in on the ground, if they were going to take down the sites from which the rockets have been launched against Israel.”

Cheney called his remarks "informed speculation," but said that Israel has not told him what they plan to do or when.

But he also said the administration is not pushing for a cease-fire. [Late on Saturday Alejandro Daniel Wolff, the Deputy Permanent U.S. Representative to the U.N., blocked a Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza on the grounds that it would not be bilateral.]

"We think, if there's to be a cease-fire, you can't simply go back to the status quo ante, what it was a few weeks ago, where you had a cease-fire recognized by one side but not adhered to by the other," Cheney said. "Hamas has to stop rocketing Israel. And I don't think you're going to have a viable cease-fire until they're prepared to do that.

"I think we'd like to see a cease-fire, but … It's got to be a sustainable and durable.”

Surveillance And Torture

In a recent Fox News interview during which he was questioned about notifying Congress about the administration's surveillance program (including the use of wiretaps without a warrant or court oversight), Cheney said that Congressional leaders were fully informed and that Republican and Democratic leaders were unanimous in their support.

This opinion was at odds with Sen. John Rockefeller, who wrote a letter to Cheney in 2003 [which was classified and not revealed until news of the wiretap program was broken]. In that letter Rockefeller, who was the leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised his concerns about the "profound oversight issues" involving warrantless wiretaps, and his inability to endorse the program.

When asked about the discrepancy, Cheney told Schieffer, "They were kept fully informed."

"Well, why would he have written that letter?" Schieffer asked.

"I have no idea," Cheney said. "Everybody who was in the room that day, for example, when I got the leadership down, the chairman and ranking member of the intelligence committees, including Senator Rockefeller, and asked them … if they thought we should continue the program, they said yes. Do we need to come to Congress to get authorization for it? And they said no. And he was there.

"Later on, when this became public, when the New York Times broke the story - which, frankly, I think was an outrageous decision on their part, they were asked by the President of the United States not to, on the grounds it would damage national security - then Senator Rockefeller decided he wanted to hark back to this letter. But the fact was he couldn't even find it. He had to call my office for a copy of the letter that he allegedly had written, some years before, raising some questions that he had about the program."

"I always felt it was a bit of a CYA letter," Cheney said.

Despite the fallout from the Bush administration's program to ignore FISA law and avoid judicial oversight of its surveillance activities of Americans, Cheney said that he did not think the White House went too far.

"Absolutely not. I think what we did was one of the great success stories of the intelligence business in the last century … I think it provided crucial intelligence for us. It's one of the main reasons we've been successful in defending the country against further attacks. And I don't believe we violated anybody's civil liberties."

Cheney likewise characterized the fact that a major terrorist attack on the U.S. has not occurred since 9/11 as proof of the success of the administration's national security initiatives.

[catlady1412]

Wow! This guy is going to be really shocked when he leaves his protective underground bunker and finds out people really hate him! It was pathetic when he issued his endorsement of McCain as if that was a good thing and when he went to rally Congress to pass the first bailout proposal. I don''t think he really does know what people are saying or thinking about him. He is seriously delusional.

[texasbeta]

Posted by jedi23231-

Actually, we get mad because he just blatantly denies facts...he is one of those guys who will claim the moon is made of cheese. The guy should be tried for treason and executed.

[polyjunky]

That is the worse case of history revision I have ever seen. Are these people delusional?

[polyjunky]

That is the worse case of history revision I have ever seen. Are these people delusional?

[daffy64]

"This is a guy who had started two wars," Cheney said of Saddam, "who had killed hundreds of thousands of people, including many of his own, with weapons of mass destruction. It was one of the most despicable regimes of the 20th century. And he thought he could get away with continuing that."

---

Is he talking about the Bush regime?????

[daffy64]

Dear Bob Schieffer,
That interview with VP Cheney yesterday was painful to watch. You blew it. He condescended you and you cowered just like 95% of journalists did pre-Iraq war. Whatever happened to ''''follow-ups'''' and on your own show, no less. I''''m embarrassed for you and the nation. Thank you.

---

He was probably scared of getting shot in the face.

[jakiamik-2009]

chenoid calls saddam self delusional in his blather with schieffer, hilarious. if any two hate robots on earth know what self delusion is it would be chenoid and monkey boy. if he had it to do again, he said he''d do the very same thing....a criminal confessing and then threatening to kill again.

it would be lovely to see them put on trial (and they should be) but just the satisfaction that they''ll be gone and they''ve damaged their own putrid party almost beyond repair is enough to make each day better.

good bye ***

[jokr8790]

The Bush Administration, the best recruiters Al Quaeda ever had!

[jakiamik-2009]

chenoid calls saddam self delusional in his blather with schieffer, hilarious. if any two hate robots on earth know what self delusion is it would be chenoid and monkey boy. if he had it to do again, he said he''d do the very same thing....a criminal confessing and then threatening to kill again.

it would be lovely to see them put on trial (and they should be) but just the satisfaction that they''ll be gone and they''ve damaged their own putrid party almost beyond repair is enough to make each day better.

good bye ***

[jakiamik-2009]

chenoid calls saddam self delusional in his blather with schieffer, hilarious. if any two hate robots on earth know what self delusion is it would be chenoid and monkey boy. if he had it to do again, he said he''d do the very same thing....a criminal confessing and then threatening to kill again.

it would be lovely to see them on trial but just the satisfaction that they''ll be gone and they''ve damaged their own putrid party almost beyond repair is enough to make each day better.

good bye ***

[jakiamik-2009]

chenoid calls saddam self delusional in his blather with schieffer, hilarious. if any two hate robots on earth know what self delusion is it would be chenoid and monkey boy. if he had it to do again, he said he''d do the very same thing....a criminal confessing and then threatening to kill again.

it would be lovely to see them on trial but just the satisfaction that they''ll be gone and they''ve damaged their own putrid party almost beyond repair is enough to make each day better.

good bye ***

[tincup356]

to bagdadshere 9, I think someone dropped you on your head.....to think that Bush/Cheney are such heroes and have done no wrong,,,,,,,,you are dead wrong,,,,we can never right all the wrongs that those two men have done,,,,,,,they have committed war crimes and need to be tried for them.....As far as the bailout goes ,,,Bush/Cheney and both parties of congress need to be brought up on charges of treason.

[oscarm7]

Dear Bob Schieffer,
That interview with VP Cheney yesterday was painful to watch. You blew it. He condescended you and you cowered just like 95% of journalists did pre-Iraq war. Whatever happened to ''follow-ups'' and on your own show, no less. I''m embarrassed for you and the nation. Thank you.

[endrepubs]

LETTER
TO CHENEY/BUSH:

FROM: ANTI-WEST ISLAMIC RADICALS (aL Qaeda)

DEAR CHENEY/BUSH:

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR REMOVING SADDAAM HUSSEIN FROM POWER AND DESTROYING HIM. HE WAS OUR ONLY SERIOUS OBSTACLE TO SPREADING ANTI-WESTERN ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM. NOW WITH THE PRO-WEST SADDAM HUSSEIN OUT OF THE PICTURE, WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR INFLUENCE ON OTHER MUSLIM COUNTRIES AND MAKE LIFE MORE DIFFICULT FOR AMERICA. YOU MANAGED TO QUICKLY DO WHAT WE COULD NOT DO IN 20 YEARS. (AND ALL THE MONEY YOU SPENT DOING IT!!!) WE REMEMBER THAT HE WAS YOUR DEAR FRIEND FOR MANY YEARS AND THAT HE FOUGHT US VERY HARD WITH YOUR AID AND SUPPORT. NOW HE IS GONE AND WE WANTED TO THANK YOU ONE LAST TIME BEFORE YOU LEFT OFFICE. WE KNOW YOUR FELLOW AMERICAN CITIZENS NOW HATE YOU WITH A PASSION, HOWEVER, WE WILL WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS.
YOUR FRIENDS,
al Qaeda

[solarrays247-2009]

Bush treated the Constitution like a football game.. ''''take the fight to them''''. Life, and death.. a football game.

Posted by william313 at 12:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009

The idiot kicked the ball out of bounds, running the wrong way!!

The fight was, and still is, Afghanistan!

Gotta go...I have a business to run.

[boatdocster]

America was never attacked after 9/11, that will be history, Iraq will be an ally in the heart of the middle east where an enemy was before, history will show that also.

Posted by notblue at 11:30 AM : Jan 05, 2009

Its funny how the GOP Neocons talk about America not being attacked after 9/11 under Shrub and Darth, and it''s simply not true.

After 9/11 Bush has spent 1 to 2 TRILLION DOLLARS on a fabricated war more "Claiming" to be the better protector, proven to be another lie. That money does not include the other 4-5 TRILLION DOLLARS of pure waste and greed. Losing pallets of money in Iraq...

Over 5000 additional brave real Americans died after 9/11 and are still dying - in countries abroad but died none the less. Those are true American hero''s and were killed. Guess those folks don''t count to Dicck Cheney!

The statement by Cheney, like everything else out of his mouth, is pure crapp.

As a President, Bush will be ranked in the bottom 3, if not dead last, now and 100 years from now.

[lochlan-2009]

Of course we have to keep Gitmo open. We have to waterboard the entire Bush Administration (especially Cheney) and all the corporate criminals he gave every last dollar and IOU to, from American tax payers. One of the biggest crime organizations is walking right out of the White House, without a single charge. "and justice for all", what a joke. This is the real America.

[nikosk11]

Sorry, I missed the interview. I switched to another channel, for I had no desire to hear excuses from a dictator. If I want to hear from an a$$hole I will f*a*r*t.

[notblue]

Now that the election is over and the left realizes his prer-election lies werre just that by STAYING THE COURSE against terrorists, it will be interesting to read the ongoing comments. America was nevwer attacked after 911, that will be history, Iraq will be an allie inthe heart of the middle east where an enemy was before, history will show that also. Despite the best efforts of left and liberal media like CBS, Iraq will be a success and the terrorists will continue ot be destroyed. What was OBama''s promise again? LOL!

[hatesthecolt]

One must wonder if the Supreme Court justices who voted to make Bush/Cheney the winners of the 2000 election ever have restless nights, contemplating whether they did the right thing for their country.....

Posted by raflin0010
Scalia and Thomas certainly are sleeping fine ... Scalia is an idealogue (anything for the cause) and Thomas is an idiot and Scalia''s lapdog.