Cheney: Hey, Don’t Blame Us For Mess

Calls Obama's Talk Of Inheriting Troubled Economy "Interesting Rhetoric"; Says Banning Torture Raises Risk Of Attacks

(CBS/AP)  Former Vice President Dick Cheney says it wasn't the Bush-Cheney administration's fault for the nation's economic mess the new administration is trying to clean up.

Responding to President Barack Obama's comments about the fiscal troubles he inherited upon taking office in January, Cheney admitted Sunday that Mr. Obama did come into power amid very difficult economic circumstances, but added, "I don't think you can blame the Bush administration for the creation of those circumstances. It's a global financial problem."

The former vice president also said that Mr. Obama's overturning of Bush administration terrorism-fighting initiatives makes Americans less safe.

Mr. Obama has suspended military trials for suspected terrorists and announced he will close the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as overseas sites where the CIA has held some detainees. The president also ordered CIA interrogators to abide by the U.S. Army Field Manual's regulations for treatment of detainees and denounced waterboarding - part of the Bush program of enhanced interrogation - as torture.

Asked on CNN's "State of the Union" if he thought President Obama has made Americans less safe with those actions, Cheney replied, "I do.

"I think those programs were absolutely essential to the success we enjoyed of being able to collect the intelligence that let us defeat all further attempts to launch attacks against the United States since 9/11," Cheney said.

"I think that's a great success story. It was done legally. It was done in accordance with our constitutional practices and principles," he said. "President Obama campaigned against it all
across the country. And now he is making some choices that, in my mind, will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack."

While disputing the previous administration's role in the current economic environment, Cheney said that it is the federal government's responsibility to correct the problems, including matters of regulation.

"The key [to success], I think, is the extent to which they fix the problem with the financial institutions in the society," Cheney said. "That is a federal government responsibility. It's the banks, it's the Federal Reserve, it's the FDIC, it's all of the financial regulations and management of our currency that is a federal responsibility. And I look to that as an area that they've got to get right in order for everything else to flow."

Cheney says the idea that fault can be assigned to the previous administration is "interesting rhetoric" and added, "I don't think anybody really cares a lot about that."

While discussing the question of fault, Cheney suggested that Democrats on Capitol Hill had tried to block his administration's efforts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Yet it was a lobbying group with GOP ties that convinced leading Republicans in the Senate to kill a Republican-sponsored reform bill in 2005. And Politico reported that it was Republican holds in the Senate that delayed a reform bill in late 2007 that would have allowed the terms of mortgages to be rewritten.

On another matter pertaining to the departing administration, Cheney said his ex-chief of staff, "Scooter" Libby, was left hanging in the wind because President Bush didn't pardon him.

Cheney says the issue of pardoning Libby was a source of deep disagreement between himself and Mr. Bush as his presidency came to a close. Cheney declined to describe just how heated those differences became.

Libby was convicted of perjury and obstructing justice in the investigation of the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Mr. Bush commuted Libby's sentence and saved him from serving time in prison, but Libby remains a convicted felon.

Cheney does say flatly that Libby is an innocent man who deserves a pardon.

Cheney said that, now out of office, he is getting used to being out of the loop when it comes to the nation's secrets.

"I don't get up at 5 a.m. I don't receive that CIA brief every morning," Cheney said. "On the one hand I miss it. I've been 40 years in the business, so I'm used to it. But this is also the fourth time I've transitioned out of government. I know there are good things and bad. I'm enjoying spending time with my family," he said.

For information, Cheney uses a BlackBerry - "I get a lot there" - and the Kindle wireless device that downloads newspapers, magazines and books. "I follow a lot of issues," Cheney said.

Then there's the car. The Secret Service did not allow him to drive for the eight years he was vice president.

"Driving myself now," Cheney said. "Secret Service follows me around, but they now let me drive myself."

[nnorindaca]

War crime for Bush and Cheney is the least charge against these two crooks and criminals to bring about some justice back to our Nation and the World.

How many of our Arms Services men and Women sacrifice the ultimate in Iraq? For What ?

Lie and betrade our country by send our good soldiers to a fause hood war then review our CIA to the enemies!

Our traders is right here at home.

[goosfraba2]

Cheney is a sick, very sick man. He's delusional to say the least.

[Aldymac]

J J Ruosseau, coined the term 'democrat' in his philosophical writings in the mid to late 1700s, he believed that society would improve if it would submit its will to the government.
He is considered to be the PROPHET of totalitarians and democrats.
The two Greek words are two words, French or Greek, they try to make a nice sounding thing out of a philosophy that has brought much suffering on humanity.
I could go into more of what the philosophy is about, but BHO is bringing it all to bear on the American people so we can be a part of the suffering and not view it from the side lines as we have in the past. Perhaps becoming part of a failed idealogy will make us, better people?

[jacques22--2008]

Wall Street made more money than the oil companys did.
" Those of you who think you have looked into the face of true evil by looking at Bush or Cheny have seen nothing yet, what is coming because of liberal choices might look at first to be good choices, but when the reality hits home, THEN you will be able to say you have seen the face of true evil.
BTW, the word democrat is a french word, translated into english it means, socialist. have a nice day."

Two brief comments about this post:

First, it typifies what's going on in the conservative movement which is to stir up fear - dare I say terror - in the masses (not unlike "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." or red/orange/yellow alert, or run out and buy duct tape and plastic sheeting because...?) Nothing controls the pedestrian masses like terror and repetition; both of which the conservative talking heads have mastered.

Secondly, and very briefly, do your research before you set yourself up to be a jackass. A cursory search into the etymology of the word DEMOCRAT would render the following: ...from the Greek. Demos is "people." Kratos is "rule" or "power."

Have a nice day.

[ineluctable]

With all due respect to his former office, everytime I hear that man offer his opinions, I grow more and more convinced that he believes what he is saying is the truth. Either that or he thinks if he lies large enough and often enough, we will come to believe it is the truth. Josef Goebbels believed that as well.

The Bush 43 Administration was the worst in our considerable history not only because it failed to the basic things (food security, catch Obama, deal with Katrina, regulate Wall Street) but it obliterated the idea of separate but equal divisions of government - Supreme Court, the Congress, and the Executive Branch. In addition to being congenital liars, they were also arrogant. A great combination for the two highest leaders in a democracy.

I am glad the are both gone - now if Cheney would only retire and shut up.

[Aldymac]

Wall Street made more money than the oil companys did.
Those of you who think you have looked into the face of true evil by looking at Bush or Cheny have seen nothing yet, what is coming because of liberal choices might look at first to be good choices, but when the reality hits home, THEN you will be able to say you have seen the face of true evil.
BTW, the word democrat is a french word, translated into english it means, socialist. have a nice day.

[tmonta67]

Is there no way to SHUT THIS FOUNTAIN OF EVIL up?? Now that's he's no longer VP, he's transformed into buzzard: circling around and cawing, waiting for someone to die so he can feed....

[Aldymac]

Hi guys, in 1998 a financial advisor, Larry Burkett, wrote and published a book about the results of the laison between the Clinton white house and the Freddy Mac and Fanny Mae mortgage giants. (Remember the savings and loan laisons between the Clintons?)
Larry took into account all the information and wrote, and published in 1998, the book titled " The coming crash of 2008". Larry died five years later of cancer, he didn't get to see what we have seen, but wether you like it or not, he was right on. Niether Bush nor Cheny were even considered for the nomination at that time.

[kennmi]

"Since when, do soldiers rebuild anything?"

You must not have much military experience. Every branch of the military (excluding coast guard i believe) have troops that are specific JUST to building, especially during deployments, and have been doing it as long as the armed forces have been around. On top of that, we have the highest deployment rate of anyone besides cops and infantry. Have you ever seen news reports about soldiers building schools for children over in iraq? no, cause its not "news worthy". Maybe people should join the service (and im not talking about some comfy desk job) before they pretend to be experts on the war and the military.

[estai777]

Why does anyone give this guy a platform. He has done more to damage our country and safety than anyone. He created a disaster then profited from it.

[starleo146]

Every time I see or hear Darth Vader talk I know his popularity goes even lower if possible and it reminds me every day what a republican can do to a country.we need to look into bonus laws and golden parachute laws. Cheney got all his bonus every day he hired Haliburton to do his deed in Iraq. He did more than we will ever know and I think Bush finally realized what he got themselves int and as pay back would not pardon Gordon Libby and that infuriated Darth Vader

[starleo146]

We should be angry look around at the schemes to get our money you have AIG, Madoff,and his wife who got the people to invest and handled the books for him, and Sanford another Ponzi schemer . What happens to the American people who bail out companies like AIG we lose our home, lose our job, lose our investment for retirement , I am sick of the companies have better lawyers than we got that can get around our laws and make it profitable for them and to H@eLL with the taxpayers that are bailing them out. look at Enron every employee lost all their pension. not the high Ceo's they got there's and ran. when are WE going to say no more. This is outrageous and greed has to stop and put back the regulations that were taken out.

[starleo146]

This man is the true face of evil. It was the evil behind the Bush administration. He is a draft-dodging, unpatriotic, lying, sadistic, pos, and I wish he would just disappear. And pushing the financial crisis off on "oh, just a global down-turn" is so laughable that no one could take it serious. Seems to me that the crash here is what caused the "global turndown".
Posted by kansas1946 at 7:03 PM : Mar 16, 20

Thank you Kansas1946 couldn't have said it better myself. He can not relinquish authority just as he did in as Vice President. He was the evil on in that administration. He is causing great harm to our national security by saying we cannot protect this country only he can with his evil ways of doing things. I never thought the republicans would absolutely care about themselves more than our country.

[dixxson]

Cheney is a combination of RUSH LIMBAUGH & Supreme Court Justice, FAT TONY, The Donut,
" SCALIA"

[kansas1946]

"I think that's a great success story. It was done legally. It was done in accordance with our constitutional practices and principles," he said. "President Obama campaigned against it all
across the country. And now he is making some choices that, in my mind, will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
*************************************************


This man is the true face of evil. It was the evil behind the Bush administration. He is a draft-doging, unpatriotic, lying, sadistic, pos, and I wish he would just disappear. And pushing the finiancial crisis off on "oh, just a global down-turn" is so laughable that no one could take it serious. Seems to me that the crash here is what caused the "global turndown".

[Herd 90]

Thank goodness the far-right is going the way of the dinosaur. America is changing for the better. Just say goodbye Dicky. We don't want to hear more of your lies.

Only the 19-20% fringe righties want the kind of conservatism the GOP is serving up these days. They better realize that Limpballs and his ditto-heads are dragging their party down.

[nomealaska]

Hey, we can and do blame you!

The mess is yours. You created it with your wars, bad foreign policy and coddling the rich and powerful. You wasted all the good will that came from around the world after 911. You sent warriors into Iraq to topple Saddam and rebuild the country in a wildly unpopular war. Since when, do soldiers rebuild anything? Big companies outsourced their jobs overseas while you did nothing. The economic is your mess, as it happened entirely within your administration. Friggin liberal...

[pursang833]

Word comes out about Cheney's Death Squads and who do we see all over the TV on Sunday. Dick Cheney spouting treasonous comments about our current President. Wasn't Dick one of the ones who constantly said you were unpatriotic and unAmerican if you spoke against a war President?

Dick Cheney is a horrid excuse for a human being and should be in jail for crimes against humanity. He has never done anything positive for this country from his multiple DUI's, his 5 military deferments, to pathetic actions during his eight years as shadow President for Bush. Why the MSM continue to give him a platform to speak hate is beyond me.

Last but not least, I saw that CBS's little Chip Reid got his panties in a bunch today because Gibbs made a joke at Cheney's expense. Well Chippy, Cheney just spent a whole hour running down the President, do you think that is respectful? One chuckle about the Dick makes you whine like a baby but Cheney can run off at the mouth and that's o.k.. Glad to see Chip got his talking points from Cheney Sunday night so he could make an fool of himself today. Chip Reid, Republican Tool.

[nofoolling]

This man is the Hitler of our time.

Unfortunately, the rest of our leaders that stood idly by while he exterminated a million humans for bloodmoney profit are as guilty as he is.

AND the MURDER STILL CONTINUES.

Welcome to America, the land of genocide for $$$.

Shame, shame, shame.

There will be no trust, no integrity, no honor, and no justice between the people and the government as long as our current leaders refuse to bring the bush/cheney crime syndicate to justice.

[thgdriver]

But 9/11 was Clinton's fault?
Posted by dragonwagon5

The whole plan and training was carried out right under Clin-toons nose. Of course he was so busy with Monica how could he see that with his eyes popping out and paints around his ankles?