Editore"s Note
Tilting at Windmills

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March 24, 2009

AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION BECKONS.... Jon Stewart joked last week, "I don't understand this. [Dick Cheney] is vice president for eight years, you barely see a whiff of him. He lives in some subterranean lair, literally has his house removed from Google Earth. Then, when he's no longer accountable to the American people, he's popping up everywhere. I can't get him off my TV. He's like the Mario Lopez of Doom now."

Republicans on the Hill have, apparently, noticed the same thing. They're not exactly pleased.

Congressional Republicans are telling Dick Cheney to go back to his undisclosed location and leave them alone to rebuild the Republican Party without his input.

Displeased with the former vice-president's recent media appearances, Republican lawmakers say he's hurting GOP efforts to reinvent itself after back-to-back electoral drubbings.

The veep, who showed a penchant for secrecy during eight years in the White House, has popped up in media interviews to defend the Bush-Cheney record while suggesting that the country is not as safe under President Obama.

Some of the GOP lawmakers were reluctant to criticize Cheney on the record, but a few didn't hold back. Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.) said Republicans would be better off if Cheney "wouldn't be so public." Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) would like to see Cheney stick to writing "a memoir." Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) said Cheney "represents what's behind us, not what's ahead of us."

One gets the sense that the DNC would welcome the chance to become Dick Cheney's publicist. The more Cheney takes cheap shots at the president, the more Obama gets to respond. The result reinforces the notion that the political fight boils down to Obama's approach vs. the Bush/Cheney approach.

That, of course, suits the White House just fine.

Steve Benen 8:35 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (22)
 
Comments

Who cares? Let him talk. He's just a reminder of how screwed up our country was for the last eight years.

Posted by: Roger on March 24, 2009 at 8:33 AM | PERMALINK

god damn dick cheney's shit-filled soul to hell.

(on the other hand, perhaps we can utilize his assassination squad on those London-based bonus-keepin' AIG dudes.)

Posted by: neill on March 24, 2009 at 8:40 AM | PERMALINK

If anyone really wanted to shut him up, a subpoena would probably do it.

Posted by: DLB on March 24, 2009 at 8:47 AM | PERMALINK

Dick Cheney's next public appearance needs to be at the Hague to stand trial for Crimes Against Humanity.

Until then he needs to disappear from the face of the earth.

Posted by: SadOldVet on March 24, 2009 at 8:48 AM | PERMALINK

America has needed an alternative to Rush Limbaugh.

Posted by: Ross Best on March 24, 2009 at 8:54 AM | PERMALINK

Compare and contrast their reaction to the wildly unpopular Dick Cheney to their reaction to the wildly unpopular but influential with their base Rush Limbaugh. That has to burn Dick Cheney something awful but it also again affirms who the GOP respects and who they don't mind throwing under the bus.

Posted by: sgwhiteinfla on March 24, 2009 at 8:56 AM | PERMALINK

Cheney and the president should not be in a public debate! Cheney needs to defend his legacy from the docket! President Obama needs to announce a special prosecutor to look into war crimes and crimes against our Constitution!

Nothing less! -Kevo

Posted by: kevo on March 24, 2009 at 9:25 AM | PERMALINK

RepubCo should be made to wear their well worn I (HEART) Dick t-shirts and hold a cardboard sneering Cheney face on a tongue depressor in front of their own scowling faces every day. They are the Dick Cheney Party. They followed him over the cliff and kissed his ass on the way down.

Dear (former) Cheney loving GOPer's,

Go F*K yourselves.

Posted by: burro on March 24, 2009 at 9:26 AM | PERMALINK

We all knew where Darth's undisclosed location was: Under the same rock Rove resided.

All things considered, at least he's consistent, except when we hear it now is somehow sounds even more sophomoric. Like he's reading his homeroom excuse from his parents that the teacher knows was written by someone on the bus on the way to school. Doesn't he remind you of the assholes who scratched the chalkboard on their way to the bathroom in study hall? Smirk and all.

In Darth's case I believe the smirk is related to the copious amount of noxious gas his mouth produces. Nauseating...

Posted by: stevio on March 24, 2009 at 9:37 AM | PERMALINK

Some conservative doofus on NPR's Dianne Rehm show last week actually said that, if there is another terrorist attack on the U.S., that Dick Cheney would run for President and win. Where do they find these people?

Posted by: Virginia on March 24, 2009 at 9:38 AM | PERMALINK
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) said Cheney "represents what's behind us, not what's ahead of us."

Did Rep. Wamp just compare Cheney to his ass?

And yes, a sudden and unexpected rendition to the Hague would be completely appropriate.

Posted by: Snarki, child of Loki on March 24, 2009 at 9:39 AM | PERMALINK

I don't think that Cheney represents the past.

Our present and future have been shaped by this guy.

The world hates us. Our economy is in tatters and he still makes brazillions from warfare all over the planet.

Maybe he and Sarah can run together in 2012.

Posted by: Tom Nicholson on March 24, 2009 at 9:44 AM | PERMALINK

This embodiment of Evil itself just doesn't 'pop up' at various media outlets to do interviews. It's not like he shows up by himself and says he wants to be interviewed.......it's THE CORPORATE MEDIA ITSELF AS IN JOHN 'CORPORATE REPIGLICAN CUM SLUT' KING, the corporate pigs at POLITICO, etc, that seek him out to do these interviews.

Posted by: stormskies on March 24, 2009 at 11:02 AM | PERMALINK

Darn, Snarki beat me to it.

Posted by: Jon on March 24, 2009 at 11:10 AM | PERMALINK

Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.)

Also voted against invading Iraq because he felt there was no credible case for the invasion and it would be a waste of blood & treasure.

Posted by: lobbygow on March 24, 2009 at 11:51 AM | PERMALINK

The very best was the Xmas reception that all of the White House attended except for the dickless. His secretary was asked why he was not in attendance and she quipped that he must be hunting again. The lame ass press corp takes it as a joke and leaves it alone. He was in the hospital getting his heart zapped the week before so he was definitely not hunting. But Opec was meeting that week and the price of gas went up the next week. Thanks again MSM for your hard work.

Posted by: SteveA on March 24, 2009 at 11:57 AM | PERMALINK

If the Dem's were smart they'd start sending anonymous, taunting messages to The Dickster, daring him to step up the public appearances. Hey, Dick: betcha can't appear on every talk show in America between now and 2010. Bring it on, big boy. Remind the world what you and the Baby Bushkin did to our country, lest your glorious past be forgotten.

No rebuttal from the White House required except the occasional pitying sigh.

Posted by: Mandy Cat on March 24, 2009 at 12:51 PM | PERMALINK

I saw Jonathan Turley on Rachel Maddow last night, and he pointed out how carefully Obama chose his words in responding to Cheney. He avoided saying anything that would imply that the policies Cheney promoted were illegal in any way. Rather, they were simply harmful and destructive policy choices. The instant Obama suggests that laws were broken is when he steps in it; as head of the executive branch his duty is to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed", and this includes his duties to enforce the Convention Against Torture.

Posted by: Joe Buck on March 24, 2009 at 1:11 PM | PERMALINK

The instant Obama suggests that laws were broken is when he steps in it; as head of the executive branch his duty is to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed", and this includes his duties to enforce the Convention Against Torture.

Boy. That sure sounds like an impeachable offense. Let's see if the Republicans try it.

Posted by: inkadu on March 24, 2009 at 2:39 PM | PERMALINK

and yet the rethugs are "reluctant to criticize Cheney on the record" because they're all still scared shitless of him. Why's that? Are they afraid he'll invite them on a hunting trip?

Posted by: sane liberal on March 24, 2009 at 3:19 PM | PERMALINK

"I saw Jonathan Turley on Rachel Maddow last night, and he pointed out how carefully Obama chose his words in responding to Cheney. He avoided saying anything that would imply that the policies Cheney promoted were illegal in any way. Rather, they were simply harmful and destructive policy choices."

I think Obama is slowly moving towards prosecution. He knows that the republicans and the media will howl like crazy about criminalization of policy differences, so he has to go slowly and be deliberate. Once the lawbreaking is well established, be it by Truth Commission or justice dept, he will, like he said, prosecute.

Posted by: James G on March 24, 2009 at 3:23 PM | PERMALINK

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) said Cheney "represents what's behind us, not what's ahead of us"

Yeh, kind of like a big floater you leave in the toilet.

Posted by: jt on March 24, 2009 at 4:00 PM | PERMALINK




 

 
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