The Washington Monthly

June 14, 2009

QUOTE OF THE DAY.... Leon Panetta, to his credit, highlights one of the problems with Dick Cheney's rhetoric. (via Halperin)

Leon Panetta, the C.I.A.'s new director -- and the man who bears much of the responsibility for keeping the country safe -- learned the details of Cheney's speech when he arrived in his office, on the seventh floor of the agency's headquarters. An hour earlier, he had been standing at the side of President Barack Obama, who was giving a speech at the National Archives, in which he argued that America could "fight terrorism while abiding by the rule of law." In January, the Obama Administration banned the "enhanced" techniques that the Bush Administration had approved for the agency, including waterboarding and depriving prisoners of sleep for up to eleven days.
Panetta, pouring a cup of coffee, responded to Cheney's speech with surprising candor. "I think he smells some blood in the water on the national-security issue," he told me. "It's almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it's almost as if he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that's dangerous politics."

I don't doubt that Panetta's remarks will be seen as highly controversial by the right, but the CIA director's comments are bolstered by reality.

—Steve Benen 11:10 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (9)

Comments

The 'blood' Chaney smells in the water is the chum HE's putting in!

Posted by: g'moms on June 14, 2009 at 11:14 AM | PERMALINK

At least one high-profile Republican is saying that Bush-Cheney was bad for the USA and even their Party (perhaps only in tactical sense, FAIK.) At Thinkprogress we find that

In an interview with ABCâ€™s George Stephanopoulos, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) pinned the blame for his partyâ€™s current failures on the Bush presidency:

â€œWeâ€™re digging ourselves out of a deep hole,â€ he admitted. â€œWe took it in the shorts with Bush-Cheney, the Iraq War, and by sacrificing fiscal responsibility to hold power.â€

Yeah, the whole rightwing movement is now a chum throwing exercise. Rechumlicans! Now just Rechumplicans ...

Posted by: Neil B on June 14, 2009 at 11:32 AM | PERMALINK

Krugman on chum tossing by the Con media:

http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=/2009/06/12/opinion/12krugman.html

Posted by: Neil B on June 14, 2009 at 11:59 AM | PERMALINK

As if Dick weren't behind 9/11.

Hey Dick! Whatever you think of us is totally irrelevant; we are the present, we are the future, you are the past; pay your dues and get out of the way... because we're not the way you used to be, when we were very young. ~ Paul Kantner, 1969(pig era)

Posted by: Ten Bears on June 14, 2009 at 12:09 PM | PERMALINK

Please do catch Headline News' Robin Meade's interview with H.W. Bush after his 85th birthday jump, where he spanks Cheney and the rest of his posse for mouthing off and praises the Obama administration.

Aired entirely tomorrow a.m. but parts are on HLN today.

(HLN: The only cable news I can stomach anymore)

Posted by: MissMudd on June 14, 2009 at 12:15 PM | PERMALINK

God damn Dick Cheney's shit-filled soul to hell.

Posted by: neill on June 14, 2009 at 1:33 PM | PERMALINK

Good for Leon! We have become so accustomed to hearing right wingers question the patriotism of liberals and suggest that liberals and Democrats actually want disaster to befall the country to score a few cheap political points, that it is quite startling to hear a Democrat accuse a Republican of the very same cynical opportunism by suggesting in such stark terms that the former Veep might actually welcome another attack if it would advance the GOP's political prospects.

Posted by: Ted Frier on June 14, 2009 at 3:33 PM | PERMALINK

What neill said. And snaps to Panetta!

Posted by: The Galloping Trollop on June 14, 2009 at 4:01 PM | PERMALINK

Dick Cheney does not care about America.

I'm not merely questioning his patriotism, I do not believe he has one ounce of it within his no-bid soul.

Posted by: Unsympathetic on June 15, 2009 at 8:05 AM | PERMALINK

March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002