And the Band Played On
Is is just me or should someone stage an intervention for Dick Cheney? Someone really needs to let him know that he is not in power any more and that by continually shooting off his mouth, as he did again yesterday at the American Enterprise Institute, he does nothing to substantively challenge the Obama administration or to rectify the legacy of the Bush administration. For 8 years he alternately sat in an undisclosed location or behind the throne, wielding an ungodly influence that succeeded only in making America less secure, less prosperous and less moral. That history will judge him harshly is all but guaranteed. By continually going up against the current administration in the loose cannon fashion he's employed does nothing to change that.
It also displays, I think, a complete lack of class. Disagreeing with the powers that be is the right of every citizen, even those who once served in government. But as a former administration official I think he has an obligation to be less public about his rhetoric. It is not really a done thing for former Presidents and Vice Presidents to be quite so impolitic. Geez, have you heard even one word from W since he flew out of Washington? Former presidents and vice presidents give lectures, write books. They do, occasionally, give an interview. What they do not do is book public, televised speech after speech after speech with the sole intent of undermining the sitting president. It is not done and the more Cheney engages this behavior the more he looks exactly like the angry, bitter, slightly crazed man that the left always took him to be.
I don't think he's doing any favors for the Republican party, either. Sure, there are still plenty of neo-cons in the ranks and they are all having a terribly, terribly hard time accepting the new reality. They still can't believe they lost and they still don't understand any of the reasons WHY they lost. But the empire-building, unregulated free-market, keeping women-children-minorities-etc. in their place social agenda of the neo-cons has proved to be a failure, utterly rejected by the American people. The ship of state, you see, never manages to list too far right or left, not for long anyway. And now she is righting herself and at the helm is a centrist. Neo-cons simply don't understand that Obama isn't some far left socialist crazy. (Neither do the left understand that he is not the the answer to all their prayers, but that's a discussion for another day). What we have now is a pragmatic, intelligent leader who is going to weigh evidence, consider nuance and balance opinion. No wonder the neo-cons don't get it.
But back to the Republican party: if they are going to save themselves they are going to have to reframe their agenda and take into account the realities of the world. Yes, the citizenry by and large prefers a more conservative approach to fiscal matters...which is possibly the only strength to which the GOP can currently play. (As soon as people forget that the current economic crises was fueled on their watched and by their unfettered greed and anti-regulation free-market notions). But the citizens also want peace in the world, government to stay the H out of their bedrooms and justice for all. They don't want to be called unpatriotic because they disagree with their leaders, they don't want to live in constant fear and they don't want to be told that giving peace (and negotiations and new ideas) a chance is dangerous. They don't, I'm quite sure, want to hear much of anything from Mr. Dick Haliburton Cheney. And I'm pretty sure the GOP would, on balance, prefer another face and voice to represent them in this time of party turmoil.
Sigh.
Many of us waited for 8 years to be shod of the Bushies. Frankly, I think we all deserve a respite from those harrowing years. This might be a good time for Cheney to go back into one of his bunkers for a while.
Here's a little something from one of my favorite Republicans. (I seriously want David Brooks to come to dinner sometime).
And here's a little blast from the past:
The Temptations "Ball of Confusion"
It also displays, I think, a complete lack of class. Disagreeing with the powers that be is the right of every citizen, even those who once served in government. But as a former administration official I think he has an obligation to be less public about his rhetoric. It is not really a done thing for former Presidents and Vice Presidents to be quite so impolitic. Geez, have you heard even one word from W since he flew out of Washington? Former presidents and vice presidents give lectures, write books. They do, occasionally, give an interview. What they do not do is book public, televised speech after speech after speech with the sole intent of undermining the sitting president. It is not done and the more Cheney engages this behavior the more he looks exactly like the angry, bitter, slightly crazed man that the left always took him to be.
I don't think he's doing any favors for the Republican party, either. Sure, there are still plenty of neo-cons in the ranks and they are all having a terribly, terribly hard time accepting the new reality. They still can't believe they lost and they still don't understand any of the reasons WHY they lost. But the empire-building, unregulated free-market, keeping women-children-minorities-etc. in their place social agenda of the neo-cons has proved to be a failure, utterly rejected by the American people. The ship of state, you see, never manages to list too far right or left, not for long anyway. And now she is righting herself and at the helm is a centrist. Neo-cons simply don't understand that Obama isn't some far left socialist crazy. (Neither do the left understand that he is not the the answer to all their prayers, but that's a discussion for another day). What we have now is a pragmatic, intelligent leader who is going to weigh evidence, consider nuance and balance opinion. No wonder the neo-cons don't get it.
But back to the Republican party: if they are going to save themselves they are going to have to reframe their agenda and take into account the realities of the world. Yes, the citizenry by and large prefers a more conservative approach to fiscal matters...which is possibly the only strength to which the GOP can currently play. (As soon as people forget that the current economic crises was fueled on their watched and by their unfettered greed and anti-regulation free-market notions). But the citizens also want peace in the world, government to stay the H out of their bedrooms and justice for all. They don't want to be called unpatriotic because they disagree with their leaders, they don't want to live in constant fear and they don't want to be told that giving peace (and negotiations and new ideas) a chance is dangerous. They don't, I'm quite sure, want to hear much of anything from Mr. Dick Haliburton Cheney. And I'm pretty sure the GOP would, on balance, prefer another face and voice to represent them in this time of party turmoil.
Sigh.
Many of us waited for 8 years to be shod of the Bushies. Frankly, I think we all deserve a respite from those harrowing years. This might be a good time for Cheney to go back into one of his bunkers for a while.
Here's a little something from one of my favorite Republicans. (I seriously want David Brooks to come to dinner sometime).
And here's a little blast from the past:
The Temptations "Ball of Confusion"
Labels: Jukebox Friday, political theater
cobbled together by Moi at 6:50 AM
8 Comments:
I'm with you. There for a while I thought that he was in bad health or something, because we never saw him out public.
Then at the inaugural speach he was in a wheel chair and I was like Hmm hmm. They were pulling a Reagan over on us but now he's on the news every day bad mouthing the adminstration and their tactics, their decisions to be a little more transparent and release stuff from Cheneys man-sized closet.
This is the same kind of stuff his opposition had said back when and then it was nigh treason to not agree with the deciders.
and like you said he's not in the administration anymore. In fact the only two reasons to do what he's doing is to stay out of Jail. Which would rock and not be called a tyrant in the history books.
Yeah, I thought he was dead. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.
you should be teaching poli-sci somewhere. I learn more from you than I ever did in any school.
Let us now add the spoon to that boiling pot of mouthiness.....Cheney's daughter blabbing this morning on TV.
Well done Rainey!
Cheney is a Republican weapon of mass distraction from the genuine problems that Obama is steadfastly trying to address.
Ironically,if it weren't for the so-called 'Main stream media' that the far right just loves to demonize,Cheney would be relegated to cutting the ribbon at the opening of the new landfill in Bakersfield!
..no offense to Bakersfield intended.
Ba Ha Ha Ha
Went to the EPA conference yesterday at Pier 66. Was a wonderful Seattle event. Peaceful protest and enlightened conversation throughout (plus got 2 cool free t-shirts).
As a PCO I got the pleasure and honor of pointing out that some of the entities who claim there is no global warming are in fact in the process of applying for grants and permissions to do resource extraction from within the Arctic circle since its ice pack now appears to be doomed. Sounds like fraud to me. Throw 'em in jail and Cheney too.
Peace
:+}
Amen, Sistah!! :)
Did you see Iwanski's take on Cheney, on his blog? Cheney is indeed Darth Vader. :)
There are a number of places I wish Cheney would go, back to the bunker being the kindest.
You had your turn. You completely and utterly screwed up. Shut up already and stay out of the way so the rest of us can try and fix this mess.
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