The unmitigated voice Cheney had with Bush during the first term and his clout on the hill made him the most powerful man in Washington. Bush may have spoken the public words, but Cheney was the one who got things done. But as Cheney’s star now falls, this article seems to indicate a shifting of blame from Bush to Cheney for many of the failures (like Iraq) and other policies that even Republicans are attacking now. Is he to be the fall guy for them, letting Bush off the hook?
Cheney’s Power No Longer Goes Unquestioned
as the nation observes the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Mr. Cheney finds the powers he has asserted under attack and his influence challenged. Congress and the Supreme Court have pushed back at his claim that the president alone, as commander in chief, can set the rules for detention, interrogation and domestic spying.
[…]
There is little question that Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney still share the goal of expanding the power of the presidency: legislation they have sent to Congress would essentially allow them to set the rules of evidence, define interrogation techniques and intercept domestic communications as they have for the past five years.But they have been stymied in their effort to simply assert those powers and carry them out with minimal oversight, as part of Mr. Cheney’s declared goal to restore to the presidency an authority that he believed was dangerously eroded after Vietnam and Watergate.
In his second term, Mr. Bush has grown less dependent on Mr. Cheney for information, current and former officials said. When Joshua B. Bolten became the White House chief of staff earlier this year, he told associates that he wanted to make sure the president heard from more voices. “My impression is that there are a lot more data points or gathering points now,” said Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota.
For instance, Mr. Bush has turned to another Washington insider, James A. Baker III, who served Mr. Bush’s father as secretary of state, for help as the co-chairman of an outside group developing options for dealing with Iraq. One group member said, “You get the sense that the president now realizes, perhaps a little late, that he needs Baker to find him an exit door.”
If only Bush could think for himself instead of needing Cheney and the neocons back a few years ago, where would we be today?
It doesn’t really matter anymore, IMHO. The objective is the november elections and do anything to stay in the dominant power position – it’s about the party at this point not about governing.
If Cheney is a convenient lightening rod for what’s wrong, I suppose at his age and point in career, being a martyr for the GOP at a cost to his integrity is a noble “death” to save our fearless leader.
This is what happens when you start shooting rich Republicans.
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=4221
It’s a more corporate federal government now. My area is littered with abandoned industrial sites and busted out towns. The powerful people in Washington are focused on global issues and have little if any interest in local problems. President Bush is surrounded by big thinkers with big ideas and like most big ideas they sound better than they are. We have bridges falling apart from neglect and are building a half a billion dollar tunnel under the river. It’s our local Big Dig, approved with help and funds from the federal government. It’s a crazy train being run under the river and there’s no stopping it. I just ignore all of it and them. Somebody in Washington thinks it’s a good idea.
#2
Yeah, that was the first that came to mind when I saw the headline. 🙂
Cheney has seen the Wizard behind the curtain. He may not be the point man he was in 2001, but that’s just a temporary Undead Republican assignment. Like Baker, Gingrich and others, these guys don’t fade away, they join the neo-con senior tour until their “skills” are needed later. Short of a defective pace-maker or being photographed at 3AM naked with Jane Fonda and a bong in John Kerry’s back yard pool, this guy will be around. It’s the good that die young.
“If only Bush could think for himself,” muses uncle Dave. I wish he could, but I wish even more that he would listen to dissent and not scream “dirty politics” whenever someone who knows what he’s talking about says Bush’s plan won’t work. If and when he actually consults and heeds advisers – experts in the fields of interest, we might see a modicum of improvement.
Harry Truman, another President with an unpopular war, was despised by most Americans when he left office. He was seen as a bumbling rural hot headed failure. Only Ike could delivery America from the mess he got us in. Today he’s revered as on of Americas greatest Presidents. Men like Bush knows that a legacy is for the long term. Four decades from now GWB may be looked on very differently. Given that it’s nice to have a fall guy for historians.
One thing that really worries me is that Bush IS in more control than ‘we’ think. I used to think he was a puppet and others around him were pulling the strings and making the decisions, Mr. Cheney having the largest control. I like the ‘puppet theory’ better – the alternative is too scary… a very powerful loose cannon.
The sad and worry-full thing is that they really believe in what they are doing regardless of reality – human hubris at its highest.
It was bad enough when Bush made his surprise visit to Baghdad – hanging-out in the cockpit of Air Force One during the descent in to the airport.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/5078724.stm
That just pointed-up that after 3-years, the approach-routes to Baghdad’s airport are still not secure.
Then the really scary thought struck me…
If they had shot down Air Force One, we’d have had Dick Cheney as the 44th President of the United States – Yikes!
Leaving the question of who would be the new Vice-President: Rumsfeld? Rice? Chertoff? Gonzales? Kempthorne?
Opus’ anxiety closet has nothing on mine. 🙂
What a Dick!!!!!!!!!
In 40 years GWB will be viewed differently. Check back with Dvorak Uncensored in 2046. Geez, I’ll bet this post has a bunch of comments by then. If I’m still alive I’ll check back here in 40 years. I’ve got a chance at another 40 years. Not a great chance. Better than many, not as good as many more. Maybe I’ll be old and visiting the George W. Bush Memorial Mosque in Iraq after flying into George W. Bush International Airport. I wonder who will be the king of the United Empire of America in 2046. We may still be in Iraq fighting in 2046. Their wars seem to last longer over there for some reason. People will still be saying if we don’t fight them over there, we’d be fighting them here. In 2046, this could be Dvorak Censored or Dvorak Uncrowned as they try to topple the new king of the United Empire. Only old man time knows. Chances are I’ll be dead. The way it’s been going we all may be dead from the war without ends.
Cheney would look soooo good in jail.
The fact that this man, who apparently cannot and could not think for himself, was elected president twice, says some pretty sad things for the collective intelligence of the people of the United States. I have not been proud to be a citizen here for some number of years now. Very sad.
Don’t feel bad Geoff. They’re not the brightest, they’re the best we can afford though. All the important and smart people are busy with other stuff, like shuttling between luxury homes on private jets and vacationing in dream spots. We common people are stuck with these guys running the nation into the ditch. Our worst ditch is better than a lot of other places. They sent Tommy Ridge to Albania, which could be the model for a future version of the United States. It could be worse pal and if it can get worse, they’ll figure out a way to speed up the decline! Learn Albanian I guess. Good luck to you.
No wonder oil prices dropped! Despite the occurance of two major oil spills!!!
A few from the memory bank. Specificially the Cheney — Lieberman debate:
>>SHAW: Your question, Mr. Secretary.
You and Governor Bush charge that the Clinton-Gore administration have presided over the deterioration and overextension of America’s armed forces. Should U.S. military personnel be deployed as warriors or peacekeepers?
CHENEY: My preference is to deploy them as warriors. There may be occasion when it’s appropriate to use them in a peacekeeping role, but I think that role ought to be limited and I think there ought to be a time limit on it.
—-
And I still think this goes down as one of the biggest whoppers told by an political figure in recent history.
—
>>LIEBERMAN: I think if you asked most people in America today that famous question that Ronald Reagan asked, “Are you better off today than you were eight years ago?” most people would say, “Yes.”
And I’m pleased to see, Dick, from the newspapers, that you’re better off than you were eight years ago, too.
(LAUGHTER)
CHENEY: And most of it and I can tell you, Joe, that the government had absolutely nothing to do with it.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
I’m still laughing at Cheney’s claim that the “government had absolutely nothing to do” with his wealth! I’m not applauding, though.
Bitter, bitter liberals. Don’t worry yourselves about the innerworkings of the only successful political party in America. You clearly can’t handle it.
Watch the states that use Diebold electronic voting Machines that is where the “Fix” is in for Bush.