(CNN) – President Obama said in an interview aired Sunday that the hardest decision he's made since taking office was to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Also in the interview on CBS' "60 Minutes," Obama defended his decision to shut down the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and he countered criticism from former vice president Dick Cheney.
"I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney - not surprisingly," Obama said. "I think that Vice President Cheney has been at the head of a movement whose notion is somehow that we can't reconcile our core values, our Constitution, our belief that we don't torture, with our national security interests. I think he's drawing the wrong lesson from history."
Obama was responding to comments Cheney made to CNN's "State of the Union" on March 15, when he said the president is making the nation less safe by closing the Guantanamo prison and ending interrogation practices that Bush administration critics consider torture for terror suspects.
From CNN Politics
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Bush and Cheney have done Enough DAMAGE Thank you Why is Cheney not In Jail He has no Credibilty to Bash President Obama Cheney is a Criminal That has been let Free!
Primary job of the Gov't is to protect the American People. Obviously that is last on the mind of Obama and Holder. HOlders recently said "American were a nation of cowards", and "Gitmo Combatants might be let out on our streets".
Obama is unqualifield, naive and a menace to our American Society and the Constitution.
Joan B
Excellent Job Mr. President
Just Excellent!!!
thank you, Obama!
i hope you continue to take a hard line against these war criminals who think they still have the fear of the country to stir up to rally behind their crimes!
I have no respect for Cheney. Their policies were illegal and immoral, but they rationalized everything they did and tried to teach us to live in constant fear. And yes, Obama inherited an awful mess, and it will take a LONG time to recover.
Bravo Obama. Very strong and effective verbal take-down of Cheney.
I'm not sure why we pay any attention at all to what Dick Cheney is saying about the war his party started. His not party is not in office in great part due to their handling of that situation. Let's allow our new President to try and fix the mess the Republicans have made over there.
President Obama was absolutely correct in his answer. VP Cheney, as far as I am concerned, should be very quiet. I am still hopeful he will need to answer for the last 8 years from a court room on his way to prison!
Cheney is fascist and a war criminal... who cares what he has to say?
Cheney should be tried for war crimes and treason. Nothing else to say about that evil, vile man.
No one cares what Chenny thinks. He and Bush weren't even invited to the republican convention last year. They are both war criminals and should be tried for their crimes. Their arrogance and ignorance has made America less safe.
Cheney is a thug. A coward who dodged the Vietnam War, but sent our kids off to die for a lie. History will not be kind to this creep.
Mr. Cheney should follow his former bosses lead and be silent ! Fade away enjoy your ill gotten Halliburton millions, give us at least 8 years to forget you.
Who care what DIck Cheney thinks? No one cared during the 8 years he served as the country's worst VP in history.
YAWN!
Cheney should be in jail for war crimes and for treason – don't forget, he also "outed" a CIA agent.
Obama is not perfect – but he's far above any criticism from a war criminal!
Why are the Bush Regime criminal architects still free?!?
This was a great interview. He essentially called Cheney an unthoughtful non-thinker, lol! Proceed as planned, Mr. President.
Chuckles, the man is what lies beneath Obama the politician
Yeah, and his easiest decisions are spending all of our money and eventually raising our taxes to pay for all this spending–give me a break and stop spending our money!
GObama, keep going Mr. President Cheney doesn't know anything, like we didn't already know that. President Obama already the best President we have ever had!!!
Let me ask a question. Have we had a attack since 9/11? No. If Clinton would of took action after The USS Cole attack we might not have had the horrible day. Quit blaming Bush, we have a new president, he wanted the job and he is not doing a very good job himself.
Why was Cheney even making comments ? The only possible petrid motive, coming from him, is to establish ground work just in case a terrorist attack does happen on Obama's watch – then all the neo-cons can come out in full force and say 'We told you so!'
Cheneywas the worst VP ever – hardly at the job.
He acted like the head of some underground oil mafia that has penetrated the US Gov.
President Obama summed up the fundamental flaws of the last administration's national security policy quite eloquently. Our country does not need to abandon its fundamental beliefs and/or its morality in order to secure itself from threats.
President Obama sent Cheney a message in this interview. The message is Cheney shut up, or I will turn lose the dogs of congress on you to investigate and charge you.
Time will tell whether Cheney is smart enought to hear the message.
I wonder why it is that Cheney or any other republican continually miss one important fact-the 9-11 attack was on their watch.
Pres Obama Is doing a great job cleaning up from the 8 years of the mess that Bush and Cheney left. It is only fitting to see the conservatives be upset because "the days of greed is over". I heard that Americans are thinking that Obama is doing to much. Wow, a president that is doing to much, you never heard that from G W Bush.
If you are upset at AIG, dont be mad at Obama. The republican congress de-regulated the banks during Bush's first term. If you had regulations in place none of this would have happened.
Of course, Bush decided to launch a war at a nation that did nothing to us on 9/11which has cost us trillions of dollars, and thousands of brave American lives. That is the real generational theft Sen. McCain
Americans in the future will look at the Bush years as America's " dark ages", and in time Obama hard work will turn America back on track