(CNN) - Liz Cheney, former State Department official and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, defended her father's string of tough comments aimed at President Obama, telling an interviewer that the former VP believes the new president is taking the nation down a "dangerous" path and that he has an "obligation to stand up."
"I think he is concerned that some of the things that we have seen President Obama do, particularly on his overseas trip in terms of not taking the opportunity to stand up and defend America when Daniel Ortega delivers a 50-minute screed against the United States [during the Summit of the Americas]," she told MSNBC in an interview that aired Thursday.
"I think that there's a real concern. I mean, the message that we saw coming out of the last few foreign trips - I mean, forget Republican and Democrat, as an American it concerns me when I have a president that doesn't stand up and say, 'Wait a minute, you know, I'm going to defend the United States of America because we are a beacon of hope for people all around the world,'" she said.
"The vice president thinks it's very important, when you see the country go down paths that are concerning and dangerous, and when you see the current administration making decisions that really do have the potential to make us less safe, in those circumstances I would say the vice president doesn't think there's an obligation to be silent - in fact, I think he believes the opposite, which is there's an obligation to stand up..." she said.
Former President Bush has said publicly that the new president deserves his silence. Cheney said her father had not sought the former president's approval for his recent comments. "He doesn't need permission," she said.
The former vice president has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the new administration, telling CNN in an interview last month that Obama's decisions had put the country at greater risk of a terrorist attack.
From CNN Politics
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How many children of politicians disagree with their parents? This is no surprise. Neither does her comments about her father not neding Bush's approval to speak up. That's how former president Cheney ran this country for the last 8 years. When a country has economically been run into the ground as Cheney did, that weakens a country far greater than anything Obama has done. Shame on Cheney but then again, he has no conscience. If he hates Obama that much, maybe he should invite him to go quail hunting?
Ahhh – the Cheneys. Do they have credibility with anyone?? A ruined economy, and Dick Cheney and his neo-con buddies spread fear and lies, so that we could invade Iraq . . .and for what??? $12 billion a month and thousands dead for no good reason.
Please – Dick Cheney & family – you've caused enough destruction. Maybe you can all take each other on an extended hunting trip.
I wouldn't take Cheney (or his daughter's) advice here. He had a huge role in turning world support away from the United States. And his daughter is less experienced than Sarah Palin when it comes to running a government.
The truth is actions speak louder than words. Obama SHOWS the world that America is a "beacon of hope." The whole issue here is that the Republicans talked one way for 8 years and acted in another. The world is rightly skeptical of that kind of hypocrisy. Words are old now, people want action. Obama is running this show now. Let him do his job.
Here's a news flash for you: Who the hell cares what Liz Cheney (or her father) thinks!! Quit giving any importance at all to those who hold beliefs or policies that so obviously proved to be harmful in every way to America during the last administration!! All this kind of reporting does is continue the mentality of the Rush Limbaugh group who refuse to get on board with a truly progressive President!
I mean -what can you expect from a Cheney..the champion of failed policies.
Who really cares what the Cheney's think.
I used to have a great deal of respect for Dick Cheney until he favored torture.
I think it's time we just ignore what they have to say and move on, they had their chance to make a difference, and they blew it.
Liz, who gave America the "Beacon of Hope" status? America itself? We want America to be the beacon of hope to AMERICA! not the world. Fix our problems at home and stop looking outside. That's what got us in trouble in the first place. Throughout history, the grand empires have fallen when they over extended outside of their reign. America is looking too much outside and not enough inside.
And your father, boy oh boy. Hitler atleast wanted his own to gain from his actions. Your father is doing things that no one gains from, not America, not the World.
Dick Cheney,
Is doing all this negatives stuff because he is concerned that he will be indicted on charges steming from a possible investigation in to his part in the "Enhanced Interrogation" decision. Once again the right is trying to make the Amerian people look the other way when it comes to them committing crimes against the country.
So Cheney's kid had no problem with what happened over the past 8 years but is now so concerned after 3 months with our new President? Can anyone name one single person who actually has an interest in what the daughter of a non-public figure has to say or thinks that she is relevant at all? Instead of rambling on about our President, she might want to start talking with her dad about what is coming down the road for him. I'd say that's a bit more important.
You know, if the media will stop talking to dolts like this, then no one has to hear them and they will just fade away.
Another Cheney. They are the nastiest people in this country next to Limbaugh. Classless yet they don't care.
Bush and Cheney were no beacon of hope. They were an embarrassment. I hope at least Cheney is prosecuted for torturing people in our name. He should be ashamed. We're only a beacon of hope when we live by our principals, which Cheney lacks.
Since Liz Cheney feels that the techniques used on suspects such as waterboarding was acceptable, I have a question.
Iran is holding an American Journalist as a suspected spy. North Korea is holding two American Journalists as suspected spies.
Are you saying that since the techniques we used were acceptable, that it would be acceptable for Iran and North Korea to use the same techniques on the Americans they suspect of spying?
And when we say that such techniques are acceptable, aren't we putting all American who may be taken by foreign countries in jeopardy of having our techniques used on them?
Quite honestly, this is the most we have heard from the Cheney clan. when in power they worked to silence peoples rights, now out of office their silence is required even more. They really ought to keep their unwanted opinions to the Cheney house only. Thank You!
You know Liz really needs to wake up! We are hated (even more than ever) because we started a massive war with LIE (her father's LIE) and the rest of the world has called us out on that. I think this woman needs to go away until she knows what she is talking about. She is clueless.
Cheney thinks that we should torture everyone instead of using diplomacy.
I don't think Ms. Cheney and her father need to worry, when push comes to shove President Obama will deliver, i.e. recent pirate incident for example. What exactly did you want President Obama to do at the Summit of the Americas....start a fight? Our new POTUS has class, you will not see him acting like a bully on the playground, he believes in diplomacy first and war as a last result. You republicans are fools if you think that your continuous fear mongering and lies are going to work on the american people once again...we are wise to the Republican tactics.
Liz, your father did more harm to the image of the United States than President Obama will ever be able to do! Your father is a bully and displays the same type of leadership style as Ahmedenijad, Chavez and Ortega which is to say they all use the bully pulpit to instill fear in others. We don't want to be feared – we want to be respected for our human rights record, our charitable contributions, our ability to stand up against our enemies without resorting to their tactics, etc.!
President Obama "gets it"! He understands that in order to be looked upon as benevolent leaders we have to act as such. He understands that we are more than capable of defeating our enemies when the need arises and yet we don't need to go around threatening them all of the time.
Bullying doesn't bring about lasting peace, rather it encourages others to rise up against us!
Personally, I think Cheney is making so much noise just in case he missed something in his efforts to destroy anything that might point to his culpability in approving torture. If he gets his face in front of a camera often enough in the run up, any effort to prosecute him will look like a political vendetta. He's evil, but he isn't stupid. I am not a liberal, but voted against this administration twice. I believe the American people deserve to know what is done in their name, because the rest of the world will certainly know of and believe it whether we do or not. I also believe that it isn't productive to engage in public dialogue with every half-wit who makes abusive statements about the United States. Some of it is just beneath us to respond to, and I applaud the current President for having the wisdom to know when that is the case. This isn't a playground, after all.
Former President Bush has said publicly that the new president deserves his silence. Cheney said her father had not sought the former president's approval for his recent comments. "He doesn't need permission," she said
She is just like her father evil and thinks her fatther was the President not Bush. It is called respect toward your former boss not permission. We all know Cheney mulipuated Bush. I really didn't care mush about Bush, but her lately I am seeing that Bush might have been a better President if you didn't have Dick Cheney on his team pulling alll the strings behind the sence. Now Dick Cheney is letting us all know really was running the USA and it wasn't Bush.
Aw, have another plate of sour grapes, Liz. Daddy Dearest has been proven to be a criminal, so I guess it's only natural for you to do a little tail-wagging-the-dog to try to get people to NOT notice Cheney's criminal activities over the last 8 years.
Bad news. Many of us already noticed and want him tried and convicted, so stop trying to get people's attention away from what's important.
To echo Meghan McCain's words, I wish Dick Cheney would just go away. There are many reasons why he didn't stand for President last year; could it be his underhand dealings as VP had something to do with this?
First of all, the idea we are more at risk is a speculative notion. There is no way to guage whether it is true or not.
Secondly, the credibility of Cheney needs to be considered on everything he says at this point. The man has put "facts" out on numerous occasions that turned out to be not supported by the evidence.
I understand the Bush Administration was in a very difficult position after 9/11 and they just were not philosophically, logically or mentally up to the challenge. If you do not believe me, you need to check out the Cheney Doctrine. It is even more frightening, illogical and prone to abuse than the Bush Doctrine ever was.
I take everything Cheney says with a grain of salt.
While I agree Obama does not defend our country and everyone is entitled to their opinions, when it comes from the very recent past administration ( family members included ) it just sounds like sour grapes. They had their time...........move on.
Can they ever say anything constructive anymore? Rather than criticize and point the finger give some suggestions.
Before we can stand again with our head held high we have to get back the respect that Dick Cheney and George Bush tossed aside with their cowboy attitude. Lying to other countries to invade another country, using torture against all the laws we put in place and the list goes on. The American people can see the difference of who is making the comments against us and consider the source. We as real Americans now have to reestablish our values to undo the damage done to our stature and power in the world.