(CNN) - He may have exited the national stage nearly one year ago, but former Vice President Dick Cheney has been named "Conservative of the Year" by the conservative Human Events magazine for his ardent and continuous criticisms of the Obama administration's national security policies.
"What Cheney is saying, primarily on foreign policy, defense and anti-terrorism, makes sense to more and more American citizens growing increasingly worried by the Obama Administration's insouciance when U.S. national interests are threatened, both at home and abroad," former U.N. ambassador John Bolton writes for the magazine.
"Since the only real, long-term way to deal with persuasive positions on substantive policy matters is to refute them with sounder policy arguments, it is not hard to understand why the Obama White House is near panic," Bolton also writes. "Where are they going to go to find a better policy inside his administration?"
In a series of interviews and speeches over the last year, Cheney declared President Obama had put the country's security at an elevated level of risk as a result of a string of national security decisions that largely went at odds with Bush administration practices.
Cheney's comments have met criticism from many Democrats and some members of the media who say he would be better off following the example set by former President George Bush, who has remained largely silent on the actions of his successor.
But in the Human Events article, Bolton said its necessary former leaders continue to defend their policies.
"Most people have scratched their heads at this criticism, which is what passes for devastating analysis by the media, because it is entirely natural for a senior public official to explain and defend his policies once he leaves office," Bolton writes. "In fact, it is critical that men and women who have served in high positions, as Cheney has, to do just that, to give our citizens a better understanding of what actually goes on in high-level decision making."
"Cheney's quiet, inner-directed motivation is simply impervious to the attacks orchestrated against him by the Chicago machine-style politicians at the White House, a fact also plainly visible to his fellow citizens," Bolton adds. "And it is yet another important reason to have confidence that Cheney's solid policy analysis will yet prevail in the national political arena. Of course he is the conservative of the year!"
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
This 'recognition' reminds me that I think it is time that the media should substitute 'Right Wing' for 'Conservative' because the 'conservatives' of 2009 have twisted that once honorable word into something that true conservatives of past decades would be horrified to see. As John Dean has suggested, Barry Goldwater, who because he truly believed in individual freedom was pro-choice and pro-gay rights, would be in wide disagreement with these modern 'conservatives.' What we have today is an ugly mix of religious right extremists determined to legislate their religious beliefs for all of us to follow, neocons who want to use Amercan blood to reshape the world in the form they believe it should be, and economic royalists whose practical goal seems to be to make the rich richer on the backs of everyone else. All of this isn't conservative ... it is Right Wing. And Cheney is definitely a poster boy for the Right Wing.
He should be names A-whole of the year
Cheney and Bush should both be wearing orange jump suits and making gravel from very large rocks
So John Bolton loves Dick Cheney.................big surprise.
In other news, the sun will rise in the east & set in the west......
Film at 11.
cheney's "inner directed motivation" is known outside of neocon circles as "greed". amazing coincidences where halliburton and cheney are concerned. well, move along, nothing to see here, right? this draft dodging coward is just a selfish blowhard with no credibility after his lies about WMD and all the rest. and as for john bolton, dont get me started!
Thank God the only terrorist attack we have had so far is from the crazy fringe of the extreme fringe of the republican party.
He should be named jerk of the year.
If "conservative" means putting, at any and all costs, right-wing partisan interests ahead of those of the nation as a whole, and if it means relentless, meanspirited and fundamentally dishonest condemnation of even the most mundane actions of the opposing party's officials, then, yes, Cheney is "conservative of the year."
Honorable mention, of course, to Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, and pretty much every Republican in Congress....
Haha you have to be kidding me?? Just furthers everything I have ever thought about Republicans...
Conservative of the year...War Monger, Haliburton, Darth Vador... This guy is a crook and the conservatives love him?? Maybe next election it will be the Cheney Palin ticket, than it will be time for me to move to Canada, where I can get health care and a government that isnt crooked.
Well for all you Americans with short sited memory who could forget this war profiteering classic along with his whole family? Like who did'nt see this thing coming. Once a crook they are all crooks. And now Americans are flocking back to the conservatives what a bunch of duped dopes!
Who Cares?
Cheney, Bolton, Bush, Rumsfeld. Waterboarding for christmas is the best present for each.
The statement in this selection may not be what was intended - when a war criminal is chosen as "Conservative of the Year," what does this say about the state of conservatism in this country? If conservatives wish to be taken seriously again in this country, they need to distance themselves from Cheney and his ilk, including Fox News, Sarah Palin, and the like.
Darthy Vadar needs to crawl back under his rock and stay there.
And Obama receives "socialist of the year" award!!
Wake Up Liberals!! If Cheney's the Conservative of the Year then ALL conservatives must be watched. Bolton must be a nazi. How about listening to Powell or others?
We care because...?
Very sad that so many honor this criminal.
Anytime a war criminal wins an award it is something for the Republicans to be proud of and very fitting for the party. Pretty creepy !!
"...former Vice President Dick Cheney has been named "Conservative of the Year" by the conservative Human Events magazine for his ardent and continuous criticisms of the Obama administration's national security policies."
So this is all it takes to be conservative of the year, huh? No action required, just whine and moan the most about the opposition. Why am I not surprised?
As far as national security is concerned, Obama has gone nearly a year after taking office without a major terrorist incident on U.S. soil. Bush/Cheney couldn't even make it 9 months after taking power before thousands of U.S. citizens were killed. Who's better on national security???
Being called a "conservative" is NOT a compliment.
Good way to insult someone, isn't it?
Every time that Dick Cheney opens his mouth, he puts the American people in more danger. Most Americans understand his motivations and remember his actions while he was in office and would be very happy to see this pariah slink off to some gated community and count his money.
Nice going, Dick.
I heard they're going to rename Bedford Falls in your honor too.
that's funny.. this is the same dick cheney who was vice president of the united states during the terror attacks of 9/11.. the idea that his policies on terrorism keep us safe has already been proven to be false.. this is why those far-right, borderline nazi conservatives are constantly becoming a smaller minority in the US.. the absurdity of their positions is so obvious to the average, contemplative american, that it scares us to think of these people back in power..
One more time.... Cheney.. you misled the Founding Fathers... You are not a role model for the future.
Ironic that Cheney thinks Obama put this country at risk. I would say that Bush got us into the war, but he's not smart enough to do that. Cheney is to blame for the war. Obama will have to clean up the mess that he inherited.