HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) – Powerful Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) fired back at former Vice President Dick Cheney for slamming President Obama's response to the attempted terror attack in Detroit as too weak.
"That's nonsense," Inouye told CNN. "I think, I hate to say this, but I think the former Vice President lost all of his credibility by the way he's been conducting himself. I would expect a person with the potential of leading this country to be a bit more responsible."
Inouye, who as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee hold sway over all defense and homeland security spending, said Obama handled the incident in a "proper fashion" by not commenting too quickly after the attempted attack on Northwest flight 253.
"Well he could have spoken five minutes after but that wouldn't be responsible, not knowing what the facts were," said Inouye. "Why should you instill fear and scare [people] when something is not justified? So I think he did the right thing."
Cheney released a written statement Wednesday morning charging that Obama was not doing enough to defend the country.
"As I've watched the events of the last few days it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war," Cheney said in the prepared statement. "He seems to think if he has a low key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won't be at war."
Inouye defended Obama's efforts to challenge al-Qaeda, especially in Yemen, though he said he could not go into details because he's received briefings of a "classified nature" in recent weeks.
"I can't tell you what is happening, but I can tell you we take the activities in Yemen very seriously, and we will act accordingly," said Inouye.
From CNN Politics
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Dick Cheney: armchair warrior.
Dick got a deferment from Viet Nam himself, but he eagerly sent other people's kids off to war in far away lands.
HEY DICK Cheney, pretend that you are irrelevant! (Oh wait, You ARE!)
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TOO FUNNY! Obama didn't waste any time condemning the Cambridge police officer who arrested the Harvard prof without knowing the facts!!!!
when cheney was vice president he was rarely seen or heard except when he went on that tragic hunting trip, all of a sudden he is voicing his opinions against our president. why does he not like the president of the united states? what did the president do to him? can you answer these two questions mr cheney?
Dick Cheney is clearly acting as shill and chief agitator for the GOP, given he has no political capital left to lose. None. Can't we simply agree to ignore the outgassings of the worst Vice President in the history of this country?
Cheney believes wars are won with words; President Obama appears to believe wars are won with deeds. I wonder which has the proper perspective?
Chaney and his Republican nuts are crazy. Did you forget that the United states suffered its worst attack on our own soil , under the leadership of Dick's like Chaney? Did they do one bit to catch the perpetrators of that crime? President Obama has done more and then some. Yeah, for the Democrats!
I applaud Sen. Inouye for facing down the never-ending and unwarranted attempts from Cheney to discredit this administration.
Cheney has indeed lost all credibility in this past year, and it's high time leaders such as Inouye take him to task at every opportunity.
Obama isn't weak, that's why Putin is now trying to extort our missile technology from him in favor for dealing with all this Nuclear crap stirred up in Iran and North Korea. I hope ALL American citizens are awakening to what a disaster this administration and progressive liberals are in general and understand the urgency of a National mission in 2010 and 2012. Next on the Obama list of things to drag the US even lower in the name of votes, Habla Espanol? Sen. Daniel Inouye is one of the largest recipients of pork barrel spending in the Senate. America should be led from the center where her people live with a fiscally responsible government with National security andeconomy as items 1 & 2!
Yes, yes, these Al Qaeda creeps are already making the world crazy and safe. We dont need to BLOW their stories up and tell everyone the sky is falling like the past 8 years.
We need to be calm and be diligent. We can NOT turn into a HITLER-State or North Korea, simply because of a few sick people.
Thank you for remaining calm and poised.
Please remember what Kerry said in 2004 "We choose FREEDOM over FEAR"!!!!
Freedom over Fear...
Freedom over Fear..
Freedom over Fear...
Why is not Dick praise Americans for what they did brave to stop bomber in the airliner? All Dick and Republicans think of themselves want to win something from what? I have seen what Dick said in words are nonsense. He's not President. Go away
About the airport, I AM not sure I want do DIE of cancer. Can we have two choices? A full SCAN or a pat down? I rather strip down to my underwear than go through a ton of radiation blast.
A comment on Richard Reid, the shoe bomber took 6 days from Bush! If the followers of this party is STILL FOOLED, it's the blind leading the blind, and they're as Stupid as Cheney.
What woman would stand there and allow her "heart attack" man to continue to be a treasonous threat to the United States.
Polictics thats all its about America, especially when it comes to the Republican Party if im lying then why since President Obama been in office thats all this party have been doing is trying to tear this Administration down and now since its about terroism thats music to ther ears because wasnt this what the Republicans wanted during the Campaign but it was the Economy and it still is the Economy but thats where they want our focus So be '"Afraid America an terroist is on the lose thats what the Republicans want is for you to be afraid and vote for them because they want us to think they will keep us safe. But in Reality only God can keep us safe. So thats why even in 2010 my vote is still for the Democrats.
Senator Inouye may call Cheney's comments "nonsense", but I
have another word for it, and it is not one for publication.
I truly wonder if C has been examined for any kind of brain tumor or
had a mental competency test. This guy is so far out there his
mean streak seems to be growing. I was afraid of him and his
VP Bush when they were in office, and that fear continues.
Thank you
Cheney needs to shut the heck up
has he forgot that this tit for tat was enlarged
while his no neck behind was hiding and scheming to raid the coffers of
the working class all the while dividing the country?
he is always popping off at the lips applying fear and forcing resentment
he must have forgot about september 11 2001?
He sat there and had metamucil while the rest of us were scared crapless
I wonder what would happen if all the liberals expressed the same outrage at the terrorists that they do towards the former Vice President.
I guess they know that the former VP is civil and will not resort to violence, so liberals feel empowered to respond as the threat is not there.
How ironic.
I would like to commend Sen. Inounye for standing up to the dick.
Who? Powerful? huh?