Cheney: Senate probe is a "witch hunt"
Vice President Dick Cheney.
(CNN)–Vice President Dick Cheney told CNN's Lary King Tuesday his thoughts on the Senate investigation regarding the firings of U.S. Attorneys. "With respect to the U.S. Attorneys, there has been, I think, a bit of a witch hunt on Capitol Hill as they keep rolling over rocks hoping they can find something," he said. "But there really hasn't been anything that has come up to suggest that there was any wrongdoing of any kind."
When asked his thoughts on the man at the center of the controversy, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Cheney was equally resolute. "Al's a good man, a good friend, on a difficult assignment," he said.
"Are you troubled by what appears to have happened, the appearance of him not telling the truth?" King asked. "Well, I don't want to get into the specifics with respect to his testimony and the questions that were asked. I know Al on a personal and professional basis and I hold him in high regard," Cheney replied. The Vice president again re-stated his support for Gonzales.
Cheney also discussed with King his role as President of the Senate.
The full interview with Vice President Cheney can be seen on "Larry King Live" at 9:00pm eastern Tuesday on CNN.
–CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford
CS Lewis once said something along the lines of 'We don't burn witches because we don't think they're real. If we knew they were receiving dark powers to harm and kill others, we'd be obliged to act."
I think the parallel is exact.
Michael ~ St Louis
Writes, "what is your deal?? How can you even begin to defend the VP of all people? How can you still defend the AG or bush?"
GEE Michael – aside from your assertions – can you NAME one crime the President, VP, or AG has been charged with or convicted of? Here I thought in America everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I guess that only applies if they agree with your political agenda, Michael?
You also wrote, "Clinton lied, sure, whatever, he made a mistake, but he really didnt do anything wrong. "
LOL... He lied – made a mistake but didnt do anything wrong??? IF you sincerely believe what you're saying..then why do you care if Bush, Chaney, or Gonzales lied? At LEAST admit you're partisan and want this administration out because their Republicans! Your words demonstrate this biase.
PETE – TS, FL
writes, "You justify the evils of this the worst administration in modern American history by attacking the former president Clinton. Get off the Kool-Aid and embrace America before it is too late!"
Actually Pete, I am more concerned about the sheeple like yourself who perpetuate blatantly false accusations against our President. Here are the lies libs are spewing which I choose to address:
1) Bush lied to get into a war with Iraq
2) Bush said Iraq involved with 9/11
3) Valerie Plame was outed by the White House
4) Bush has trampled our Civil Liberties
5) Bush approves torturing innocent people (gitmo)
The list goes on and on. You libs want to demonize Bush – just as anyone else that disagreed with your politics (Ken Star, Trent Lott, Karl Rove, Chaney, etc). All based on innuendo and conspiracy theory.
How about you being providing FACTS and not being Cindy Sheehan's bullhorn? SHOW us the evidence to support your accusations.
Then Cheney flies off on his broom.
Jon – Sacremento – Again your rebuttal is about as valuable as your presence on this blog. I can name a hundred crimes the bush administration has comitted, perjury, obstruction of justice, violating the constitution, violating the geneva convention, murder, theft, fraud, embezzelment, etc just to name a few. He hasn't been officially charged yet, but i promise its coming. Libby already got his share with due process – that is until his buddy higherup pardoned his jail time. No matter, when they all receive their convictions they wont be pardoned, and they will pay.
As for clinton, he lied about his personal life. Gonzo lied about the loss of nine peoples jobs. Bush lies cost thousands of lives. Cheney lies cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Clinton's lie? The crime is only as bad as the victim. Clinton's crime has no victim. THe big three's crime has billions of victims.
And before you start firing off partisan accusations, you might be interested to know that I actually voted for blunt in 04(which was a big mistake, but he seemed better than mccaskill at the time). Believe it or not i actually support some ideals of the GOP. Bush is so far out from even the republican party that the republicans are starting to look the other way.
And to defend Pete, you speak of all the false accusations, but where is your proof? I could write a book on this administrations crimes and evidence to support this. You have only provided shallow defenses and cheap personal attacks. Either your a little kid who pays too much attention to rich daddy who is profiting from bushs bribery, or your an adult who has little more purpose in life than the noble american cow in the pasture. Stop your BS cause kids read this too.
Michael ~ Saint Louis,
"I could write a book on this administrations crimes and evidence to support this"
Michael – where is your evidence? You're great at throwing out all the accusations but MIA when it comes to providing hard evidence.
"Charges are coming"...
Ok. Sure.
If you would like me to provide you with evidence to disprove any of those statements I made – I will gladly do it, provide you with links, and well established, credible sources.
HERE IS THE TRUTH (as I see it)
I didn't like Bill Clinton as a President. I thought he should have been impeached. BUT – I do not think he was evil, plotting against the American People, nor viciously attempted to cause harm. He was a well-spoken, intelligent, hound dog.
Many of you don't like Bush (I admit he should have the taste of shoe leather well imprinted on his tongue from his verbal gaffs). With all his weaknesses, I don't think he is evil, hitler-esque, or (at this moment) worthy of impeachment. Has he been accused of aggressively pursuing the war on terror? Yes. Do I believe he is doing this for personal profit? No.
Will Bush be impeached? I don't know. At this moment I don't see the hard evidence and accusations being bantered about don't have the underlying evidence to support the veracity of the charge.
Jon and Michael-You guys are hilarious. It's like watching two four year olds argue over who's Daddy could beat who's Daddy up.
Both of you are operating under the delusion that the two major political parties actually oppose each other. Their means may be different-but I can assure you their ends are exactly the same: to secure American corporate hegemony at the expense of American taxpayers and the rest of the planet's citizens. You could disagree with me-but unfortunately, neither of you are educated people, as evidenced by outlandish statements such as "show me the evidence of crimes committed", or Michael's assertion that Bill Clinton's crimes "had no victims".
Neither of you understand that the Clintons and Bushes are very, very, very close friends and both families are ruthlessly dedicated to the advancement of the New World Order, which is defined as GLOBAL TOTALITARIAN government on a corporate/fascist model (which Mussolini said should rightfully be called the "corporatist state").
For Jon-
You hate America.
If you believe that the passing of the Patriot Act and its subsequent corollaries does not constitute a crime against the people of the United States because of what it has done to our basic civil liberties, then you are either a moron, or you hate everything that this nation was founded upon. And if you dare to assert that these were emergency powers needed in time of warfare, then I offer you two things: 1--Ben Franklin said, "Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither" [you would have sent Franklin to Gitmo, no doubt] and 2.-if you believe that "9/11" (what a sexy marketing name for the Elite's favorite moment in world history) was not an operation of precisely calculated military precision that required the coordination of massive amounts of government infrastructure, then you have absolutely zero understanding of world history or geopolitics. [See Reichstag fire].
Jon wants evidence.
Well, Jon, only once in the history of this ex-nation has the GAO (use a dictionary for this one, Jon) had to sue the government (itself) to obtain information that a sitting administration would not provide (explicitly stated under its charter, as one of the most important aspects of our now completely defunct checks and balances system).
It was called the Vice President's Energy Task Force-and, contrary to all of our laws as a so-called "democracy" was held totally in secret. What little we do know was revealed in the Enron trials (as reps from Enron and other energy corporations were a part of it). Cheney refused to reveal the details of how he formed this administrations energy policy in 2000. Of course, he was shrewd in doing so, because it would have revealed this administration's plans to begin a "war that will not end in our lifetimes"- the number one objective of which is to use military force secure the dwindling energy reserves left on the planet before they are completely gone. Oh, yeah-and miake a nice tidy fortune for him and all his buddies, too.
The only problem was-"How do we start this war"? [See Reichstag fire].
So that's one tiny crime.
I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on-especially with Clinton, whose drug dealing days in Arkansas under direct orders from George HW Bush were a huge part of Iran/Contra, for which he was rewarded with the Presidency, but by now you both are in an apopleptic rage–clamoring at the keyboard to spew ad hominem attacks, or refute this unassailable truths with your meager and superficial understanding of the way the world really works.
And so, enjoy your President-select Hillary Clinton (the "election" is already over, and has been for years-yeah, right-a presidential campaign that lasts three years-can you say "dog and pony show"? It's like when you dangle a set of keys in front of an infant's eyes to shut it up).
8 more years of the right-wing complaining how the left is "socialist", without having any understanding of the term and then 8 years of Jeb Bush, but by then this nation will be unrecognizable from its former self. Starting to look like the old dynasty rivalries of Old Europe, isn't it?
Don't bother addressing me-you're way out of your depth here–just continue to argue over which tastes better-Coke or Pepsi–while your nation dies.
Danny ~ Martinsburg, VA,
You might want to visit my son's 4th grade civics class, as it is quite apparent you have little knowledge of how laws are actually passed in this country.
You wrote,
"If you believe that the passing of the Patriot Act and its subsequent corollaries does not constitute a crime against the people of the United States because of what it has done to our basic civil liberties, then you are either a moron, or you hate everything that this nation was founded upon"
So who exactly are we "charging" with this crime, Danny? The entire congress that debated and passed this legislation??
And THEN you wrote,
"if you believe that “9/11″ (what a sexy marketing name for the Elite’s favorite moment in world history) was not an operation of precisely calculated military precision that required the coordination of massive amounts of government infrastructure, then you have absolutely zero understanding of world history or geopolitics"
Oh good lord – you AREN'T one of those "Bush planned the 9/11 Attacks" people are you?? (Koo-koo).
AND THEN you write,
"only once in the history of this ex-nation has the GAO (use a dictionary for this one, Jon) had to sue the government (itself) to obtain information that a sitting administration would not provide (explicitly stated under its charter, as one of the most important aspects of our now completely defunct checks and balances system).
It was called the Vice President’s Energy Task Force"
Ummm Danny... what was the "outcome" of the politically motivated demand for the list of participants in a White House meeting??? Nothing. The GAO backed down because they had no grounds to stand. You want to cry about how the White House is not bowing down to every democrat-lead demand?
Danny – we could "argue" about substantive matters IF you had presented any. But thank you for sharing your "Manifesto" ... I just hope you're not holed-up in a wilderness shack planning a "revolution"... are you??
Jon-
You poor, sad, little slave.
The Patriot Act was never debated.
In fact--it was never read. (How could anyone read thousands and thousands and thousands of pages of fine print within 48 hours?)
It was simply passed. (After all, what Congressperson would risk receiving an anthrax letter [Daschle, Leahy] or being blown out of the sky [Wellstone])for voicing opposition to it?)
Much like The Federal Reserve Act.
Much like the anti-terror legislation passed after the Oklahoma City Bombing.
There were no debates, just cowering before a military industrial complex so formidable that Eisenhower himself (perhaps the last decent Republican) warned us of it on his way out of office.
Again you invoke the Republican/Democrat duality. Now I know lesser minds are generally only capable of thinking in ones and twos, but will you please try to understand the concept of divide and conquer? These people do not represent us, Jon. They care for nothing but serving their corporate masters.
And–because it is clearly YOU who needs a civics lesson-the GAO is an indepedent arm of Congress (a Republican-controlled Congress at the time) that is responsible for oversight, particularly with regards to policy and budget.
Just because something goes against your favorite team doesn't mean that it is "politically motivated". Or is it you who are the irrationally paranoid one? I do not subscribe to a political party because they both are corrputed beyond repair, so your charges of "political motivation" mean nothing. George Washington himself warned against the political party system, and inevitably, he was right. But of course, you would have thrown him into Gitmo next to Ben Franklin.
Your knowledge of history and politics is laughable-you merely parrot whatever pundit you happen to be listening to at the time. You need to digest 500 or so books on geopolitical and American history before you continue.
You want "substantive" issues?
I enumerated several for you:
1. Government transparency, checks and balances, unlawful administrative secrecy
2. A thorough and complete investigation of 9/11. (Bush couldn't "plan" his way out of a paper bag-but Cheney needs to be arrested for treason). And that joke of a committee with the release of their fiction novel does not suffice.
3. The Iran/Contra affair, which is as pertinent to today's goings-on as it was when it happened. In fact, many of the same criminals from then were actually re-hired into this administration (Abrams, Poindexter, et al).
Any one of these issues would be a wonderful debate, but of course, you wouldn't touch any of them with a ten foot pole, because you are totally unaware of how far gone we are. You are one of the brainwashed little servants who can be made to do anything by invoking the fear that you might lose your life by attacks from the brown people, or that the convenience of your lifestyle might be altered if your beloved greedy little amenities be taken away.
Someday, Jon, you will be watching it all slip away and you will be wondering how it happened, and why no one did anything to stop it. And history's lessons will be repeated again for those who didn't heed them the 50th time around.
But by then it will be too late.
Contrary to what your small mind might think, I love this nation. And it saddens me to no end to see it slowly become the opposite of what it was intended to be. Enantiodromia.
But that is merely history.
It makes no rules and no exceptions.
Condemned to repeat the lessons unlearned.
So you could go ahead and try to defend what we have seen happen in this country in the past 50 years-but you will look like a fool.
Only a fool would not admit that our political infrastructure, our moral and ethical fiber, our compassion, our leadership role in the world, our majestic natural and environmental beauty, our ability to unite nations in common cause, our manufacturing and productive capacity, our work ethic, our national identity, our civic dedication, our religious and spiritual values, our image to those around the world, our currency value, our dedication to the ideals of freedom, liberty, justice, human and civil rights, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. is not in a state of permanent and irreversible decline.
Pick one, Jon. Just one.
Argue that the Empire is not crumbling.
Try it.
You can't.
This is not the nation it once was.
And that is just sad.
Here's the part where you say, "Well, what have you done, then? What gives you the right to indict our country without doing anything about it?"
What a shame that the voting process itself is now hopelessly broken beyond repair. Your average fifteen year old kid raised on Playstations could hack their way into creating the desired
(s)election result.
So I guess just being a wage slave and playing the Darwinian game of grabbing for you and yours as much as you can while your neighbor sinks deeper into the toilet is the name of the game these days.
And that's just the way they like it.
You do remember Rome, right?
Dear democrats,
Did you know that your political party was once called the Republican party?
Please, retort, or is there a mass suicide as I post this...
I find it funny that they curse Republicans when that was the former name of their party...
Wow, Carl-your insight is brilliant!
And did you know that the platypus is a mammal?
Your statement is about as relevant as the concept of Constitutional government in this country.
Neither the Republicrat nor the Democan party even remotely resembles what they once were, if they can even be said to exist at all anymore.
There are no parties, Carl.
There are only lobbyists, lawyers, and corporate board members serving in government these days. So, as I detailed in my postings above, you can continue to adopt a dualist "us versus them" mindset and do nothing as you and your fellow citizens are divided and then conquered, or you can start thinking about how well you as a taxpayer are represented in Washington.
Now, if you happen to be wealthy, then this question will be as irrelevant to you as your original stunning insight. But if this nation means anything to you at all, you just might strain and struggle a little bit to think about where we are headed as a nation. If your IQ is above 80, you might come to the sudden realization that, indeed, the sky truly is falling, and if control of this country is not wrested out of the hands of corporatists and wannabe militarists and put squarely back into the hands of the people they are supposed to represent, then the party will indeed be over and we can return to our homes before curfew and the food riots break out.
Danny ~ VA,
I posted a reply but CNN seems not want to post it so I am reattempting – perhaps THEY are apart of the conspiracy you suggest????
You assert: Cheney orchestrated 9/11, the investigation committee's findings are completely fictional, and politicians, lawyers, and corporate executives are secretly carrying out the destruction of our country.
Orwellian paranoia does not make you a patriot, Danny. Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski shared your distain for our government but they were not patriots.
You’re confusing delusion for insight.
I do have one very direct question for you...
Did the holocaust exist? Or was it too a fabrication by these same "wizards"?
I never thought we could have a worse Vice President than Agnew. I stand corrected... Cheney has left Agnew in the dust.