Cheney: If President Does It During War, It's Legal

On Fox News Sunday, Dick Cheney finally admitted that he cursed out Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on the Senate floor in 2004 -- and said he had no regrets about doing it.

"Did you really tell Senator Leahy, 'bleep' yourself?" Wallace asked Cheney. "I did," the vice president replied. "Any qualms, or second thoughts, or embarrassment?" Wallace asked. "No, I thought he merited it at the time," Cheney responded. "And we've since, I think, patched over that wound and we're civil to one another now."

Watch:

In the same appearance, Cheney also claimed that, as a "general proposition," whatever the president does during war is legal. Think Progress reports:

On Fox News Sunday today, host Chris Wallace asked Vice President Cheney, "if the President, during war, decides to do something to protect the country, is it legal?" "I think as a general proposition, I'd say yes," replied Cheney.

Cheney went on to defend the administration's actions over the past eight years:

CHENEY: There are bound to be debates and arguments from time to time and wrestling back and forth about what kinds of authority is appropriate in any specific circumstances, but I think that what we've done has been totally consistent with what the Constitution provides for.

Comments

[JimDecaturGA]

The Iraq War was made up, like "kid rules: in games, and there needs to be a special review of war powers where the war was arbitrary and benefited the President's abysmal ratings or war as a way to realize a grudge against Saddam, who boasted about threatening Bush I's life long ago. Even in Afghanistan, the government was not at war with us. Where is the competent spy service in all this? Why did any of this need to be a war, in lieu of covert action specifically at Al Qaeda? If a President creates a war of convenience or for PR, why should the executive branch have immunity under the guise of "war powers"?

[french62]

Rendition both Bush's and Cheney's butts on a flight over Ramadi, Falloujah, or Baghdad.
Then push them out over one of these decimated populations and let the locals take care of them as they did Saddam. Nothing like a fair trial in my estimation.

[coolfireone]

There is no provision in our Constitution authorizing the president to violate our Constitution in the time of war. Nor is there any provision in our Constitution authorizing the president to violate US Code or any International Law to which the US has signed its good name. Bush violated at least eleven specific provisions of our Constitution, at least seven US Codes, at least five other current US acts of Congress, also standing US Military Law, and at least eighteen major International Law treaties and conventions, and within these many individual provisions.

These are War Crimes, by definition. The self-serving words of Cheney are without value.

[Rule Of Law]

If President Does It During War, It's Legal---

ha ha ha! Hide all the first cousins and animals...

[BurgessPenguin]

Constitution? We still have one of those?
Oh yeah -- it's in Cheney's shredder.

[clamperken]

Bush quote: "Stop pushing the constitution in my face, it's just a piece of paper."

[Ramirez]

Fake quote. Bush never said that.

[DavidATolucaLake]

What Cheney means is, whatever the United States does during war is legal.

However, when torture, civilian killings and preemptive war are done to United States or it's interests, then it is not legal.

[clamperken]

If there is a g o d, he's got a special place in h e l l for these worldclass criminals. Cheney's unabashed arrogance never fails to amaze and sicken me.

[rasit]

No class...under any circumstances...

[rigormrtis]

I have a feeling this guy's grave will be desecrated on a regular basis.

[Ramirez]

And you're just the guy to do it!

[ZellaBee]

Leahy will find out who really sent him and the others the @nth@x. That is why he is calling for a new independent investigation of the FBI.

[Susej]

This is what happens when checks and balances are no longer applied (corrupt Republican majority then a spineless democratic majority)
A famous man once said: "a dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier."

[martinchill]

"Cheney also claimed that, as a "general proposition," whatever the president does during war is legal."

~~

we're not officially at war.

[rigormrtis]

Glad someone else noticed that little fact. Congress never declared war, they just handed over the keys instead.

[IJKMNO]

Can I say the same thing to Cheney?

[piquet]

Can I get put in a phone booth with him?

[OlderWoman]

He's classless, just like the chimp he serves.

[slj316]

I think the chimp serves Cheney. The chimp is clueless and Cheney's heartless.

[kilgore trout]

Isn't a complete absence of conscience or sense of shame one of the signs of a "sociopathic" personality?

[Chopin]

Absolutely right. Why didn't more people see through this grin and smirk BEFORE all this immense suffering?

[ZellaBee]

Thanks. I thought it and you said it! Zero conscience, zero guilt, zero humanity. Where are all of the great psychiatrists and psychologists? This guy has been running our country for G sake.

[Sarahmay57]

Clearly.