Biden: I Feel Sorry For Bush, Not Cheney

In an interview airing Monday night, Vice President-elect Joe Biden tells CNN's Larry King that he feels sorry for George Bush -- but not Dick Cheney.

"It's presumptuous to feel sorry for another man," Biden told CNN's Larry King in an interview set to air Monday night. "But I feel somewhat - I feel somewhat badly for him. I think the incident in Iraq was -- was unfortunate, that guy throwing the shoes. It was just -- it was just uncalled for and was -- I think that President Bush and, unlike Vice President Cheney, is, upon reflection beginning to acknowledge some of the serious, if not mistakes, misjudgments that he made."

On Sunday, Cheney mocked Biden, claiming he had gotten the Constitution wrong during the campaign.

In the interview, Biden elaborated on his future role in Obama's administration:

Larry King: What kind of vice president will you be? There are many kinds of vice presidents. There is the [Walter] Mondale brand, the [Al] Gore brand, the [Dick] Cheney brand. What's the Biden brand?

Joe Biden: Well, I think the Biden brand is going to be as different as all three of those you suggested in the sense that, look, Larry, I think that the role of the vice president is determined in large part by his relationship with the president and the circumstances that administration finds themselves in.

And so when Barack [Obama] asked me about what I expected in return for accepting, if I accepted, what -- I said I want to be there when you make every critical decision you make. I want to be in the room. Video Watch Biden talk about his role in the administration »

Because I have a significant amount of experience. I'd like to be able to give my input. You're president, if you conclude my judgment is not the right judgment, I abide by that, but I want an opportunity to have an input.

King: Have you been consulted on every Cabinet post announced?

Story continues below

advertisement

Biden: Yes. As a matter of fact, I've been more than consulted; I've been asked to submit my own recommendations. I've been there at the table with a small group of people when each of these Cabinet potential nominees have been debated.

Biden also defended the choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration.

King: There has been much controversy over the selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inaugural.

He's been a guest on this show an awful lot, and he supported California's Proposition 8, a measure that outlaws gay marriage. He is also very opposed to abortion. I know the gay community in America appears to be up in arms. What do you make of this?

Biden: Well, I'd make of it [as] Barack Obama keeping his commitment.

Barack Obama said you've got to reach out. You've got to reach a hand of friendship across the aisle and across philosophies in this country.

We can't continue to be a red and blue country. We can't be divided like we have been. And he's made good on his promise.

And I would say to the gay and lesbian community, they have nothing to worry about. Barack Obama, every aspect of his life, every aspect of his public life, and every commitment he's made relating to equality for all people, will be things that he will stick with and that they should view this in the spirit in which he offered the opportunity to -- to Mr. Warren.

Meanwhile, a national CNN poll finds that almost a quarter of Americans think Dick Cheney is the worst Vice President in history.

Comments

[MarsAmbassador]

What's going on with this website the past month? The headlines have been WAY too sensationalistic and misleading. VERY misleading, in fact. BOOOOO!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!

[SparkyDash]

I'll raise your BOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! and add a HISSSSS!!!!! I agree.

[SparkyDash]

I believe the headline is not representative of the article, and typical Huffington Post to get commenters focused on a shiney object. Mr. Biden had more interesting comments, but shoes appear to capture imaginations????

[RiggsMD]

How can anyone feel sorry for any of the major players in the Bush admin.? Cheney will be probably die a violent death (very slow heart attack...etc.) due to his 'devil type' handling of political power that has caused the death and displacement of many human beings. With all that's been reveiled by Mr. Cheney himself, it would be a further travesty of justice for him to not be indicted and sent to prison, along with his colleagues and partners in crime. Every service members family should be calling for their heads, first. I'm a war vet and I know what the live ones will suffer, so maybe the dead were in some ways spared. The unnecessary trickle down syndrome of trauma due to arragant people of power is unfortunate, but to know that the trauma was inflicted blatantly and brazenly surely warrants charges of every violation committed.

[PrincipiaChamp]

WAKE UP PEOPLE...I have to jump in here after reading some of these posts. Biden didn't say he felt sorry for the Bush administration! We have a good and decent man Biden, who actually has a huge heart and soul...unlike the e v il one who is leaving VP...and feels bad for Bush having shoes thrown at him, and some attack Joe Biden??? WTF? Frankly, I'm overjoyed to know Biden has heart. Because someone felt sorry for Bush's experience in Iraq does not warrant scorn. Get over yourselves...you could learn a lot about being a real human being from Biden.

[LizM]

Of course, here is yet another HuffPost headline that is not only blatantly false but also contradicts the story below it! What exactly are we to make of this continuing practice at the Huffington Post?

[WorkingClass]

Awww. Poor widdo war criminal. Did the bad man throw a shoe at you?

[Kassandra]

I guess all important people need to do these days is issue a vague apology which is instantly accepted by other important people. They sure are a club aren't they?

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

who's apologizing, and about what?

[dolphy]

Don't feel sorry for any in the Boosh administration. All of them have no conscience and sleep well every night, feeling good about themselves.

[Lilly06]

To be honest, I don't think Bush is a bad man. A terrible president but not a bad guy.

He is just not a born leader, delegator or director and that is what this admistration lacked, proper leadership. There were major players but each was as sinister as the next. Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld and a whole list of super rich opportunists who have taken the American political belief of 'individualism' to mean 'self interest'.

Bush is not a critical thinker but he is a doer and a combination of those two things can lead to disaster. I don't believe he intended to do any harm but he thought what he was doing was in the best interest of the American people. It was properly even sold to him that way by the sharks in his administration.

The Bush administration is full of snakes but Bush himself is just simple, not smart enough to figure the sea of sharks he's in but he is not a bad guy at all, he seems perfectly nice.

[libbily]

Lilly06...you are so terribly misguided.

[Sumocat]

Cheney made no mistakes. Haliburton is flush with federal cash and contracts. He masterminded a bevy of secret deals and crimes for which Bush will pardon him in January. And he got to shoot a man in the face with no repercussions. Mission accomplished.

[ArjenBoatsma]

Apparently Bush is finally starting to realize what a f*ck up he has been as a president. But then again, before becoming POTUS, the has held major positions with comapnies, and guess what, he was very UNsuccessful running those companies. His blind (literally) ambition and his obsession with besting his daddy drove him to seek the presidency, with the results we all know and loathe, but have to live with nonetheless.

Most people figure out where there limits are somewhere between their 25th and 40th birthday. When you're over 60 and suddenly start reflecting and realizing that your fantasies don't exactly conform to reality, you're a sad f*ck, and you don't deserve sympathy and empathy from your fellow citizens.

[Grunty1]

I disagree. I belief Bush still thinks he is the "best president ever", but he finally sees that the vast majority of the country calls him the "worst president ever". In his own mind, he is perfect and always right, so he is merely trying to convince people to his perceived truth, not actually change the fact he is worst ever.

[bobtr900]

Well said. And that applies to the entire Bush Family, as well.

[ApolloniaCreed]

Although there have been times when I literally think I hated Bu$h. The mere sound of his voice would send me into a fit sometimes... I must admit, I too have felt a tinge of compassion for him in the last months, as the @meric@n peole and the WORLD mocks him... it's hard to watch.

[donttasemebro]

Just think about the fact that he will probably never be held accountable for anything, and the fact that his next job will be to sit and revise history and plan how to make things difficult for Democrats at the new think tank he's having built for himself and Carl on the campus of SMU. He deserves no compassion, because for 8 years he had none to give.

[Kassandra]

Just think about all the people who've died because of him and his crew. I know we love to love; it makes us feel good about ourselves; but it isn't honest and it isn't justice.
There's love and then, there's the LAW and the LAW is what I want for these "people".

[Grunty1]

No compassion for him. He has earned the world's disrespect a dozen times over.

[realpolitic]

I bet if Bush did it all over again he would not change a thing. He may only try to cover up his tracks better. I do not feel sorry for Bush in the slightest. He handed over his domestic and foreign policies to others, most likely knowing the direction they would take them.

[SparkyDash]

Joe Biden is a brilliant, honorable, remarkable man. I deeply respect him and love him. He has even greater distain for Dick Cheney than what he has said publicly, and Biden has unapologetically slammed Cheney on several occasions. Joe Biden is also an honest passionate and compassionate man, which I love and respect even more. He is unique. I believe I understand when he says he feels sorry for Bush (certain "capacity" comes to mind). Joe Biden has not allowed Bush any excuse for his utterly shameful deeds, and he has not given Bush a pass. Cheney’s smirking lack of remorse and Bush’s recent comments contrast. HuffPo has part of Biden’s interview, where he is not ruling out prosecutions for Bush administration officials over torture; but Biden is aware that POTUS Obama and judicial system will be significant players in this. I respect what Biden said in support of Obama and Obama's decision on Warren. I don't have to agree with it. I understand commenters being annoyed by Joe’s comment that he feels sorry for Bush…very few if any feel that way…but Biden is unique.

[gracie99]

Would Obama have invited Warren if the latter's bigotry was aimed at racial minorities rather than gays? I don't think so.

Although I voted for Obama and would do so again, in many ways he appears not to care much or consistently about some pretty important issues. For example, the projects apparently being considered to stimulate the economy by creating jobs would do very little to create jobs that will employ substantial numbers of women (try universal pre-school programs). And he certainly never seems to walk his talk on the environment and has even sneered at the importance of individual, private decisions to the environment: He jets to Hawaii just for a family vacation, drinks bottled water, drove a car with a V8 engine until security needs apparently forced him into huge SUV's.

[maikonen]

Let;s forget about the fact that he "jets" to Hawaii for a family vacation. The PE has not stopped since he began the election campaign, one that was vigorously fought and was extremely demanding. He will have four years of running this country in the face of God knows what challenges. And he's not yet President, remember?

He needs a vacation before January 20, so forgive him for 'jetting' to Hawaii instead of swimming.
Jesus, he's not even President yet, and already he's to blame for the choice of vehicles for the Secret Service.

Are we going to be subject to bitching and whining like yours for the next four years?

[joebaggadonuts]

You asked, "Are we going to be subject to bitching and whining like yours for the next four years?"

If history is a guide, yes. If the gambit Obama is playing works, no.

[maikonen]

Would Obama have invited Warren if the latter's bigotry was aimed at racial minorities rather than gays? I don't think so.

Yes he would. That's exactly what he is about. He has done it in the past before he took centerstage. It is his character, knowing his bloodlines flow from different streams and aching for reconciliation. Many biracials are made up that way, unless rejection births bitterness in them.

Get over Rick Warren. Obama has taken the long view. Instead of taking the hostile or exclusive approach, he thinks you can convert people through dialogue. Rick Warren's outlook and approach will change, albeit incremental. The writer of one post wrote that (s)he will continue to keep Rick Warren on the "enemy list" until he makes a 180 degree turn.

A puerile approach, don't you think? Change begins with small steps.

[amcg50]

did you read what Melisia Etheridge wrote about this? Get over it! it is just a prayer and Obama is about bridging divides; it is too bad that some of his supporters want to keep them going. So much for change!

[AlwaysFairDem]

Let me call you uninformed than anything...Gay issue does not discriminate. Further, if you have the slightest clue of who his cabinet members are, you would not have made a s.t.u.p.i.d comment.

[ThePharoahsApprentice]

Biden feels sorry for Bush> I'll give you one of Bush's answers - SO WHAT!!!

I've learned, from personal experience, that a lack of introspection can be your worst enemy. Bush refuses to look at himself and take responsibility for his actions - how do you feel sorry for someone like that. His group lead to the murder of 100,000+ people (American and Iraqi and everyone else equally considered), how does he expect those citizens to act? Bush wouldn't know, because it would require him to actually think and that causes him headaches. I refuse to pity an individual who won't look at himself first and find cause and effect from with-in.

"The EGO is the chief barrier to the experience of reality" MZYork