Cheney: Obama Has Raised The Risk Of Attack On America

Dick Cheney, in his first television interview since leaving office, didn't shy away from throwing a few haymakers at his White House successors, saying at one point that Barack Obama's policies had raised the risk of a domestic terrorist attack.

"I do," said the former vice president, when asked if President Obama's policies had made the U.S. less safe. "I think those programs were absolutely essential to the success we enjoyed of being able to collect the intelligence that let us defeat all further attempts to launch attacks against the United States since 9/11. I think that's a great success story. It was done legally. It was done in accordance with our constitutional practices and principles. President Obama campaigned against it all across the country. And now he is making some choices that, in my mind, will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack."

Speaking to CNN's John King, Cheney was referencing the Obama administration's decision to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, to strictly outlaw torture and define water boarding as such, and to suspend trials for terrorists by military commission. His comments furthered a line of attack he had made against the president in his first post-office interview with Politico.

Cheney's foreign policy critiques didn't end there. He also whacked the president for appointing Christopher Hill as the country's top diplomat in Iraq.

"He is not the man I would have picked for that post," said Cheney of Hill. "He has none of the skills and talents that Ryan Crocker has."

Comments

[newshawk14]

I thought he was an embarrassment as vice president, and now he simply seems to have gone
off the deep end. He lies with consummate ease and seems willing to cast aspersions on anybody
other than himself.

[ColoradoCool]

How do you go about critiquing some guy who's trying to justify authorizing torture? What standard can you hold him to that he'll understand? He doesn't care what we think and never has.

The answer is that he can't and won't be called to account by anything less than criminal prosecution. We're looking at the face of unrepentant evil and need to proceed accordingly.

[Judyisacutie]

Roll away now.

[6bd]

I really don't trust him, he is conspiring before our eyes.

[rich misty]

What color was his alert level?

[SeriousBlack]

What a sad old man. Sad and pathetic.

[DeadCivilian]

I sure do hope this man's family intends to have him cremated when he expires.

There isn't a cemetery on the planet that is built to withstand the massive flooding that will otherwise occur from the number of people who will be lining up to spit on this ghoul's grave.

[StayinLeft]

I agree. What a poor excuse for a human being.

[loki]

I think we have heard more from cheney in the last 6 weeks, then we did during the whole 8 years of the Bush Catastrophe. Dick was always in an undisclosed location. Why has he decided to become so vocal now??? Oh wait, he is Po'ed Neo Con warmongers lost their grip on power.

[frontstreet]

If Cheney really wants to give advice to a country's leader, I suggest he call the president of North Korea, Sudan, or Zimbabwe. Any of them has more in common with Dick Cheney than Obama ever could.

[headstrong]

Must be planning something.

[dolphy]

I hope he is and he gets busted and then thrown in a 6x2x4 box.

[dandypuddin]

SOMEONE get the hook and get this man off stage. I can't bear seeing his loathsome face anymore or hearing his words of doom.

[Sevres]

When are we finally going to be done with you? When is the good Lord going to take you away?

[bettybp]

Obviously, the good Lord doesn't want him... he's the devil's bud (or maybe they're one in the same)

[PlayTOE]

Barack Obama's policies had raised the risk of a domestic terrorist attack.

Selling FEAR.
When we have nothing to fear, but fear itself.

FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR

but the FEAR factor was oversold, and people have lost their fear.

[Troyxx]

Right on! That's all those clowns were spewing for almost 8 yrs. Anyway, Cheney should be standing in front of a firing squad not a television camera.

[Dissident Dexter]

WE DON'T CARE WHO YOU WOULD HAVE PICKED! YOU'VE BEEN FIRED! YOU'RE NO LONGER RELEVENT!

[ladydriver]

I second that! Well put!

[chronic]

hahaha, any bets on how many republican seats were just lost across the country?

2010!!!

(D) supermajority