Obama: Cheney's Policies Made Us Less Safe (VIDEO)

In an interview with Harry Smith on CBS' "The Early Show," President Obama responded to criticisms from former Vice President Dick Cheney as well as those who think the U.S. should get more involved in Iran.

"He and I have a deep disagreement about what's required to keep the American people safe," Obama said. "I would argue that our policies are making the American people safer, and that some of the policies that he's promoted in the past have not." On Iran, he explained that he didn't want the U.S. to become "a foil" for justifying the crackdown on protesters.

SMITH: People in this country say you haven't said enough; that you haven't been forceful enough in your support for those people on the street -- to which you say?

OBAMA: To which I say: The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran, who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States. That's what they do. That's what we're already seeing.

We shouldn't be playing into that. There should be no distractions from the fact that the Iranian people are seeking to let their voices be heard. What we can do is bear witness and say to the world that the incredible demonstrations that we've seen is a testimony to, I think, what Dr. King called "the arc of the moral universe." It's long, but it bends towards justice. [...]

SMITH: Leon Panetta intimated the former vice president was playing politics with national security issues. The former president has intoned his own displeasure with some of your policy changes. I think they feel like some of the things that you've done, in fact, are treacherous.

OBAMA: Well, I think when it comes to Vice President Cheney, he and I have a deep disagreement about what's required to keep the American people safe. And I think that disagreement has been amply aired and certainly he has a right to voice his opinions. I would argue that our policies are making the American people safer, and that some of the policies that he's promoted in the past have not.

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Comments

[kasinca]

How many CIA and FBI agents who were involved in Cheney's debacle have come out in his defense? How many have come out against him? I rest my case.

[TheNovak]

Wow, this post looks like it's been absolutely hijacked by trolls and idiots. Probably should have expected it; any time someone mentions Cheney, his microcosm of supporters start squiggling their way out of the woodwork.

Anyway, torture didn't work. The memos will show it, and until then, there's plenty of evidence already. For one: if waterboarding had worked, why did they stop doing it? For two: Cheney's torture techniques were based on reverse-engineering the SERE program, which was, in turn, designed to help downed pilots resist Soviet torture techniques designed to elicit *false* confessions. Thus, waterboarding and our other torture techniques were, by design, never going to work. This is highlighted by the stories being told by those who have been released from our facilities; prisoners were rewarded for confessing to involvement with Al-Qaeda, and subjected to further torture if they did not. Third: our greatest success in information gathering was the interrogation of Saddam Hussein, which exclusively used traditional interrogation and psychological techniques, and yielded tons of information, including the failure of Saddam's WMD stash to exist.

Torture didn't work. It didn't do anything but give these terrorists even more of a reason to hate and want to destroy us. Cheney and the Bush administration destroyed our national integrity and committed what have been firmly established by the international community as war crimes.

But, hey, if you're okay with that, go ahead and bash the guy who *isn't* a sociopathic sadist.

[cjt1957]

Might want to try some real information about the gathering of information. You have it tottally wrong... Check with Move On . Org they will tell you what to say..

[TheNovak]

Sorry, man, but I actually did quite a lot of research on this. Wrote a paper and everything. S'cool, though, I understand how disappointed you must be that reality won't change just because you wish hard enough.

[Youdontgetit]

Ahhhh….mor­e classic Liberal hypocrisy. The caring lefty calling people names just because they disagree. Leftys are only open-minded if you agree with them. Free speech is fine only if you agree with them. The only people that could possible make a valid point are ones that agree with them. Too funny.
And the King Lefty wants us to believe that doing nothing about North Korea firing a missile at U.S. territory is a strong stance. He also thinks we should sit by and watch what happens in Iran and not “be a distractio­n.” How nice. Ahmadinejad can slaughter all those people with out distraction now. Barry sits on his hands while people starving for Democracy are murdered.

[TheNovak]

Well, looks like my clip-clopping over the bridge worked. Hello, trolls!

[Clevella]

Pretty ridiculous how you bash someone else for 'name calling' and then do it yourself.

[Nofuzzydreams]

Results matter! They has been no terrorist attacks in this country since Bush/Cheney policies went into effect. Rest is speculation and hyperbole with no data backing it.

[drbillybob]

Mr. President - please release the specific CIA memos that Mr. Cheney requested in writing.

What could you possibly be afraid of ... the truth?

[apduncan1]

Who was President on 9/11/01?

[kasinca]

The memos are part of another CIA investigation. It is not the president holding them up. What makes you think Cheney is telling the truth. What precedence do you have that proves that Cheney has ever told the truth?

[drbillybob]

When did he lie? And I'm assuming that if Cheney requested the release of specific CIA memos in writing, as he says he has, that these documents would support his assertions.

Right?

[kbkw54]

Obama looks less presidential every day. He is constantly blaming the previous administration. Obama is NOT a leader, he is a puppet for Pelosi and others. Obama is an embarrassment to the US

[Buddy McCue]

Most Americans are not embarrassed by our new President.

You can only speak for yourself, and the dwindling few that agree with your point of view, NOT for the country.

[jesseandrews]

Please that is why his approval numbers are dropping every week, the only ones that strongly support him are the 21 percent liberal base and some of the other dems his presidental index 32 strongly approve 34 strongly disapprove and gallup and rasmussen has him at 55 and 56 percent approval. That is a 9 percent drop since last month.

[cjt1957]

I am glad you cleared up the reason Obama's poll numbers are at their lowest point ever. Very good observation.

[rattler99]

Peloser, Greid and Bambam are quite the team, aren't they? - and backed up by the likes of Barnyard Cranks, Dodd and Jefferson, they will bring change all right!!!!

[donttasemebro]

Why won't House Republicans support our troops?

[kasinca]

Are you out of school for the summer?

[thundermummy]

Didn't take long for the republican crybabies to appear. They can dish it but can't take it. Losers.

[foxistoofunny]

Oh goody, another one of my little "great american" stooges. Glad you're listening and towing the seanie line. I need your support, my conservative in exile base is shrinking faster than my buddy glen beck's brain. Keep marching along with me, although I don't have any clue as to where I'm leading all of you stooges too.

Regards,
seanie

[LADY2CNTX]

The previous administration was an embarrassment to the world. An incoherent president who was handed a surplus and squandered it. Let Rove and Cheney dictate to him because he was too lazy to make a decision on his own

[cognitivereddawn]

Cheney almost turned the U.S. into a global pariah. He must have thought a nuclear attack on Iran would only kill "bad" Iranians & destroy property belonging to "bad" Iranians & "good" Iranians would not be affected.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/opedne_michael__070907_was_a_covert_attempt.htm

http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=23648

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2008/06/12/p26104

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message554196/pg1

[gino618]

Is it easier, or more difficult to eat, sleep, drive, and type with that tinfoil hat on?

[emailsenators com]

The security of our nation is MOST important. Why do you care so much about what others think of you? It only illustrates a lack of principles. Some Americans, thankfully, live by a set of principles they feel strongly about, especially when it comes to defending our constitution. John Adams lived by such strongly held beliefs even when it cost him "popularity". What was the result? The United States of America!

So many Americans are obsessed with "popularity", everyone wants "to be liked". Wake up and smell the coffee America. This is real life, you're not kids on the school playground anymore. The perception by others ONLY leans in one direction: the perception of weakness!

[kylennblack]

"I would argue that our policies are making the American people safer, and that some of the policies that he's promoted in the past have not."

Replace "some" with "virtually all" and Obama will have it correct. (Overall, nice!)

[ELGUAPO77]

AGREED

[emailsenators com]

Q: Have we been attacked since 9/11?

A: No!

Argument CLEARLY in favor of Cheney! Anyone who does not see that either doesn't want to see it or is unable to see it.

[emailsenators com]

REAL change, no matter what you believe, comes from the people of this country. WE make this country what it is, not elected officials. Let's not just stand by and hope for the best. Write to our U.S. Senators..­.ALL at once! http://www.emailsenators.com

[cbates]

Good catch Mr. President on what Mr. Bush said versus what the interviewer was suggesting in lumping Mr. Bush's comments with Mr. Cheney by using "they said". Your reply to that particular attempt to pit your administrations against the previous administration was spot on and this guy point to how these folks are trying to trip you up..

On the subject of North Korea it would be a dream come true if they did launched a missile onto the US soil because it would be the impetus to over throw that government and put in place military rule until a government of the people can be established.

I also liked the misapprehension remark about the quote that Dodd was reading from some article written buy a reporter using the wrong faulty organization. Why the interviewer would not clear that up is baffling to me. That is Dodd was reading a line/sentnece from an article that used the analogy of child crashes family car so you give him a faster car.

[zanbama]

We know what happened here and we were not brave enough to do anything about it. American citizens learn from this because we may go through that again!

[YOUCANKEEPTHECHANGE]

Obama has no clue what he's doing

[mediachic1021]

But Bush did?

[apduncan1]

Really?

[wandajbrn]

youcankeep­thechange;

If he doesn't have a clue, and bush & cheney had less than that, what do you suggest? I know you have all the answers don't you????

Wanda
Mississippi

[kasinca]

Says the FAUX absorbing sponge.

[LADY2CNTX]

Our previous cheerleader couldn't even put together a coherent sentence.

[mollyjackson]

President Obama has four years to prove he is as good as former Vice President Dick Cheney ......I wonder what the odds are that he is?

[Milash]

He's already better than Cheney, there's nothing to prove.

[rattler99]

I'd give a hundred to one that Bambam can't do it

[Buddy McCue]

How about Pebbles? How much would you bet on Dino?

[PINO]

one of the is correct. and it isn't the newbie

[Phreaked]

Can you type in sentences? How about some context to the statement?

[zanbama]

For real

[drbillybob]

Attention Carlos - concernining Obama and extraordinary rendition, I was just repeating the ACLU position. Take it up with them.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/02/09/state_secrets/

[apduncan1]

Stop the cowardice and call it what it is: Torture.

[gino618]

According to the libs here.... Rendition is NOT torture...­. at least not since Obama is doing it.....

[SammyD]

One of them is correct. Let's hope it's Obama.