Dick Cheney On The Last Time He Cried: 'It's Been Some 10 Years Ago' (AUDIO)

WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Dick Cheney can't remember the last time he's cried. In fact, when asked about it on a radio interview on Monday, he was stumped.

Cheney called in to 730 AM, the Fox sports radio station in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday afternoon. The discussion focused mostly on Cheney's memoir, including the fact that he resented John Kerry and John Edwards for bringing up the sexual orientation of his daughter during the 2004 campaign, and his oft-repeated statement that he believes the country is now safer because of what he and President Bush did.

But when the host asked, "When was the last time you cried?" Cheney was taken aback.

"Hm. Well, I'd have to sit down and think about that," he replied. "I don't -- I'm sure there have been times. Most of them probably deeply personal. ... It's been some 10 years ago."

LISTEN:

In a recent event at the American Enterprise Institute, moderator Stephen Hayes told Cheney that after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he "broke down crying." When asked if Cheney had ever had a moment like that, he replied, "not really."

In contrast, President George W. Bush was known to occasionally cry in public.

In his memoir, Cheney wrote that in 2003, Condoleezza Rice -- then serving as national security adviser -- came into his office and "tearfully admitted" he had been right in insisting that Bush shouldn't apologize for the inaccurate weapons of mass destruction claims about Iraq in his State of the Union address.

Rice replied in an interview with Reuters, stating, "And so I did say to the vice president, 'you know, you were right about the press reaction.' But I am quite certain that I didn't do it tearfully."

Later, when asked how he'd like to be remembered, Cheney jokingly replied, "as a great author." He then, however, said, "I'll let the historians worry about that."

Comments

[azsavage]

07:25 PM on 10/04/2011

Lots of questions about why Cheney gets so much press and why the Republicans run to him or his surrogate Liz every time something happens or when they need to fill dead air. My answer is simple. Cheney was the President. Bush was a figurehead that simply filled a suit and responded with the neo-cons talking points. If you don't think this is true consider this one point (there are many more) On 9/11 who should have been in the national command center? The right answer is the Secretary of Defense or the President. The Vice President has no place in the chain-of-command. But the Secretary was at the Pentagon and Bush was sent to an undisclosed location leaving Cheney in Command. Cheney called the shots, authorized the shooting down of a civilian aircraft and had direct control of the military. He was the President. After the incident was over no one raised a peep about this violation of the chain-of-command because everyone knew that Bush was incapable of command.

[jusathot]

05:06 PM on 10/04/2011

Why does this man get more press here than does our Vice President. He gets so many opportunities to beat his chest about his criminal activity.

[NYC619]

04:52 PM on 10/04/2011

If robots cried, wouldn't they just short-circuit? No offense to robots and cyborgs.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

04:51 PM on 10/04/2011

Cheney didn't cry over anything that he did while vice president. W's most anxious moment during his presidency was throwing out the first pitch at a rangers game. Weren't they just made for each other? They are no words that truly express how repugnant these two are.

[futbol4fun]

04:48 PM on 10/04/2011

"Actually it was right after God thwarted my coup attempt to take over heaven."

[TJ Logan]

04:44 PM on 10/04/2011

Alligator tears.

[HL Davison]

04:33 PM on 10/04/2011

He cried tears of anger when GW refused to pardon Scooter Libby of charges regarding Valerie Plame outing as a CIA operative. He didn't get his way and he pouted and cried and still GW ignored him. GW bowed to other forces on that one. It had nothing to do with right or wrong. Libby could be sacrificed.

[MiouMiou2011]

04:12 PM on 10/04/2011

Dick Cheney admitted that the last time he cried was on January 12, 2002, the day GWB choked on a pretzel but did NOT die, thus denying him the opportunity to become the president de facto.

[NYC619]

04:51 PM on 10/04/2011

You're cold, man. Ha!

[CMinSF]

04:07 PM on 10/04/2011

I cried every day that this man was in office.

[halfpricefaustian]

03:34 PM on 10/04/2011

Ok, I just had to read this. I was sure the answer was going to be "Last time I took a wizz."

[noygdb]

03:28 PM on 10/04/2011

last time he cried was when he looked in the mirror...he cries all day every day

[ninjacb]

03:10 PM on 10/04/2011

crocodile tears. that is what cheney cried. crocodile tears. this man (and i use that term loosely) is a danger to our society. the only positive spin i can put on things with him is that he is getting old and decrepit so hopefully his dangerous days are behind him. one can always hope.

[JenniferWest]

03:07 PM on 10/04/2011

He has no heart for Krists sake!

[shespeaks]

03:02 PM on 10/04/2011

I's like to be remembered as a great author. Read: Buy my book. Buy my book. Buy lots of my books. He's still hawking...don't think sales have been so great. Don't think history will improve his image much, either. Think of what we DO know. Then think about how much more we don't YET.

[Pamski]

03:01 PM on 10/04/2011

When someone accidentally took a picture of him without the vicious sneer on his face.