Cheney's Dirty Little Secret Finally Revealed

For months now pundits have put a spotlight on ex-VP Dick Cheney as he hopped from fireplace-chat to podium accusing President Obama of failing to protect the American people from terrorists. To make his case, he used sweeping generalizations and, according to some, gross exaggerations and misrepresentations of the facts.

As Jon Stewart ("American Idealogues") joked this week, his attacks got media attention because Cable News loves drama. With the ex-VP's screeds, they struck a rich vein even though they rarely scrutinize his statements. He yells "FIRE!" but cable news doesn't bother to fact-check his claims.

But why is he being so vocal?

Let's remember, he started giving these interviews while he was still in office. To some, myself included, he appeared to be urging then-President Bush to pardon those in the administration who were responsible for "abuses of power," which included approving torture and violating federal wiretap laws.

Immediately after Obama's inauguration, ex-President Bush waved goodbye and disappeared into the Dallas suburbs. At first ex-VP Cheney was silent as well, but it turns out he had only gone into stealth mode. Now the man who was once famously "in an undisclosed location," can easily be seen, heard, and read just about everywhere.

It can't be that he's trying to get a presidential pardon any longer. No, he says he's speaking out because he's afraid for America.

He presents himself as a Defender of the American People, warning of terrible calamities unless the policies championed by the Bush Administration are kept in place. A few analysts have noted that the policies he advocates are ones Bush himself rejected during his second term.

So what is all this ranting and fomenting about? It turns out Dick Cheney's playing an old smoke and mirrors trick.

According to Jim Rutenberg and Motoko Rich in the New York Times, the ex-VP has been shopping his memoir to New York publishers.

A person familiar with discussions Mr. Cheney has had with publishers said he was seeking more than $2 million for his advance. That sum may prove hard to get in this economic climate, especially given his generally low approval ratings, which publishers view as a potential -- but not certain -- harbinger for sales.

President Bush has a deal, as do Donald Rumsfeld and Karl Rove. Annoyingly one of Cheney's policy opponents in the Bush administration, Condoleeza Rice, has a three-book deal with Crown. Even former first lady Laura Bush has a book deal. Seeing his colleagues in the Bush administration nail down lucrative deals, it now appears he developed a strategy to create a media storm to improve his standing in the polls.

All these months he played the part of a patriot sounding a rallying cry to save his beloved country from imminent danger. In fact, he was just doing a PR jig, throwing confetti in the air to attract attention so he would get a big fat book deal.

Comments

[DS7]

I sincerely hope that is the limit of his ambitions, from what i've been gathering, it seems like he's intent on keeping the country permanently off balance by derailing the administration's efforts.

[grey sells]

I think Mr. Cheney is a little hard to like on a good day. He's not exactly warm and thoughtful. Wouldn't necessarily be a good listener. Not interested in different opinions. Heaven forbid that you were blavk, brown or yellow. Not a great dinner guest. What a grumpy old, tired White, GOP'er. Needs to retire and shoot little birds and whatever!.

[lovable]

MY ONLY PROBLEM with cheney is the media wont check his facts!!!!!­!!!!!!!!th­e facts according to cheney are lies. i have not heard one interviewer of cheney question anything he says. !!!!!!!!!!!! nobody.

[NewsCorpse]

I'm not sure that I agree that Cheney is making the media rounds to enhance a potential book deal.

First of all, he is already a millionaire many times over. He has multiple opportunities to generate income from think tanks, corporate boards, and speaking engagements. He is already about as well known a public figure as he can possibly be, so how can more public appearances impact his marketability as an author?

What Cheney is after is preempting indictment and prosecution for war crimes for himself and his criminal pals. It's as simple as that.

[DoTheMath]

As interesting as this book deal theory may be, I'm still betting that Cheney's primary motives are protecting himself from prosecution and protecting his defense contract profits from a potential downturn in that industry.

[proky]

You think he needs a book deal when he's on the payroll of Haliburton and Blackwater. This is one VP who's not short of money. That said, he may need the book deal to 'launder' his ill gotten gains. After a book, deal he can spend, spend, spend without attracting attention.

[grl727]

Yeah, you don't see Obama with a book deal....oh­...wait...­..

[rf dude]

It's all about racking up the _deal_. Not whether a book ever gets writ.

Cheney couldn't be left without a book _deal_ when even George (who many believe can't read anyway) has a book deal!

After all, Cheney was the most powerful VP in modern history - possibly EVER - and he didn't do much with the position, certainly nothing _good_ or worth putting on a memorial statue.

Now, he thinks we will read his book and understand what a great guy he is(was)?

I'd chose either being waterboarded or forced to read the whole Harry Potter series before I'd crack the cover on any of those " books "...

Lets erect a large statues of W, Cheney, Rice, et. al. in a large bird cage populated with 1000's of well-fed pigeons, and not-fund a cleaning crew!
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[Mohanna]

Or, he is trying to establish his legal argument for when he is indicted for War Crimes. Trying to curry favor with the CIA (The same CIA he blamed for everything when he was VP) so they don't toss him to the Lions in his upcoming trials.

By the way, how did he get an early copy of President Obama's speech on National Security? His own insane speech touched on Obama's speech point by point, even using a couple of the same phrases.

[clevelandchick]

A book by Cheney would be the only case where I would approve of book burning.

[FebM]

Lol!
Maybe he can start counting the 4000 plus American dead in his dirty Iraq war with his WMD

[Thorn]

Yes, LOL! So great -- burning any books written by people with whom you disagree.

Wait a minute: Burning books written by people you hate. Why does that ring a bell?

[LeftRight]

I've got a better solution. It's called DON'T BUY IT!!

[flydoghead]

The only way Cheney would be percieved to be right is if we were attacked again......

you don't think that he is hoping to be proved right , do you ?

[LeftRight]

I think that's a distinct possibility....

[clevelandchick]

If we were attacked again it would be entirely Cheney's fault. His policy of preemptive war against a nation that had nothing to do with the attack on our shores and his torture program have only served to inflame radicalism against us.

I wish for once a Democrat or better yet a moderate Republican who didn't agree with the Iraq invasion would have the balls to publicly say that.

[BarbP]

I'm quite certain that he's hoping to be proved right. If there's another attack on the US, Cheney gloats, "I told you so!" Obama and the Dems look weak, Cheney and his Republican cronies are back in power, and the country suffers a return to all the horrors of the Bush years.

[GaiasChild]

I thought you were going to say that his dirty little secret is that he thought he was president all this time and so he is defending HIS legacy!!!!

One of the reasons Bush is quiet is that he likes Obama. Probably has kids who voted for Obama. Probably doesn't like Cheney and really, who does, really.

[runswithscissors]

Not sure about Bush liking or disliking Obama. However, at some point late in his second term I think he finally realized that Cheney, Rummy, and Wolfowitz (among others) used him to push their agenda while maintaining at least some degree of deniability for themselves. However, Bush himself was also directly responsible for a sizable portion of his disasterous presidency. We can't let him off the hook just because he wasn't quite as bad as Cheney.