I watched our Vice President as he met with members of the media in order to "re-direct, or re-write" his history and legacy, and particularly his role in our countries "war on terror, our war in Iraq, and the acceptability of our torturing people"
Listening to him is difficult enough for me, but watching his face and body language made me wonder who exactly is "inside" of this man who appears to suck the light and energy from wherever he happens to be.
He brings to his office a new meaning to "dour."
This is stolen directly from dictionary.com and the definition is so accurate for our Vice President:
Sullen, gloomy, stern: barren; rocky, infertile, or otherwise difficult or impossible to cultivate
It is "a stretch" for me to accept without smirking that this "dark man" was in fact the Chairman and CEO of "a dark company" Halliburton in the late nineties, and that they have made a gazillian dollars while "their guy" was the Vice President of the United States.
It is similarly difficult for me to accept that this man who sent our sons and daughters off to die in Iraq never served in the military himself.
A "real American" he had been eligible for the draft during the War in Vietnam, yet he never did serve in the military. Instead, he received five draft deferments. FIVE, count 'em! I certainly accept that avoiding the draft at that time was the "thing to do" however I would not have been comfortable years later as a sitting VP sending our kids off into harms way for fabricated reasons.
I just adore the following juxtaposition to his five deferments:
Cheney has remained steadfast in his support of the war in Iraq, He stated that the war would be an "enormous success story" and made many visits to the country.
After spending many hundreds of billions and spilling the blood of many hundreds of thousands, I have heard him reiterate that we "did the right thing in Iraq."
He was often very critical of those who were opposed to the war calling them "opportunists" who were peddling "cynical and pernicious falsehoods" to gain political advantage while U.S. soldiers died in Iraq." In response, Senator John Kerry asserted, "It is hard to name a government official with less credibility on Iraq [than Cheney]."
Cheney has created controversy from his role in shaping the Bush administration's policies on Iraq and the war on terrorism. The Vice President, then as now, was reported to have apparently supporting waterboarding. The White House had conveniently denied that Cheney had ever approved of waterboarding or torture, something he now more or less confirms,
I love the sound of the word "venal" and I believe that is actually descriptive of a portion of our Vice President. Here are some meanings of the word:
Willing to sell one's influence, esp. in return for a bribe; open to bribery; mercenary: a venal judge.
Able to be purchased, as by a bribe: venal acquittals
Associated with or characterized by bribery: a venal administration; venal agreements.
Venal is only partially descriptive of the man, yet the word sounds like Cheney appears to be.
I never did mean to get into these types of specifics; however I just love the song from Man of La Mancha that to me speaks of our not very lovable Vice President.
Does it fit exactly to the man? No, yet it works for me.
Hail, Knight of the Woeful Countenance,
Knight of the Woeful Countenance!
Wherever you go
People will know
Of the glorious deeds
Of the Knight of the Woeful Countenance!
Farewell and good cheer
Oh my brave cavalier
Ride onward to glorious strife.
I swear when you're gone
I'll remember you well
For all of the rest of my life.
Hail, Knight of the Woeful Countenance,
Knight of the Woeful Countenance
Fare to the foe,
They will quail at the sight
Of the Knight of the Woeful Countenance!
Oh valorous Knight,
Go and fight for the right,
And battle all villains that be,
But oh, when you do,
What will happen to you
Thank God I won't be there to see!
ALDONZA, SANCHO, INNKEEPER
Hail, Knight of the Woeful Countenance,
Knight of the Woeful Countenance!
Wherever you go
People will know
Of the glorious deeds
Of the Knight of the Woeful Countenance!
Norman Horowitz
Loved the Man of La Mancha play, hated the movie