At Least Dick Cheney Has Credentials

Last week, Liz Cheney berated the President of the United States for publicly honoring the war dead. The scathing rebukes, most notably Lawrence O'Donnell, were well-deserved.

Most were also misguided.

To be sure, the facts and perspective they presented were important. After all, Ms. Cheney's egregious contentions were disingenuous lies, and to even think that the American President shouldn't honor the war dead in public is shameless. It is suggesting that the commander-in-chief should only salute the war dead from past wars, not those newly-arrived back to our shores. A nation is comforted when it is allowed to honor with the president those who fell defending it. It understands more deeply what the national sacrifice is.

Moreover, had it been George Bush at Dover Air Force Base, Elizabeth Cheney would be exalting him as America's Greatest Patriot.

And none of this includes her lie that George Bush did such a thing at Dover. Even privately. Nor did her father. The two architects of the lie that caused those deaths. Her own lie that Mr. Bush did is self-serving deceit.

All such comments about Ms. Cheney's dishonesty -- and her many previous lies -- have all been highly merited. What is misguided, though is something else.

Why in the world are we putting Liz Cheney on television??

Responding to lies is one thing. But to give such a nonentity face time? Even sportscasts have stopped showing the loon who runs onto the field, realizing that getting on TV only encourages the next one.

When Lawrence O'Donnell gave his blistering commentary, for example, it was preceded by lengthy footage of Ms. Cheney spreading her vitriolic lies. This was completely unnecessary. One can simply have quoted the most egregious untruths and made the same response. But to put her on the air serves to provide Liz Cheney with a platform for her otherwise non-existent credibility.

Liz Cheney?

Liz Cheney?? Who in the world is Liz Cheney to warrant ANY air time?!

Any, as in "any."

Liz Cheney has two credentials. She is the daughter of the former vice-president. And she had a job in the State Department.

For the first, merely being someone's child does not magically give one political expertise. Heredity doesn't work that way. You are qualified to defend your family. ("My father never remembers outing a CIA agent"). But jeepers, if you're going to give that child national airtime to analyze U.S. policy solely because of her dad, at least you'd hope that that father was someone the public didn't abhor with a nine-percent approval.

And as for her having worked in the State Department -- so have hundreds and hundreds of thousands. So -- why her?? (See, "A" above.)

But let's be fair. What did Liz Cheney do? She oversaw a low-level unit. That was one of eight bureaus that reported to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. Who was one of six Under Secretaries. There are 28 such bureaus in the State Department. It was on the same bureaucratic level as the Verification, Compliance and Implementation division. Seen the head of that group on TV any time recently? Me neither.

But it gets worse. When Ms. Cheney's group was reported to be studying how war could be covertly escalated in Syria and Iran, it was disbanded. Yes, that's right, the creepy division was so unimportant it doesn't even exist any more.

Liz Cheney?? This is who TV is giving air time to? We can aspire to more.

Time and time again, Elizabeth Cheney is given air time to scare, repeatedly lie ("For the first time ever..." she prevaricated recently, we have "a president who seems so reluctant to defend the nation overseas") and to desperately try to polish the scorched name of her disgraced father.

Back in July, after the then-latest of Ms. Cheney's smears, supporting Obama birthers, David Schuster on MSNBC asked the Boston Globe's Charles Pierce if Liz Cheney could be trusted on anything, given her track record of not "acknowledging the facts"? Pierce's response, however, went straight to the real issue at hand --

"I don't know. I'm not the one who books her. I mean, it's the folks on shows like this that book her... I don't know that she's a leader of any kind. What I would tell you is she's a prominent Republican because she's been made a prominent Republican on TV."

Several years ago, Oprah Winfrey had a White Supremacist as a guest, sure his hate speech would discredit himself. And while it did for most, Ms. Winfrey later said that when she saw a couple people nodding in the audience, she realized she was giving a platform to hate that only served to support their legitimacy. She refused to do so again.

The media should deal with Liz Cheney, whatever she has to say. But that doesn't mean she has to be given air time herself. She is not prominent. She has no base. She represents no one. She's a disembodied voice that gives false comfort to the fringes. But when the media gives her free air time, they only serve to shore up support for her and risk creating such a base.

It might make for swell TV. But it makes for a lousy country.

 

Comments

[DMSmith]

She's running for office with the direct support of her father. He wants a successor and he's found one.
After she's been in the news long enough, people will be used to her and assume her to be important and capable. She will then run for office.
Watch. It's inevitable. Every time he appears and comments publicly, he keeps the Cheney name alive and active.
It's as nasty a little scheme as any he's yet devised. And he's devised some doozies, as you may have noticed.

[YoungSloshee]

The key line is the last one: "It may make for great TV, but it makes for a lousy country."

This is how Fox viewers and Liz Cheney supporters make their case. If a lot of people watch it, it must be infused with divine TRUTH!

Kinda makes you think if Liz is vying for attention from her father she may have missed out on as a child. Regardless of whether it's true or not, the networks don't need to act like they're helping her work out her inner demons by attacking this President on false grounds.

[mellene]

Unfortunately for Republicans, it's do as I say not do as I do. They've become a hard-to-swallow party, lining up those who drink the Glen Beck kool aid to bow at their feet. Daily I'm repulsed by comments being uttered by these fools.

[drkazmd65]

Mr. Elisberg - you ask the following question:

"Why in the world are we putting Liz Cheney on television??" - as well as several related follow-ups.

My simple answer,... "We" are not putting Liz Cheney on TV. Don't blame me or the rest of the non-braindead for this little phenomenon.

The corporate shills that run the assorted media outlets are putting her on TV. They are the ones trying to use her 'expertise' and name recognition to convince "Us" to vote against our own interests again.

[MillinMn]

Mr. Cheney says much of the same crazy stuff, and he has credentials that are impressive, if you didn't know the details of the last decade. With all those impressive credentials, he doesn't deserve the air time either.

Neither is correct very often. He has been wrong so often since Gulf War I, his credentials for offering public commentary are no better than his loyal daughter's from my point of view

[blizb]

He was a businessman and continued to be a businessman during his stint as V/P.

He should have stuck to business and he should be doing nothing but business now.

It is sad he is allowing his daughter to get involved in his political doings when he is a businessman and should never have gotten involved in politics by putting himself in the V/P seat.

He obviously isn't willing to take the political heat and he is sadly letting his daughter take the heat for him.

They both should be in business and let the politics go.

[K.J. Dwyer - Huffpost Blogger]

While we're all busy focusing on the "Conservat­ive/Libera­l Puppet Show", Obama stacks his economic team with the same hard liners Bush employed, holds that anyone who relied on and operated under the "torture memos" would be immune to prosecution, continues to make a mess of the middle east, continues the "don't ask don't tell" attitude toward TARP funding, uses and upholds the same language and reasoning that gave us DOMA, holds secret meetings with Pharmaceutical reps, proposes indisputable mandates that all Americans buy private insurance policies and backs off the public option.

This is different from Bush . . . how?

The extreme nature of the conservative rant only serves to move the center further right, giving cover to Obama to toe the corporate line while appearing to “do the best he can” being under attack from a reckless opposition.

The "illusion" of a two-party system, while it has provided some interesting theater, is fast becoming an outright farce. Liz Cheney is just the latest in the long line of puppets meant to distract and deceive while the military/corporate interests that truly run this country continue their reckless destruction of virtually everything they touch.

It's fine to call out the Liz Cheneys of the world, but the degree to which this is allowing Obama to maintain the status quo is troubling.

[Smithn]

I was hoping her vitriol ended when Sam Donaldson smacked her back into place a few Sundays back. However, she was elevated to panelist by the Faux News outfit. It went on from there--Also, she's a "big-draw" at Value Voters, Repub. Christian Women's Conferences, The Dobson Family Cult affairs and such!. I'm just tickled silly that someone of Elisberg'stature called her out. But, I must say I'm becoming jaded and don't believe it's ended until Dobson/Aiy­les/Murdoc­h says it's ended. Sad but true.

[Plisko]

Here’s the deal. The President is not just honoring the fallen when he visits Dover. He is LEADING THE NATION in honoring the fallen. You can’t do that without the press showing the nation what the President is doing.

These ‘photo op’ complainers need to get real. They are all peeing on our legs and telling us it’s raining.

[coastalcarla]

Oh, but W gave up playing golf to show his solidarity with military families, doncha know?

[Rmath]

"Ms. Winfrey later said that when she saw a couple people nodding in the audience, she realized she was giving a platform to hate that only served to support their legitimacy­."

If this is true, why then is Oprah having Sarah Palin on her program?

[GrumpyGrandpa]

I understand and agree with almost all of Mr. Elisberg's positions. Ms. Cheney simply lacks the experience to be credentialed enough to act as a national person of importance on issues of foreign policy and diplomacy or defense and war making. From the manner that she has conducted herself in recent months, I doubt that she will ever attain that status. Her ego will simply stand in the way of acquiring the broad spectrum of knowledge needed by such a person of stature.
Having said that, I would take issue with Mr. Elisberg's criticism of Lawrence O'Donnell on Countdown. I happen to have watched that particular episode of Countdown and was myself taken aback at the vehemence of Mr. O'Donnell who is normally such a laid back person. Then he got to the part about his cousin, the West Point graduate, who was killed in Messrs. Cheney and Bush's senseless and malicious war. Then I understood. It was personal to him and he lost someone he care deeply about while Ms. Cheney's father and Mr. Bush didn't give a s**t about that body coming home in a coffin for no good reason. So please make allowances from Mr. O'Donnell's lashing out at Ms. Cheney's mindless politicizing and pontifications. Other than that, GREAT ARTICLE AND WELL SAID!

[WinterParkMom]

#1 Dick Cheney does NOT have credentials, only 5 deferments from serving his country in wartime. His having served in a Governmental body, does not give him credentials. He is an ideologue and a warmonger because that warmongering has filled his coffers over the years and is probably still doing so.

#2 I believe the only networks trotting liz cheney out to spew her vitriol are Fox and CNN. Nuff said.

[dbailey]

Im glad to see someone says the same thing. I've been saying, "Why am I looking at Liz Cheney?' For what? If she's on, why aren't I? She was even on the panel one Sunday for one the of talk shows. I like listening the other point of view in order to keep my own in balance. But Rush, Liz, Beck, Palin,Fox , they just tell lies that are so blatant, they're not even debatable and so ulitimately, just a waste of time. I don't even want to know anymore what they're talking about.

[charlietuna11]

you would think she would remain silent since her father is a well known draft dodger. only she could be proud of something like that. they truly have no shame....

[cgr]

I agree. It beganwhen John McCain put Sarah Palin on the national stage, giving her legitimacy, giving the MSM someone pretty and wildly unusual to carry on about, giving her a voice. That she couldn't say anything comprehensible just made it all the more interesting, thus readable. The huge interest wasn't just among the radical right base, but also the stunned rest of us, horrified to see she could actually end up in the Oval Office. T us it was like keeping an eye on a dangerous animal

Liz Cheney enjoys this new media fascination with pretty young women instead of stodgy old men on the political page. That that they spew nonsense and are truth-challenged just is so interesting; those plodding facts can be so tiresomely dull.

This has created a stunningly dangerous situation where celebrity and outrageousness wins attention which is now actively being used to promote an exclusionist religious agenda.

Real imminent danger. Now. It's happening. It's scary. No different at all than the Taliban's Jihad. This fight is Holy War for far-right radical fanatic Christians to rule "for God".
We need to be afraid, very afraid, and get smart, fast. Or common decency will lose to madness. Hitler did it, took over a country and nearly Europe, waving his arms and inspiring hate.

This is a war. We'd better get smart and effective and fight it, or the Constitution and our rights will be tossed out with rigidly-read Bible in its place.

[WinterParkMom]

Liz cheney is pretty? Nope, but I can lend you my glasses, but your point is well taken, after being the party of old white men for so long, any young female face to them is pretty. Otherwise, you got everything else right.

[mollymac]

Both she and Palin have 5 kids each. Anyone ever heard of birth control?

[Tony Gagliano]

Righto friend....­I couldn't have said it better myself. I was worried about all the lies misleading statements and misinformation out there. But now, like you, I am scared to death not as much from the ones perpetrating the lies and misinformation but of the people that believe what is told them. Even when their lies are proven to be just that, lies, they still believe all that is thrown at them. I'm not a sheep without a brain. They call MSNBC a liberal TV station..t­hat might be true but they give me just the facts and back up all that they televise. And unlike Fox News, if they have their facts wrong they will retract and apologize for their mistake.

[coastalcarla]

When my family would start spouting FOX talking points as if they were fact, I tried to prove to them how misguided they were. They just looked at me like I was cr@zy, and assumed that I had lived in the woods too long. Once a foxie, always a foxie. You can't change their minds. That would mean they'd have to admit they were duped. And they're too proud to admit that.

[WellTickleMeWillie]

The MSM is predomantily owned and managed by right wingers and those sympathetic to them and the ReThugs. They have made political celebs out of Joe the Plumber, Liz Cheney, Harry and Louise (the anti-health care ads) and other non credentialed people. They also give a voice to nonsensical minority groups like the tea baggers and bithers and deny equal voice for such groups as gay rights, unions, etc. What else can we expect from such an the unfair and unbalanced MSM that is so corrupt and deceitful.

[BassMonk]

We have a winner! So true!