I wonder if Tom Ricks isn't just reaching here to find something nice to say, only because he glides over the obvious difference between Cheney circa 1990 and Cheney circa 2001.

This is simply that the first man worked for the elder Bush, and the second for the younger Bush. Cheney as Defense Secretary had boundaries he would have been fired for crossing; as Vice President, he could not be fired, and his ignorant, intellectually lazy chief was so dependent upon him that he wouldn't have been even if it had been legally possible.

Many people have noted the contrast between the unique and somewhat bizarre role Cheney assumed in the second Bush administration and his performance as the elder Bush's Defense Secretary (and, earlier, as President Ford's chief of staff) and convinced themselves that Cheney had to have changed his personality in some way. That is not the most likely explanation. Men respond to temptation placed in their path in unpredictable ways. Cheney, serving a weak President willing to delegate large elements of his own authority to his Vice President, yielded to the temptation. He sought to implement his limited and somewhat outdated ideas about global American policy, promote his friends and allies within the administration, and wreck any chance of establishing an orderly decision-making process in the younger Bush's White House, simply because he could.

Cheney says in his new memoir that he advocated an attack on Iran in June, 2007 - JUST as Gen. Petreaus and Gen. Ordinero were trying to implement the so-called Surge. Was Cheney insane? Deluded? an agent for Iran? Maybe Halliburton? Whichever, the lives of our Marines and soldiers meant nothing to him - something he proved the whole time he held office.

Walt

It's hard to believe the he was surprised his administration's approval rating was only 13% when he left office. Was he really that detached from the people?

Stephen

Dick Cheney is a no joke criminal. He lied to the American People, he lied to congress, he lied to friends, authorities, and he lied to the president of the United States. His lies cost untold amounts of life and treasure to be lost. He is a deplorable human being who deserves nothing less than prison time. If one wants to see the walking/ talking definition of a sociopath, look no further than Dick Cheney. He feels ZERO remorse for the things he has done and actually believes he was in the right no matter what. I might even consider accusing him of being a highfunctioning Schizophrenic if I didn't know better. The man and his belief systems are so incredibly flawed and out of touch with reality that one has to wonder...Why was he EVER allowed within 100 miles of the White House? Neo-conservatives have got to be some of the stupidest, most out of touch "smart" people I have ever met...and Dick Cheney is their messiah. Enough Said.

"Many vice presidents are concerned above all about their own reputations and political futures. Some separate themselves from the president to curry favor with the press, their party, or even the opposing party. Many use leaks to protect their personal interests. Cheney did none of these things."

And with that last sentence Mr. Abrams proves he can not be taken seriously. Call it Michelle Bachman Fever. Call it a lapse in memory or poor research. But to write something so patently untrue is either an act of deception or gross ineptitude. It seems Foreign Policy must have mistaken him for a serious individual.

The former national security adviser and think-tank fellow should Google "Valerie Plame" and revise accordingly.

To most observers it was and is clear that Dick Cheney was the principal driving force of the Bush administration, especially in the first four years. The incident with AG Ashcroft in the hospital reeks of Cheney. He and Alberto Gonzales couldn't even wait for Ashcroft's release date before they tried to get him to sign those documents!

It seems to me that he was clearly the real power in Washington, and it will be many years before the legacy of his actions are made right. Who on earth are the 13% who approved of him? The mind boggles! And can such power really be bought and sold like that? I guess it can....

Most of you seem to be dillusional, ideological conspiracy theorists that have nothing good to say about the current administration so you go on and on and on and on.........about the last one. I'd argue that both did, and are doing the best job they can and have the best interests of the US in mind while doing so. The idea that anyone actually "lied" to go to war in Iraq is silly. It wasn't a lie, it was faulty intelligence. That is what we should be trying to fix and I think they have tried to do just that. Your vitriol is wasted imo. If you have good ideas to make anything better, let them be known. Otherwise, fostering ill will and ridiculous accusations are a waste of time.

"The program was not safe. Many of those subjected to waterboarding and other forms of torture while detained by U.S. forces have been damaged for life. "
Yet another accusation not supported. Also, the legality was questioned before the decision was made and found to be legal. Only Monday morning quarterbacks are saying different because the politically correct society we live in threatens them. Like I said before.........

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ya know...All you nutter,morons out there who want to talk about the "zionist war machine" destroy the credibility of the many rational arguments to be made against the former vice pres. and the Bush administration. A real conversation needs to be had about the legality of Cheneys actions, and what we want a future vice president to be capable of. Yet as long as you fools continue to spout verbal nonsense like "zionist this,and zionist that" (listen carefully here) YOU WILL NEVER BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY ANYONE INTELLIGENT...EVER. This is a cold hard fact, welcome to reality. Please tone down your craziness so people can have actual discussions about things that matter. thankyou. that is all.

A real conversation needs to be had about the legality of Cheneys actions, and what we want a future vice president to be capable of. since i believe cheney give bad influence to bush administration and policy bacterialvagisymptoms, hemroidstreatment, coffeetableplans, prematureejaculationexercises, tinnitusremedies, windturbinesforthehome, woodworkingideas, coffeemakersratings, fibroidsinuterussymptoms,

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