Former Cheney Adviser: ‘Iraq Is Now Bush’s Baby, And Cheney Doesn’t Want To Be Tarred With It’
Former Cheney Adviser: ‘Iraq Is Now Bush’s Baby, And Cheney Doesn’t Want To Be Tarred With It’
Questioning why Vice President Cheney has been “publicly silent and mostly out of sight” since the Iraq Study Group issued its report, U.S. News reports that a former Cheney adviser believes the vice president is now cutting-and-running from the “grave and deteriorating” situation in Iraq:
“I think we’ll see less of him than ever,” says the associate. “Iraq is now Bush’s baby, and Cheney doesn’t want to be tarred with it in the eyes of historians.”
Regardless of the actions Cheney takes in the future, history will not forget that he has been at the center of the administration’s most egregious attempts to both sell the war (”we believe [Saddam] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons“) and falsely report the situation on the ground (”I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency”).
Based on conversations with sources inside the White House, U.S. News notes there may be an alternative explanation for Cheney’s disappearance:
White House insiders say Cheney is playing an inside game, advising President Bush privately not to change course too much in Iraq, not to withdraw U.S. troops anytime soon, and not to talk directly with the hard-line regimes in Iran and Syria about the situation.
Cheney, an architect of current policy, is waiting for Bush to decide, perhaps early in the new year, what to do next before he speaks out. At that point, insiders say, he will go public to sell the president’s decision around the country, especially in speeches to conservative audiences who still have a high regard for Cheney, even though his popularity with the public is very low.
Cheney is reportedly advocating taking the side of the Shiites in Iraq’s civil war, a position which caused him to be “summoned” recently to Saudi Arabia and has stoked fears of a broader war in the Middle East. Whatever motivations Cheney has for remaining publicly silent, he seems intent on pushing his failed ideological vision to its disastrous ends, while escaping accountability for it.
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78 Responses to “Former Cheney Adviser: ‘Iraq Is Now Bush’s Baby, And Cheney Doesn’t Want To Be Tarred With It’”
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Now this is TOOOOO Freakin’ funny!
Cheney may be the blackest of the Bushco Regime and he doesn’t want the credit???
Wonder if Dickey Boy will still cash those Halliburtin checks, though??
December 13th, 2006 at 11:52 amCheney is a short timer. He will resign after the first of the year so John McCain can be installed as VP to have an incumbent seat for the 2008 election.
December 13th, 2006 at 11:53 amAnd who is the “former associate”?
December 13th, 2006 at 11:58 amScooter, is that you?
Interesting language:
“Tarred”, and “Bush’s baby”…
Remember when Tony Snow first assumed (his) position?
He used this same phraseology…………..
Cheney is a short timer. He will resign after the first of the year so John McCain can be installed as VP
Will little Johnny McCain be installed before GDumbya gets his ass impeached?
December 13th, 2006 at 11:58 amSo much for the notion of Cheney as ventriloquist. I wonder who’s got his hand up the dummy’s butt, then.
December 13th, 2006 at 11:59 amWhen can we Tar and Feather Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Hadley, Powell, Rove, Myers, Perle ???
December 13th, 2006 at 12:00 pmIt would give him an incumbent seat, but it would be political suicide to be the vice to Bush’s president.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:25 pmPure speculation.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:25 pmTRicky Dick, getting tricky again. He fortified his fortune very nicely, no need for any more “work” to be done now. He knew it was a smash-and-grab tenure, he knows its over and time to bail out.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:26 pmI should think the tarring may occur much sooner than later, perhaps with a coating of feathers to add some much needed chickenhawk texture.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:27 pm#9 You don’t know that.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:30 pmThere is no way this “man” is sitting on the sidelines. Just because he isn’t in the public eye doesn’t mean that he isn’t involved in pulling strings.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:31 pmImpeachment
December 13th, 2006 at 12:31 pmImprisonment
Seizure of ALL Assets
The alternative explanation is more plausible. Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz sold the whole PNAC package to Bush back in 2001 somewhere between “no nation building” and “axis of evil”. Bush is the political front man. This whole thing has been Cheney’s baby - no way he would or could abandon it.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:32 pmLook at them cut and run from taking responsibility for their choices and actions.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:35 pm#11,
Of course I don’t know that. It’s my edumacated guess. Thanks.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:35 pm#9 You don’t know that.
Comment by fivewordsorless
Captain Non Sequitor to the Rescue!!!
December 13th, 2006 at 12:35 pmDespite appearances, Cheney and Haliburton have always been business parters with Iran. They were dealing with Iran even when it was illegal.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:36 pmCaption:
“Dickie, ahh, do you, ahh, do you think they, ahh, they figgured anything out, ahh, anything?”
December 13th, 2006 at 12:36 pmYes, I alway trust stories from “Washinton Insiders“.
ROTFL
December 13th, 2006 at 12:39 pmThe recent sudden departure of Turki Faisal as Ambassador further supports the Saudis displeasure with Dickhead’s backroom dealings.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:39 pmJust don’t throw him into the briar patch!
December 13th, 2006 at 12:39 pm#16
Get the facts, then comment.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:40 pmWould Tony Snow call Iraq, “Cheney’s tar baby?”
December 13th, 2006 at 12:44 pmI wonder if Cheney’s (war) criminal lawyers are pushing this strategy.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:45 pmCheney is a short timer. He will resign after the first of the year so John McCain can be installed as VP
Comment by Tom — December 13, 2006 @ 11:58 am
Condi will be the new VP.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:46 pmIt’s my opinion that the fact is, that Cheney is a black-hearted man, and would always have some underlying agenda which is not in the best interest of the people he represents. That’s a fact.
FiveWords, do you have any comments on the thread? I’m pretty sure “comments” are acceptable whether research is involved or not.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:47 pmFIvewords lets go a round, it’ll be fun.
Since when do you dictate the terms and conditions of the nature of comments here?
December 13th, 2006 at 12:49 pmCheney is tied to this mess just as much as Bush. They aren’t saying anything yet so the ISG report can blow over for them and they can unveil their “New and Improved” course of action after the first of the year.
Besides Cheney’s going to be a Grampa soon so he’s out shopping and getting the spare bedroom ready.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:51 pmIt would be so fun to watch if it didn’t involve the loss of lifes (americans and Iraquis) and the big problem it has been created in the middle east.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:51 pmThe less Dick I see the better.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:53 pm… or at least that’s what Cheney told his Saudi masters when they so rudely summoned him a couple of weeks ago.
“Yes, master?”
December 13th, 2006 at 12:54 pm.
Fivewords… Cheney still has Halliburton Stock.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:54 pmFIvewords is just another moron who thinks they can come in here and tell people how it is, I hope he learns quickly.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:57 pm“Dick” has seriously miscalculated if he thinks people will forget his part in this clusterf*ck. That doesn’t seem right for him…..there’s something else…
December 13th, 2006 at 12:57 pmfivewordstoomany, Cheney is a bad person
December 13th, 2006 at 12:59 pm“Iraq is now Bush’s baby, and Cheney doesn’t want to be tarred with it”
Just like Tony Snow said, they don’t want to hug the tar baby.
Sigh… even the leaks are just icky.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:01 pmWell, now it is more or less official. Saudis will back Sunnis after US left. Iran is backing Shiites and Pakistan is supporting Taliban. Turkey does not like Kurds and Kurds don’t like Sunnis. Shiite don’t like Saudis and Saudis don’t like Kurds. Sunnis and Shiites support Palestinians. Hamas likes Hizbollah but not Fatah. Arabs don’t like Israel…
December 13th, 2006 at 1:04 pmCheney has been in the Dark Side Underground Bunker counting his deferments, heart attacks and Haliburton Stock.
He is truly an EVIL man.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:05 pmPull your head out of you ass then comment.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:06 pmCheney, if nothing else, has survived Washington, D.C. be being smart enough to not be out front on loser issues. He is also a control freak so just because we don’t see him (what’s new?) doesn’t mean he isn’t pulling George’s stings. It is clear that GWB’s big ego has starked claim to success in Iraq (Whatever that means) as defining who he is as prez. Cheney, et al probably couldn’t believe their luck at getting such a one track dim wit to buy into their scheme for making a ton of money in Iraq and calling it the “War on Terror.”
There is no way bush will authorize a draw down of troops while he is prez. They will scape together more troops and ask congress for a Zillion dollars to make it happen, and if they don’t get it - they can claim that the Dem’s caused bushco to fail in Iraq - and to be weak on Terrorism - as with every decision of cheney/bush they are looking to turn this into “attack the Dem’s” for being weak on Terrorism and not supporting the USA. Everything they touch is polital and designed to make them look good and Dems bad. Hence, that is why this “new direction in Iraq” will not be announced until after the first of the year. Dems will be in control of congress and cheney/bush will use this ploy to side track the focus of the new congress.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:06 pmComment by ItsJustKarma
No wonder no-one can figure out that place, sheesh. The US is giving them all something in common to fight against.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:07 pmExecutive Branch Conflict says “We Stay”
Were it not for the fact that two thirds of the earth’s known hydrocarbon reserves are in or proximate to Iraq we would not be in our present mess. Each and every one of Vice President Cheney’s lies concerning Iraq are consistent with his serving the interests of Halliburton and the major oils. To say that he and, to a similar or lesser extent, the President do not have the appearance of a conflict of interest is disingenuous.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:10 pmGiven that the executive branch has a conflict of interest, what follows is that US Iraq foreign policy will be skewed to meet the oil interests until 2009. At the point of the US leaving Iraq the French, Russian and Chinese oil interests will gain equal or superior footing relative to Cheney’s oil allies. This is anathema to this administration who”must” do all in their power to somehow keep the US the dominant power in Iraq.
We stay, we stay, we stay!
If only it were that easy to avoid his rightful share of blame!
But then, Cheney is the same clueless dipshit who thought the Iraqi people would cheer and throw flowers at our our troops as we stole their oil from them.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:11 pmMaybe if the Shiites and the Taliban would accept Fatah and the Sunnis left Hizbollah be, then Hamas could stop fighting Fatah. Or something like that…But if the Taliban will back the Kurds, Pakistan will have trouble with the Shiites and Turkey with the Sunnis…But if the US will move to the Middle East, like with Chicago, like taking some U-hauls and moving to Iraq and make Chicago out of Baghdad, then the Saudis wouldn’t have a reason to back the Sunnis. And Iran couldn’t support the Shiite anymore, because the CPD would take care of it. Or maybe we move LA? Then we could make movies as well. And the LAPD sure gets a grip on those guys. Problem solved. The weather is pretty much like the one in LA anyways…
December 13th, 2006 at 1:17 pmBunker Boy has his own baby on the way, which is why he’s out of sight at the moment. He’s busy whitewashing the nursery, and doesn’t want any dark stains on the walls……
December 13th, 2006 at 1:21 pmWe certainly have no business and no national interest in backing any sectarian side in Iraq’s civil war. While I would hate to see the various factions killing each other, I would be more disturbed seeing U.S. military personnell put in the middle and killed in the crossfire. We must get out!
December 13th, 2006 at 1:21 pmAnd the biggest advantage of the US moving with a whole city into Iraq would be that you will get Wal-Mart, Safeways, Longs Drugs, Taco Bell (Maybe not…), Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and lots of other good stuff. And who, who would mess with an American city? Osama Bin Laden??? Naaah. That guy is a Sunni. And when the Shiite go shopping at Wal-Mart, Osama will smile while he has a Chai Latte at Starbucks in Chicago, in Iraq. Chighdad? Baghcago????
December 13th, 2006 at 1:23 pmCheney Washing Hands on Iraq Fiasco…
“I might have talked George into the Iraq war, but I damn sure won’t take the blame for it!”…
December 13th, 2006 at 1:24 pmI FOUND THE SOLUTION!!!
December 13th, 2006 at 1:31 pmWE OUTSOURCE THE WHITE HOUSE TO BAGHDAD.
Problem solved.
the comedy never ends, wish it were so for cheney’s oil war
December 13th, 2006 at 1:32 pmI find it interesting that a lot of people take this to mean that Cheney doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on.
Just because they SAY “It’s Bush’s baby” doesn’t make it true. When have they told the truth before?
Cheney runs the show. End of story. Why doesn’t he want credit???
Would you?
He’s clever. The best people in power allow people to think that they aren’t in power and that they aren’t clever. They look lucky as things just happen to go their way. This will be remembered as the BUSH presidency, not the Cheney presidency. There’s no term-limit for being vice-president or secretary of defense. If you can convince the next guy to take you on, then you can keep your job.
Really who wants to have the high profile job of president when you can actually get stuff done as just a member of the administration?
December 13th, 2006 at 1:33 pmFunny how the Saudis start to get nervous as talk intensifies about the US leaving Iraq. They weren’t that nervous when we went in. Why so nervous when we talk about leaving? It couldn’t have anything to do with control of Iraqi oil fields?
Greg Palast, as usual, has had the evidence for months. But the corporate media won’t report it.
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/338
December 13th, 2006 at 1:34 pmWhy is there no CITIZEN’S ARREST? Maybe if we get enough CITIZENS together we can make a CITIZEN’S ARREST and get the whole WH into jail?
December 13th, 2006 at 1:49 pmLets help defeat the repubs. Support and campaign for Chaney for president in 2008.
December 13th, 2006 at 6:00 pmWhat an abominable CREEP Cheney is, I will PERSONALLY write a book and will name Cheney in every page of it….Without CHENEY there would not have been an IRAQ, Bush didnt know what he was doing, Bush was railroaded into it by the neocons who saw that Bush was an idiot….
At least those two (expletives ie.Bush and Cheney ) deserve each other….UNBELIEVABLE…
December 13th, 2006 at 6:24 pmSAY WHAT?!? Just whose name is it that appears on the PNAC website — the same PNAC that was clamoring for regime change in Iraq since before Dubya even took office? I’m by no means any fan of Dubya or trying to claim that he was some sort of innocent dupe — but Cheney has one hell of a lot of nerve trying to absolve himself of responsibility for the War In Iraq.
MUD STICKS, DICK!!
December 13th, 2006 at 6:53 pmJust imagine what the right wing would be saying if a Democratic VP rushed over to be “called on the carpet” by a foreign leader over a foreign policy issue.
December 13th, 2006 at 6:54 pmI don’t believe Cheney is overly concerned how history will judge him. I do suspect, however, that Cheney -being a Washington insider- wants to keep all his options open in order to retain some political mojo.
Being associated with an occupation that increasingly looks like a disaster for people on both sides of the political aisle would out a dent in his reputation as a political strategist, and as a statesman -whether that reputation is deserved or not is a whole other subject.
Staying behind the scenes allows him more options. He can always claim -a la Rumsfeld- that he would have done things differently. This man is the ultimate Mayberry Macchiavelli.
December 13th, 2006 at 7:04 pm[…] Cheney and Iraq war: here. Comments » […]
December 13th, 2006 at 7:23 pmAnd we are surprised about this?
By the all the Repug Neocon ratz leave the SS Minnow, Cap’n Dubya will be the last person aboard, rearranging the deck chairs as he plans his half a billion Library, whistling the theme song to his upcoming movie, “I am the Decider—–and you’re not”.
December 13th, 2006 at 7:23 pmCheney “cut and run” when it was convienent. Vietnam? Yeh.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:19 pmExcept for bush’s perception, he runs as well. It seems to be somewhat of a republicscan trait. Just ask Ford and GM, they run away the best.
I don’t think keeping mum for a few months is going to make anyone forget his involvement in the Iraq War so I can’t take that notion seriously.
The meme of the US siding with the Shia makes quite a bit of sense actually. And if they remain in Iraq they have little choice.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:37 pmCheney’s true color: coward yellow, just like the typical wingnut troll.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:39 pm‘Iraq Is Now Bush’s Baby, And Cheney Doesn’t Want To Be Tarred With It’
Doesn’t that make Bush a “Tar Baby?”
December 13th, 2006 at 9:40 pmPhoto discription…The pupett and pupeteer on a strole.
December 13th, 2006 at 9:55 pmTo “Fivewordsorless”….you have gone beyond your 5 word limit. Thank you and goodbye while you recharge your brain cell.
December 13th, 2006 at 10:26 pmDoesn’t that make Bush a “Tar Baby?â€
His daddy was an Oilman wasn’t he?
December 13th, 2006 at 10:56 pmThe Australian Govt seems to think Bush will stay in Iraq. This is from ABC/Reuters re Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer visiting USA this week:
Downer says he told the Bush Administration not to pull out too quickly from Iraq. “The consequences would not only be disastrous for the Iraqi people, it could lead to neighbouring countries being drawn in to military conflict over Iraq and in Iraq,” he said. “And, of course, the consequences for the struggle against terrorism internationally would be utterly disastrous. That’s one message that we have delivered to the Americans. I know it’s not a very popular message.” Mr Downer says the US President should take the time to decide what is right. “It’s not the haste with which the President makes his decisions, it’s the quality of the decisions that counts,” he said.
So either the Australian govt is afraid of looking bad if the US pulls out, or it is echoing what it already knows i.e. that Bush has decided to stay.
December 14th, 2006 at 1:12 amtest
December 14th, 2006 at 3:01 am75: Downer has been gravely compromised by the AWB scandle. (oil for food) despite the cole inquiry finding them blameless. Nonetheless no less then 11 memos were sent directly to the governments office warning of this. Instead of acting on this Downer and hes office ferociously defended AWB handling of the oil for food. Subsequnetly it appears that downer suffers from “hyper loyality” defending causes and closing ranks. This myopic approached has seriously damaged AWB and Australian wheat sales.
December 14th, 2006 at 4:05 amA low profile would be good for him considering his future political aspirations.
http://www.tekno-world.blogspot.com
December 14th, 2006 at 5:41 amAs long as you start any sentence with “I believe”, you can never go wrong in a court of law. Only problem and side-effect you get is that no one still believes what you say.
December 14th, 2006 at 7:24 amNice try, but it won’t work.
December 14th, 2006 at 10:39 amAll the RATS are jumping ship. Looks like this failed illegal war will be George W Bush’s legacy. Couldn’t of happen to a dumber guy. He really is the chief destroyer… destroyed his own party and a sovereign nation. What a fool.
December 14th, 2006 at 3:48 pm‘Iraq Is Now Bush’s Baby, And Cheney Doesn’t Want To Be Tarred With It’
Are these Republicans really as stupid as they sound? Do they really believe that Americans and the rest of the world do not know that the Iraq folly is the result of Cheney’s vicious machinations?
December 14th, 2006 at 4:01 pmWe are actually taking the side of the Shiites already by training the mostly Shiite Iraqi Army.
When more and more Sunnis die, training the Army to shoot better will no longer look like such a good idea: Discipline does not translate to a fair use of force.
December 21st, 2006 at 9:29 pm[…] Scandal-plagued Halliburton — the oil services company once headed by Vice President Cheney — sold an Iranian oil development company key components for a nuclear reactor, say Halliburton sources with intimate knowledge into both companies’ business dealings. […]
December 27th, 2006 at 9:55 am