Cheney Fan Club Member Jonah Goldberg: ‘It’s A Sign Of Integrity That Cheney Doesn’t Care’
Cheney Fan Club Member Jonah Goldberg: ‘It’s A Sign Of Integrity That Cheney Doesn’t Care’
In yesterday’s Los Angeles Times, National Review editor Jonah Goldberg wrote, “I’m a longtime member of a pretty select group: the Dick Cheney Fan Club.” Goldberg appeared on MSNBC with Tucker Carlson to discuss his membership in this exclusive club and to explain the traits in Cheney that he found worthy of admiration.
“[Dick Cheney] just does not care. I think it’s a sign of character and integrity on his part that he just doesn’t care,” Goldberg said, adding, “He’s a serious guy.”
Asked by host Tucker Carlson why some critics have such a strong distaste for Cheney, Goldberg offered this penetrating analysis:
I have no idea. I truly have no idea. I like Dick Cheney — love to have a beer with the guy. I think he is a smart, serious man in American life. I think one of the things that bothers them is he doesn’t care. … He looks like he should be eating a sandwich while he’s [giving a speech]. That’s just the sort of matter-of-fact, eating lunch over the sink, oh yeah and by the way, here’s my view of the world. I love that!
Watch it:
A March 2004 report by Rep. Henry Waxman’s office documented 51 misleading pre-war statements made by Dick Cheney about the threat posed by Iraq. Cheney has expressed no regret or remorse for having committed the nation to a war on false grounds. Instead, he has continued to propagate one falsehood after another to maintain the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
As the Washington Post has recently detailed at length, Cheney’s harmful impact has been felt far beyond Iraq and extends to everything from denial of due process to torture to deficit spending and environmental degradation.
Cheney’s “matter of fact, eating lunch over the sink” manner of speaking doesn’t alleviate the damaging impact that his ill-conceived, hard-right agenda is having on the nation. It appears Goldberg just “doesn’t care.”
UPDATE: Atrios notes the title and cover of Jonah’s new book. Crooks and Liars has more.
Transcript:
CARLSON: Why are you defending Cheney?
GOLDBERG: No, I, I–well, first of all, I have–I just simply, I have always liked Dick Cheney. I think that he’s, you know, as I put it in the piece, you know, everyone–everyone on both sides of the aisle, there’s a lot of this you know, sort of talk about how we don’t want politicians to go by the polls, who don’t put their finger in the wind and go with just whatever the prevailing conventional wisdom is.
And yet, Dick Cheney is really the only guy who doesn’t bother talking the talk, he just walks the walk. He does not care, and I think it’s a sign of character and integrity on his part that he just doesn’t care. There are a lot of people out there who worship the masses and Dick Cheney doesn’t. He cares about history, he cares about the merits of the argument. He probably cares about power quite a bit, too. But he’s a serious guy.
[…]
CARLSON: People hate Cheney on this visceral level. What is so hateable about Dick Cheney?
GOLDBERG: I have no–I really, I truly have no idea. I like Dick Cheney, love to have a beer with the guy. I think he is a smart, serious man in American life. I think one of the things that bothers them is that he doesn’t care. You know, there’s nothing–you know, the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. It drives stalkers and some hard-core lefties crazy. He just doesn’t care what they think about him.
CARLSON: Have you ever seen Dick Cheney give a speech? I mean, the contempt for the audience is palpable. He doesn’t, he doesn’t–he tells a joke that’s written into his speech, he doesn’t wait for them to laugh, he just blows right through it.
GOLDBERG: I know, I–see, I love that. He looks like he should be eating a sandwich while he’s doing it, you know. I mean, it’s just this sort of like matter-of-fact, eating lunch over the sink. Oh yes, and by the way, here is my view of the world. I love that.
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93 Responses to “Cheney Fan Club Member Jonah Goldberg: ‘It’s A Sign Of Integrity That Cheney Doesn’t Care’”
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Sign me up….oh, wait…I thought it said, “The Hate Cheney Fan Club”.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pmNever mind.
It’s a sign of Cheney’s savagery that he doesn’t care.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pm“I like Dick Cheney — love to have a beer with the guy.”
That’s great, but do you want him running the country?!?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?
HELL NO!!!
June 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pmActually, it’s a sign of Fascism.
But to Goldberg, integrity and Fascism are two words for the same thing.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:08 pmWhen I lived in the Los Angeles area, auto crashes rarely made the news (although they would make traffic reports when they tied up traffic), because there were so many of them they were commonplace.
Now that I live in a smaller town, I notice that an auto crash will make the news — front page, even. There aren’t as many of them, so the few we get are real news.
Cheney has now reached the point where his fans are so few in number that when we find one, I guess it’s real news!
June 27th, 2007 at 12:08 pmThe National Review & Jonah Goldberg just showed us who they really are…Cheneyism addicts.
Jesus Christ. Kristol & Goldberg should be sentenced to 6 years at Gitmo with the big Dick. They can have lunch over the sink and pay homage to their dark master.
The day America worships Cheney is the day America dies.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:10 pmCheney 2008!
June 27th, 2007 at 12:12 pm“I like Dick Cheney — love to have a beer with the guy.â€
Ever hang out with Cheney AFTER drinking those beers, Mr. Goldberg?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:12 pmIf Jonah means that The Dick “doesn’t care” about the rule of law, the constitution or the good of the American people, then I agree with him 100%.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:13 pmDoesn’t care? About what? A necessary qualification to represent Americans at the highest levels of government is to care about the people. A major distressing factor about Cheney is that he thinks he knows what is good for everyone. How contemptible and sadistic actually.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:16 pmSo it’s a good, admirable thing that Dick Cheney “doesn’t care”? Why does the song “I’m Too Sexy” pop into my head?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:16 pmCT V_1,
“Ever hang out with Cheney AFTER drinking those beers, Mr. Goldberg?”
Exactly. I wouldn’t go hunting with him or anything after he tosses back a few.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:17 pm“I like Dick Cheney — love to have a beer with the guy.â€
Especially when there’s firearms around, right?
What the hell is it with Repuiblicans that they think that the makings of a good pub-crawl companion is the same thing that makes a good leader of the free world?
Does that make sense to anyone else?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:17 pmOh Gee! A NeoCon supporting Darth! (ex-AEI employee and National Review writer). Also his mom told Linda Tripp to record her calls with Monica so they could “get” Bill C.
Good to see that scum sticks together. Tucker must drool all over this guy as one of his NeoCon heroes!
June 27th, 2007 at 12:19 pmCheney 2008!
Comment by Frank J — June 27, 2007 @ 12:12 pm
I’m with ya, there, Jake. I don’t think there could be a better candidate to ensure a Democratic victory next year.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:19 pmJonah Goldberg is a tool.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:21 pmWe’ve some members of the Cheney Fan Club right here on TP, although even some of our worst trolls haven’t tried to defend his “yes I am, no I’m not” horseflop lately. Still, I’m surprised not to see Jake here polishing Darth’s balls.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:22 pmYeah, somebody who doesn’t listen to anybody and does whatever he can while getting away with it, that’s a sign of integrity.
I think the United State’s rum feels a little sore after that one.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:23 pmIt figures that a neocon would think that not caring about the citizens Cheney campaigned to represent is a sign of “intergrity & character”.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:25 pm“[Dick Cheney] just does not care. I think it’s a sign of character and integrity on his part that he just doesn’t care,†Goldberg said, adding, “He’s a serious guy.â€
Looks like he cares, after all. Cheney has announced (through the Politico) that he will no longer try to make the case that he’s not a part of the executive branch.
And The Pantload’s syncophancy slaps him in the face like a Ben Domenich endorsement.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:28 pmSuch a good thing you Pukes voted in so many characters WHO HATE DOING THE JOB THEY WERE ELECTED TO DO.
Other than the war-profiting, Dick truly hates his job.
What a sham.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:28 pmI’ve seen Goldberg called “Doughy Pant Load” on other websites.
Seems appropriate.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm“CARLSON: People hate Cheney on this visceral level. What is so hateable about Dick Cheney?”
people don’t hate him, they just love the constitution and what it gurantees. i even hear that some people (those without other priorities of course) love the constitution enough to fight and die for it.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pmwhat’s with the “beard”? … looks new to me…
but i don’t look for or at pics of goldberg much…
is he trying to “look older”?, “more distinguished”? more evil?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:31 pmor an attempt to hide that ever growing double chin?
…
CARLSON: People hate Cheney on this visceral level. What is so hateable about Dick Cheney?
uh, probably because he “doesn’t care” about
the actual things he made an oath to upheld…
at least that’s why i hate him…
June 27th, 2007 at 12:34 pmyep, i hate him, and all that he stands for…
.
‘It’s A Sign Of Integrity That Cheney Doesn’t Care’
Just like when the monkey at the zoo flings poo at you, huh?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:36 pmJonah Goldberg: “I’m a longtime member of a pretty select group:”
The PEP Squad: Perpetually Erroneous Pundits
June 27th, 2007 at 12:36 pmAmongst the benefits of membership in the PEP Squad is that, no matter how much you screw up, you never lose your seat at the table. Commentators who have been wrong for a half dozen years or more, are consistently invited back to deliver more of their bad advice. The problem is that, when your job is to influence public opinion and policy, the consequences of being wrong can be tragic.
I just looked up this word “integrity”. I think Mr. Goldberg should do the same because somehow it just doesn’t work in that sentence. Maybe he meant “incredulity”….I don’t know.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:43 pmI think Doughy should have a beer with Darth Cheney. In fact, he should have several. Especially if Cheney is armed because apparently, Doughy has a face
June 27th, 2007 at 12:44 pmAnd the ‘correlation’ between ..’doesn’t care & Integrity’ was not proven by Mr. Goldberg and the link is weak
June 27th, 2007 at 12:44 pmSuch statements by this young journalist indicate that he just writes for the sake of writing…and his mind is as hollow as a drum.
“CARLSON: People hate Cheney on this visceral level. What is so hateable about Dick Cheney?â€
“EVERYBODY ELSE: People hate Tucker Carlson on this visceral level. What is so hateable about Tucker Carlson?â€
Note to Tucker: Bring back the bow-tie - along with short pants and dress shoes.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:45 pmCheney’s a realist. He doesn’t want to be loved or admired - he wants to be feared.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:48 pmA word used to describe conservative Republicans a few years back - mean-spirited - was appropriate. They love the hardcore nasties like Cheney, Goldberg, Coulter, Limbaugh. If you just blow everyone off and tell them you don’t care, is that a good thing? Is that what we should be teaching our children? Cheney is a great example of why not to vote Republican.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:48 pmto fools like Goldberg, it’s more important to want to have a beer with the VP or Prez than it is to want some (any) integrity in the WH. nice
June 27th, 2007 at 12:51 pmCheney has now reached the point where his fans are so few in number that when we find one, I guess it’s real news!
Comment by missmolly
Good one missmolly!
June 27th, 2007 at 12:53 pmgoldberg: I like Dick Cheney — love to have a beer with the guy.
isnt that a good way to get shot in the face?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:54 pmRemember… you cannot argue w/ the mentally ill.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:54 pmAudrey: It’s good to teach children not to care - to some extent. Otherwise they’ll just grow up as too kind people - unable to say no to anything or anyone and feeling guilty over not being able to fix the world.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:57 pmTrollbait detected by the bayesian filter. Reply aborted.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:59 pm“to fools like Goldberg, it’s more important to want to have a beer with the VP or Prez than it is to want some (any) integrity in the WH. nice
Comment by Joel — June 27, 2007 ”
the saddest part is that if lucianne goldberg wasn’t jonah’s mom, cheney wouldn’t pee on him if he was on fire, let alone have a beer with him.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:59 pmGoldberg and Moore both eat Peking duck.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:05 pmTucker Carlson and Jonah Goldberg think most Americans want a government of Dick Cheney by Dick Cheney and for Dick Cheney? Not the people he refers to as ‘conventional wisdom’ and ‘the masses’.
Abraham Lincoln thought a “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
June 27th, 2007 at 1:06 pmIt’s good to teach children not to care - to some extent. Otherwise they’ll just grow up as too kind people - unable to say no to anything or anyone and feeling guilty over not being able to fix the world.
Comment by CmdrTaco
I think your right, that’s why I could give a shit less what you think.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:10 pmI tend to interpret that as a sing of a small black heart. But thats just me.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:12 pmYou guys are too funny! Do you really think Dick Cheney HAS to be drunk to shoot somebody in the face. Sure, it makes it more fun, but it’s not necessary.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:13 pmJonah Goldberg is an idiot so I’m not surprised. I only read his writing sometimes when I feel like I need to be in touch with a world view that is the complete opposite of my own. Sort of in a “ohh, look at the weird bug” kind of way.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:15 pmYou guys are too funny! Do you really think Dick Cheney HAS to be drunk to shoot somebody in the face. Sure, it makes it more fun, but it’s not necessary.
Comment by shane — June 27, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
Thanks a lot, Shane. I read your comment and laughed out loud in my cubicle and now I’m in trouble. thanks.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:18 pmCheney has a fan club? You mean, people who likes to dress like him, shoot people in the face and have a monkey sized meat puppet?
June 27th, 2007 at 1:21 pmAnd they call us trekkies “weird”. Sheesh…
June 27th, 2007 at 1:22 pmI think he is a smart, serious man in American life.
??????????? WTF is that?
Im a serious man in American life… No, still doesnt make any sense.
These babbling idiots just put together some words and hope that idiots swallow it.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:30 pmI heard Bush and the Republicans are coming out with an Iraq War Tax so all good Americans can show their patriotism and “put their money where their mouth is” Can anybody give me any detials on this?
June 27th, 2007 at 1:35 pmCount me as a member of Cheney’s fanclub.
David Letterman:
June 27th, 2007 at 1:36 pmTop Surprising Facts About Dick Cheney: Every morning eats a case of Slim Jims; Shares three heart attack anniversaries with Larry King; Sent Paris cigarettes and nylons while she was in stir; Went bald at age 12; Banned from D. C. area IHOPs; Spends bulk of his time yelling at White House visitors to “get off the lawn!â€
It drives TP stalkers and some hard-core TP lefties crazy. He just doesn’t care what they think about him.
Cheney/Chuck Norris ‘08!!!
June 27th, 2007 at 1:38 pmCmdrTaco - Are you serious or just joshing us? I read a little of both in your comment.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:42 pmFlaco,
Please explain why you prefer a dictatorship to a democracy. Why do you hate America?
June 27th, 2007 at 1:46 pmYou’re right. It’s both. I wish my parents hadn’t done such a good job instilling such a strong need for fairness and caring in me. In a way I am envious of heartless bastards like Cheney who can just go for their goals without having to deal with an overactive conscience.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:47 pmRep. Henry Waxman has provided a fact sheet of Cheney’s efforts to avoid accountability. This document shows Cheney’s contempt both for the public and for the rule of law very clearly:
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20070621095118.pdf
June 27th, 2007 at 1:49 pmCheney/Chuck Norris ‘08!!!
Comment by Flaccid — June 27, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
I’m with ya, Flaccid. You and “Frank” Jake have the right idea.
Where do I sign up for a “Draft Cheney” campaign? A Cheney candidacy would be the perfect way to transfer the record low approval ratings of the BushCo team to the ‘08 race. It’s brilliant! plus it might be fun to see The Dick try to “run away” from therecord of the administration that he controlled for eight years.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:50 pmIn a way I am envious of heartless bastards like Cheney who can just go for their goals without having to deal with an overactive conscience.
Comment by CmdrTaco
Well, there’s always shock therapy (yes, it’s back) or a lobotomy.
;)
I actually enjoy feeling compassion. It’s what separates us from the A$$HOLES in this world.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:53 pmNot Canadian you are an A$$HOLE.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:56 pmNot Canadian you are a compassionate A$$HOLE. There thats better. :D
June 27th, 2007 at 1:56 pmGoldberg, typical f’ing jew, Sad but true Hitler was right about them jews.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:00 pmWhy didn’t Al the Goracle take care of Global Warming when he was VP?
June 27th, 2007 at 2:01 pmOops,
June 27th, 2007 at 2:04 pmSorry Flaco/CmdrTaco, I didn’t mean to interrupt you having a discussion with YOURSELF.
The JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOs!
Kill the JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOs!
June 27th, 2007 at 2:10 pmPlease explain why you prefer a dictatorship to a democracy. Why do you hate America?
Comment by LibStl
Hey, take it easy. He is having problems with trying to breathe and walk at the same time.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:17 pmWhy didn’t Al the Goracle take care of Global Warming when he was VP?
Comment by Flaco — June 27, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Why didn’t your mom take care of you when you were in utero?
June 27th, 2007 at 2:18 pmBlogHog
June 27th, 2007 at 2:18 pmFunction: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural BlogHogs, BlogHoggers also hogs
1) Someone who comments on every comment
2) Someone who engages in chat with other BlogHogger’s in their group.
3) Someone who verbally attacks bloggers outside the BlogHogger group.
4) A BlogHog who attacks other BlogHoggs.
I’m a longtime member of a pretty select group: the Dick Cheney Fan Club.†Goldberg ”
LAME party of one … at table one!
June 27th, 2007 at 2:18 pmJuan C
Mister third world expert and US critic.
How’s your buddy Hugo doing taking over. I’ll bet the little people love him.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:23 pmYour buddy Castro is on his way to a dirt nap soon. heh :D
Matter of fact, I have always considered Jonah Goldberg and ass hat of the Bush Crime Family…sure he likes thugs and crime.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:34 pmMore like Jonah Gold-Douche!
Egan, out.
http://eganfoote.wordpress.com
June 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pmWhere do they find these gastropods? And who has the misfortune of cleaning up the trail of slime they leave when they’re done shitting into the public forum?
June 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pmGold-barf would love to suck Cheney’s d*ck.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:13 pmYou know, they really should clean the dingleberries out of his mustache before putting him on TV.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:19 pmThis hardly puts him in any exclusive class, does it?
June 27th, 2007 at 3:23 pmAn elected official who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about his constituents is, regrettably, nothing new or novel.
Cheney’s approval rating is around 15%. These Republicans really want the American public thinking that they are in the majority. Even though I don’t like Hillary, I predict a Democrat/Indie wipeout of the Repukes in 2008.
BTW, Jonah is a true Bizarro World Writer.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:41 pmAbraham Lincoln coined a phrase for this guy. ‘You can fool some of the people all of the time.’ After 140+ years, Mr. Lincoln’s wisdom still rings true.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pmPersonally, I’d love to see this guy go hunting with the VP.
hese Republicans really want the American public thinking that they are in the majority.
No. Not in the majority, but simply in control. Get the difference?
June 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pmJonah gets uglier yearly. Now with the beard he looks like a Communist.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:50 pm“Dick Cheney is really the only guy who doesn’t bother talking the talk, he just walks the walk.”
Didn’t O’l Dead Eye get out of serving in Vietnam???? Wow, walking the walk douchebag style!!!!
June 27th, 2007 at 3:55 pmWhat’s that around Goldberg’s mouth? He looks like he’s been rimming all night.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:56 pmNo. Not in the majority, but simply in control. Get the difference?
Comment by Think Prostate — June 27, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
Yep, you’re correct!! And….Control is initiated by….FEAR
Fear of losing our jobs, fear of terrorists, fear of the police, fear of the government, fear of god, fear of pagans, and fear of gays and women libber’s sleeping under our beds. The same fear from the 40s and 50s of the Red Menace. I put the Fundamentalists square at the center of all of this fear.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:57 pmInteresting that Goldberg should find that being an uncaring SOB is an admirable personality trait.
Interesting also that yet another man-crush manifests itself within the ranks of the homophobic party.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:24 pm#84
June 27th, 2007 at 5:10 pmYou are correct sir. That popping sound was Jonah’s head temporarily emerging from Cheney’s posterior…oops, saw his shadow!
“[Dick Cheney] may be more popular than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but that’s like saying, ‘This head cheese is tastier than carpet mold’.†—Jonah Goldberg
June 27th, 2007 at 5:28 pmIt’s just another indication of his hubris and his “normal” sociopathic behavior.
AF
June 27th, 2007 at 5:33 pmThat zany guy Hitler was just like that too. What a hoot he was. Didn’t give rip what anybody thought. To the trolls…that was tongue-in-cheek, OK?
June 27th, 2007 at 6:45 pmJonah Goldberg has dirty knees. He’s living proof there are more horse’s asses than horses.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:54 pm“[Dick Cheney] may be more popular than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but that’s like saying, ‘This head cheese is tastier than carpet mold’.†—Jonah Goldberg Comment by Flaco — June 27, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
That sounds more like a quote Jeff Gannon made about you and Valiant Venus…
June 27th, 2007 at 10:10 pmCult of personality 101.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:51 pmThis is one sick, twisted fool licking a bigger one. Absolutely sickening. ‘Love to have a beer with the guy’…..and not talk about torture, the murder of hundreds of thousands, the heartbreak and destruction of millions of lives, the raping of everything good that America once stood for. Just….Love ‘em. In case anyone had any remaining illusions about the abject sychophancy of our mainstream media, here’s your nutshell.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:35 amMaybe Jonah and Cheney will both choke on that sandwich.
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:45 pm