Bolton: Cheney’s Increased ‘Power’ As Vice President ‘Is Entirely A Positive Development’
Bolton: Cheney’s Increased ‘Power’ As Vice President ‘Is Entirely A Positive Development’
In an online chat with the Washington Post today, former UN Ambassador John Bolton — who is “known to be close to Vice President Dick Cheney” — was asked if the way Cheney “has dramatically altered the role and power of the vice presidency” was “a positive change.” Noting “Cheney’s role reflects a continuing evolution of his office,” Bolton responded, “I think this is entirely a positive development“:
QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador: Vice President Cheney has dramatically altered the role and power of the vice presidency in this administration. Is this a positive change? Do you see future administrations retaining a more useful role for the VP, and who in current politics has the strength of character, in either party, to follow Mr. Cheney’s lead in wielding even a part of that power in what can be an essentially unaccountable role?
JOHN BOLTON: I think that Vice President Cheney’s role reflects a continuing evolution of his office. It is true he has more responsibilities that any prior Vice President, but his immediate predecessor, Vice President Gore, had more responsibilities than any of his. I think this is entirely a positive development.
Bolton, who was part of the team of lawyers that fought the 2000 Florida recount on behalf of Bush and Cheney, shares many of Cheney’s views on expansive executive power. For instance, in 2006, when Bolton’s Senate confirmation was set to fail, he and Cheney sought “some way to bypass the Senate.”
Given their relationship, it’s not surprising that Bolton would consider Cheney’s efforts to increase the power of the Vice Presidency a “positive development.” Here are a few examples:
- Upon taking office, “Cheney preferred, and Bush approved, a mandate that gave him access to ‘every table and every meeting,’ making his voice heard in ‘whatever area the vice president feels he wants to be active in.’”
- In 2001, Cheney convinced President Bush to strip foreign terrorism suspects of “access to any court” while circumventing both the Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser, whom only learned of the order from the press.
- In 2002, Cheney also cut Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice out of the development of policy narrowly defining “torture” to mean only suffering “equivalent in intensity” to the pain of “organ failure…or even death.”
- In 2003, Cheney exempted his office from an executive order designed to safeguard classified national security information by claiming that the Office of the Vice President is not an “entity within the executive branch.”
In praising Cheney’s expansion of power, Bolton may just be returning the favor for the Vice President’s vocal support of his UN appointment. In 2005, Cheney told reporters that Bolton would have “a great deal more credibility” at the UN because of his Cheney-like views.
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Bolton – Dick’s fluffer.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:23 pmLet’s hope the next Veep voluntarily is a little less of a control freak.
And doesn’t shoot anybody in the face while drunk…
January 30th, 2008 at 4:29 pmSurprisingly enough, I tend to agree with him on this one. I have always thought that the Vice President was a serious waste of manpower. Clinton did give Edwards some real jobs to do. I would like to see the new Democratic President choose a vice president who has more experience in an area where he is lacking. Like Obama choosing a vice president with a lot of foreign policy experience.
The thing that Bolton is not saying, thought, is that Chaney has gone way beyond the role of a vice president. It’s pretty much understood that Chaney is our defacto President. And that is certainly an overreach.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:30 pmGreat pic. Bolton the professional victim.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:31 pmThe evil exudes from Bolton – no surprise he worships the v.p.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:32 pmWith statements like these, Bolton proves he’s a fascist Fuhrer-loving sycophant.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:32 pmbilbo, clinton gave Gore…???
January 30th, 2008 at 4:33 pmFascist!
January 30th, 2008 at 4:35 pm#2 RUCerious:
Let’s hope the next Veep voluntarily is a little less of a control freak.
Easily solved. Just make sure no numbnutz is placed in charge of the VP selection committee. ;-)
Seriously, considering the process in 2000, no one should be surprised at the result.
Cheers,
January 30th, 2008 at 4:35 pmAnother total failure…yet he’s in the news…giving advice….why
same with newt the lizard ginnritch, trent lott, david brooks, etc. why?
January 30th, 2008 at 4:36 pmLet’s revisit this question with Yosemite Sam in two years’ time and see if he’s singing a different tune.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:37 pmAnd doesn’t shoot anybody in the face while drunk…
Comment by RUCerious — January 30, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Might I add, “or sober”?
January 30th, 2008 at 4:38 pm#12 Wayne, well, um, …..OK.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:39 pmFor Satan, maybe!
January 30th, 2008 at 4:39 pmWhat the heck is that shiny white stuff on his cheeks?
Never mind, I really don’t want to know….
January 30th, 2008 at 4:44 pmThis is not “expansion of power,” it’s “seizure of power”, and it’s been largely illegal and unconstitutional to boot.
Apparently John Bolton has no capacity to think abstractly.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:45 pmI suspect that Bolt-on will change his tune, and never acknowledge it, just as soon as a Democratic VP starts throwing his weight around. “Abuse of the Executive! Oppressor of the people!”
January 30th, 2008 at 4:45 pmclearly his hair dye is neurotoxic.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:50 pm“Clinton did give Edwards some real jobs to do.”
Comment by bilbobaggins — January 30, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
I think you mean Gore, not Edwards — unless you are speaking from some position in a possible future scenario and talking about President Hillary and Vice President John.
But I agree. It’s ludicrous to expect our Vice President to have the same qualifications as the President, and then give him a job that only a paper-pusher could love. However, there’s a big difference between giving the Vice President some real jobs to do and having a Vice President who essentially acts like a dictator. There’s a big difference between a President and a Vice President who work together as a team and having the Vice President’s hand up the butt of the presidential puppet.
I wonder if Bolton would stand by these words if we got a power-hungry Democratic veep in 2009 that behaved much like Cheney has?
January 30th, 2008 at 4:50 pmIf Edwards becomes the new VP, which I feel he may with an Obama – Edwards ticket, then what will Bolton say about this?
January 30th, 2008 at 4:51 pmStill trying to figure out why this thug Bolton is in the public eye.
Enough with the nasty Bolton pictures already. The guy threw a staple at a subordinate. He forced his wife into swinger sex parties. And, he’s just plain disgusting.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:54 pmI don’t understand why people keep asking Wilford Brimley about geopolitics.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:56 pmThat will be great news for the Democratic Vice President when he or she is sworn into office in 2009.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:59 pmIndefensible……yet, they claim the high ground….
January 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pmDamn, two day’s in a row we get a thread on this ugly walrus……Not enough new’s he has to be trotted out like a Kristonut, O’lilie and Newt’s…..Sad…Who the hell cares what this little flame thrower has to say, not me….Moving right along…
January 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pm01-20-2009 will be the beginning of a new era.. no more unsightly mug shots.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pmComment by missmolly — January 30, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
a “paper-pusher?” I think not!
According to the Constitution, the VP “shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be evenly divided”
The Vice President gets to cast a vote….every once in a while.
And our current VP gets the pleasure of cowering in a cave while he waits for that imminent al qaeda attack.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:01 pmYeah, the mafia don cheney has worked out so well for America…asswipes.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
January 30th, 2008 at 5:01 pmJesus H Christ, this guy is a freakin’ nutcase! The question is, why has the MSM continued to give credence to anything that comes out of his pie hole?
Could it be the MSM is owned by the same people that run the government? (Light bulb appears above head).
Seriusly though, I’d love to transport this guy back to a time when men like him were considered a fringe element and see what happens to him. Laughed right out of DC….
January 30th, 2008 at 5:03 pmBolton’s departure from the UN was “entirely a positive development.”
January 30th, 2008 at 5:04 pmBolten, Gingrich, Kristol, Rove, Cheney and boy Bush are all irrelevant. Who really cares. It’s an election year and the liberal media is focused on the candidates that they chose for us.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:06 pmIt’s an election year and the liberal media is focused on the candidates that they chose for us.
Comment by Cats r Flyfishn — January 30, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
Give ‘Em The Bird, Vote For A Third!
January 30th, 2008 at 5:08 pmI wonder if he would feel the same towards VP Hillary Clinton?
January 30th, 2008 at 5:08 pmWayne – you are always the quick thinker.
Fred – they hold the high ground in Hell.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:09 pmRemember this when Vice President Biden is digging into republican policies and destroying them. Botlon is far too short sided to understand the erosion of our system of government.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:09 pmCat’s, maybe they are trying to keep us busy with the bush troll’s while they attempt to slip in another ringer, nah..They woulden’t do that, another war maybe….Still a year to go….Blessings
January 30th, 2008 at 5:11 pm“Seriusly though, I’d love to transport this guy back to a time when men like him were considered a fringe element”
Ah… good ‘ole 1/19/01.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:12 pmGood for fascism – that’s about all it’s good for.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:18 pmI’m sorry, but neither Cheney nor Bolton have ANY credibility, any where. Both are delusional and almost certainly insane.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:18 pmOf course it’s a positive development, if you’re a power-hungry, authoritarian dickwad.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pmLet’s just wait and see what Vice President (Obama, Clinton, Edwards) does with all that power.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pmI’m sure the Reps will continue to think it is a positive development.
Captain Kangaroo, the laughinstock of this country, is at it again! Does he take lessons from Chimpy or is the probability of hoof’n mouth disease an epidemic in this administration? Total buffoons – all of them.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pmwitch1 – another war, I can’t even think about that.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:19 pmI’d LOVE to see John Edwards as either Veep or AG! If he becomes AG, these crooked republicans had better head out of the country. Maybe Bush will provide a caravan to Paraguay for all of them?? If not, there’s going to be some major ball cracking when the turnover of power takes place.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:20 pmDoesn’t it seem like a perfect fit – John Edwards as Attorney General?? That would mean that on Day One he could begin to clean out the shithole that was once known as the DOJ.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:21 pmWouldn’t it be fun to have Hillary Clinton as Attorney General seeking revenge on all the Republicans that attacked her and her husband?
January 30th, 2008 at 5:22 pmHe practiced law so he could undermine the law instead of upholding the law.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:22 pmVeritas – on a more serious note, yes, it would be great to have John Edwards appointed Attorney General. Bill Richardson would serve our nation and the world well if he was appointed Secretary of State. He would help repair our reputation around the globe. My pick for Secretary of Defense would be Wesley Clark.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:24 pm“…Do you see future administrations retaining a more useful role for the VP, and who in current politics has the strength of character, in either party, to follow Mr. Cheney’s lead in wielding even a part of that power in what can be an essentially unaccountable role?”
what the hell kind of question IS that? a 2-parter, or leading?
…
and, if this is a recent pic of bolton, looks like he’s packin’ on the pounds
January 30th, 2008 at 5:25 pmthese days… leisure agrees, or doesn’t, with him…
.
X – I don’t understand your comment.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:25 pmComment by Cats r Flyfishn — January 30, 2008 @ 5:24 pm
I like those choices, cats. And just those three choices would prevent the need to remove someone in Congress from a seat to which a Republican governor might get to appoint someone.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:26 pmWayne – I’ve heard people suggest Joe Biden for Secretary of State. I don’t think so. People get so wrapped up in appointing Senators to Cabinet positions. It’s a mistake. Look, all the good candidates are out of the race and we are left with the bottom to choose from so let’s at least get the best qualified in Cabinet positions. It’s just my opinion :)
January 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pmIf you squint a little, the photo spells TooN
January 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pmIf you squint a little, the photo spells TooN
Comment by Nevar — January 30, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
If you don’t squint, the photo spells TOOL.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:44 pmI was squinting mostly to avoid seeing the lower half of his face.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:57 pmCheney’s job was to lay the foundation for the powerful VP Lieberman – for Israel.
January 30th, 2008 at 7:34 pmoh god not this guy again…mr ambassador??? – he’s not ambassador to anything!! – why do the press insist on addressing people with their former titles? – in fact why do they bother addressing this pr**k at all?
January 30th, 2008 at 8:43 pmand #55 gummitch,good call!!
This man is a nutcase.
No further analysis needed.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:18 pmThe old F***er Cheney has taken what he has in the office of the VP. It has been and is up to the Congress to put him straight. Our national legislature does not have the courage to do this. Therefore, the Dickster will be just fine doing his thing, however he wants to do it, when and where. There is nothing to stop him.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:23 pm.
So,
This would mean Bolton supports the notion that the V.P. is in a separate branch of Government, can lie with impunity, and profit from a global war he set into motion.
Bolton = Loyalist
.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:39 pmNow if only Cheney would order the reopening of Plato’s Retreat, things would really start to swing, right Johhny?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:03 pmI hope that fat pig, Chenney, end up just like Mussolini did! His ugly fat body hanging upside down, and a huge cue of Italians waiting for their turn to spit on it!
January 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pmOff topic:
Here’s a great source of “anti-troll” arguments.
http://www.rationalrevolution.net/
January 30th, 2008 at 11:55 pm“A mustache doesn’t make you gay. But it doesn’t help”. – Stephen Colbert
January 31st, 2008 at 1:53 amHighly intelligent people are usefull, given rote knowledge.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:22 amThe VP needed to become more of a factor. That person was almost invisible and never seen unless the Prez died. People hated Cheney but just like Bush he was hated because he makes decisions on sound principles and does not waiver with public opinion. That is what Libs and Dems hate…someone that will not listen to them. They want to show public opinion and how a decision should be made to make people happy…instead of a decision that is right for the future of the country.
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:10 amMike
http://mtaricani.blogspot.com/