Uninformed Cokie Roberts leaps to Cheney’s defense.
By on Apr 7th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Uninformed Cokie Roberts leaps to Cheney’s defense.
During the roundtable discussion on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, and ABC’s Cokie Roberts discussed Cheney’s callous dismissiveness of American public opinion on Iraq. As vanden Heuvel was referencing Cheney’s remarks — “Dick Cheney said to ABC’s Martha Raddatz last week, ‘I don’t care what Americans think,’” – Roberts interrupted to say, “That’s not exactly what he said. He said ‘So?’” Watch it:
Yes, Cheney did say, “So?” But vanden Heuvel was also right. Here’s what Cheney said:
RADDATZ: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.
CHENEY: So?
RADDATZ So? You don’t care what the American people think?
CHENEY: No.
UpdateGlenn Greenwald has more on Roberts.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
69 Responses to “Uninformed Cokie Roberts leaps to Cheney’s defense.”
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Bush
Bush Legacy
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
DADT
Economy
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Franken
Global Warming
Guantanamo
Health Care
International Relations
Iran
Iraq
Justice
Krauthammer
Kyl
LGBT
Limbaugh
McCain
Media
Military
O'Reilly
Obama
Palin
Public Plan
Race
Radical Right
Rove
Sanford
Sotomayor
Steele
Supreme Court
Terrorism
ThinkProgress
Tiller
Torture
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
The "coke" is a complete neocon enabler. Too bad her reputation is as good as is it is. She has a lot of people fooled,
April 7th, 2008 at 8:12 pmDick Cheney & Cokie Roberts continue to burn America's flag.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:12 pmI am uncomfortable in a position that might be construed as defending Cheney...but I think he said even more than what is reported above; more than just "no". Out of context statements might be the holy grail of propaganda lovers...but not of truth I would think.
Having said that...I think that Cheney really meant he didn't give a hoot, or any other expletive you might prefer, about what the American public thought.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:15 pmI'd add that saying "So?" implies that Cheney has little or no use for what Americans think.
Translating Cheney's "So?" into "I don’t care what Americans think" is a good characterisation of what he said, IMO, even if he hadn't answered "No" to the follow-up question.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:17 pmAlthough I am sure the Bush apologists will insist Cheney didn't say "I don't care what Americans think", since he only replied "No" to a question, denial & spin being their specialty.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:18 pmEvergreen2U, what Dick Cheney was really saying (if you can read between the lines) was...he's enjoying the genocide he's created in Iraq and isn't open to criticism of it. He was also saying the American people are never in the back of his mind when he makes decisions. The last eight years have been a Halliburton financial transaction and nothing else.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:19 pmhttp://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/04/07/roberts/index.html
April 7th, 2008 at 8:20 pmCokie is the ultimate media whore (metaphorically speaking). She is an elitist who loves her insider status, and sees Bush and Cheney as protectors of her privileged position. What a total sellout.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:21 pmCokie Roberts plays an objective journalist on TV and radio but she's a protector of the establishment a la Russert, Matthews, Tom Friedman and a whole lot of others. She reports weekly on NPR and her work is professional and informative but there are strong undercurrents of elitist pomp and arrogance.
I dislike Cokie Roberts very much and I applaud Katrina for her intestinal fortitude and her restraint. She knows this game and what a bunch of frauds she has to counterpoint. To maintain her composure in the face of such disingenuous drivel when she makes her TV appearances. I suppose she recognizes that if she delivers too much reality, they won't ask her back.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:27 pmdidn't you guys hear? being a total sellout is America's new greatest measure of success.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:27 pmtombaker,
...and here I was thinking it was the multi-million $ trust funds, the yachts and the vacation homes in Tuscany adn Aspen. Sheesh! ;)
April 7th, 2008 at 8:30 pmCouple that with Lincoln Chaffee's claim that Cheney told him the campaign promises to be moderate were just things that needed to be said to be elected and you have the full picture:
Say whatever you want to get elected with no intention of keeping those promises, then do whatever you want and deflect criticism by pointing out that the people had a chance to evaluate your policies at the election.
A complete disdain for democracy.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:32 pm11- Unless you inherit those things, selling out is the surest way to get them, as I'm sure Kokie's paychecks would demonstrate, vs. her days on NPR.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:40 pmShe is pathetic, but indicative of the press who basically has made the 1st Amendament a thing that I can no longer point to as a beacon of America when I go abroad.
To our trolls, abroad is actually owning a passport and using it, your meth arrests may make that difficult to receive a passport and leave your trailer.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:43 pmIs that water heavy, Cokie?
April 7th, 2008 at 9:04 pmTo Cheney's credit, I'm pretty sure he meant "No" as in, "No, I'm not saying that I don't care what the American people think." Whether you believe that he's being genuine or not, I'm pretty sure that's what he meant by "No" so be careful how you post that transcript.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:12 pmjohnross85
April 7th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
That's what the man said, johnross85. It's there in black and white. What more is there to interpret?
April 7th, 2008 at 9:22 pmThe corporate media is a bad joke, a waste of time and soon to be irrelevant.
Anyone can get the same information that Cokie has on the internet, she ain't no Einstein and honesty is not in her game plan.
I don't need COKIE to interpret reality for me, thank you very much.
Oh, that's right....she has access to sources in high places, ....which means she gets to be used as a propaganda tool to manipulate the American public ala that s***head Judith Miller.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:23 pmThat transcript, coupled with Cheney's arrogant delivery & sneer, tells you all you need. I'm sure Bill-O's body language "experts" would say Cheney is a dangerous, psychotic meglomaniac. If he were a Democrat. But he's a Repub, so they don't talk about him at all.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:24 pmJay11 is so right--Roberts is profoundly elitist. I stopped listening to her during the Clinton/Lewinsky story because she could not stop fulminating against Clinton, and against "the American people" who just could not seem to get as angry as she was. She kept hectoring and lecturing and you began to wonder what on earth was going on with her.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:27 pmThis is just bullsh!t, period. Anyone who makes a statement like johnross is either a fool or thinks I am.
The dishonesty of the right is beyond comprehension.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:35 pmOR WHAT? Is that some kind of threat?
April 7th, 2008 at 9:36 pmOh and johnross, anybody who saw the interview knows he said what he meant and meant what he said. Either you didn't see the interview or you are a bald faced liar.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:39 pmwintermd Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What? This is not Fox….. Gee must GOOGLE for a result again
No, Fox is the channel that doesn't cover the Iraq war - unless it's some bullshit propaganda the right wing is trying to get everyone to believe. And wintermd - don't quit your day job, you're not funny.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:41 pmjohnross85 Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
To Cheney’s credit, I’m pretty sure he meant “No” as in, “No, I’m not saying that I don’t care what the American people think.” Whether you believe that he’s being genuine or not, I’m pretty sure that’s what he meant by “No” so be careful how you post that transcript.
Go fist yourself in a secluded corner , you delusional moronic twit ; we don't have time for any more fraudulent GOP arrogance when you jackasses make retarded slugs seem like reincarnations of Copernicus and Galileo ............
April 7th, 2008 at 9:46 pmCheney hates Americans...check
Cheney hates the troops...check
Cheney hates the USA...check
Cheney hates...check
April 7th, 2008 at 9:49 pmjohnross85 Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
... so be careful how you post that transcript.
Tremble, tremble, tremble. I...I'll be careful! Please don't hit me...
April 7th, 2008 at 9:50 pmwintermd Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What? This is not Fox….. Gee must GOOGLE for a result again
Yeah , because FAUX GNUS , as shitty and as big a joke as it is , is not the only ones to blame.
The so-called "liberal media" is about as legitimate as the claim that the horseshit GOP is the party of "personal responsibility" , shitstain..............
April 7th, 2008 at 9:52 pmGee, if only ABC gave a damn about hearing from viewers. But they don't just their advertisers.
Hey, wait..
April 7th, 2008 at 9:57 pmRemember that the parent company (Disney) in 2004 refused to release "Fahrenheit 9/11", attempting to keep it bottled up. They offered a weak, transparent excuse that Florida (where Chimpy's brother was the governor at the time) would punish Disney World in retaliation by revoking special tax breaks.
Had she resided in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, she would have been one of Goebbels most enthusiastic propagandists.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:22 pmEvergreen2U at posting #3 is correct. ThinkProgress is dishonestly distorting the transcript and Cheney's response by intentionally leaving out the majority of Cheney's quote. It is clear from the videotape and the transcript that Cheney did not simply respond "no" to the question. Rather he responds at length the question and the "no" that prefaces the full answer is a rejection of the premise of the interviewer's question rather than a one-word, dismissive response to the question.
"Q So -- you don't care what the American people think?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. Think about what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had paid attention to polls, if they had had polls during the Civil War. He never would have succeeded if he hadn't had a clear objective, a vision for where he wanted to go, and he was willing to withstand the slings and arrows of the political wars in order to get there. And this President has been very courageous, very consistent, very determined to continue down the course we were on and to achieve our objective. And that's victory in Iraq, that's the establishment of a democracy where there's never been a democracy, it's the establishment of a regime that respects the rights and liberties of their people, as an ally for the United States in the war against terror, and as a positive force for change in the Middle East. That's a huge accomplishment."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080319-5.html
ThinkProgress will soon be issuing another correction.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:29 pmExley - April 7th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
And all that long-winded answer boils down to one word: No.
What follows afterwards is Cheney's elaboration on why he is not concerned with what the American people think.
You also forgot the part where Evergreen2U said "I think that Cheney really meant he didn’t give a hoot" -which is the correct interpretation. Yours is nothing short of an Opium-induced reverie.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:34 pmThe full quote was, "No. We can't be swayed by the whims of the public". Or something very close. In short, Cheney told every American to go Cheney themselves. He's got his, so, the rest of us can be good little slaves and starve in the dark.
Anyone still carrying water for this criminal administration deserves to have their heads forced into a full bucket for the next 100 years.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:34 pmThanx for digging out the whole, damning, quote Exley. Personally I can't wade through their filth without a stiff drink and a dose of Pepto.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:37 pmExley Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
You're attempting to laughably defend a 5 deferrment chickenshit pansy who believes "machismo" is determined by the "hunting" and killing of flightless birds , and by posting his comment that contains the mentioning of Abraham Lincoln ?
That's akin to the "Nutty Professor" trying to compare his 'work' to that of Newton and/or Einstein , Excrement ..........
April 7th, 2008 at 10:44 pmThat's all the troll scat I can handle for one night.
G'night good people.
You too trolls.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:56 pmTen years ago, I had a lot of respect for Cokie Roberts. Now, I can't stand the sight of her.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:02 pmIf Cokie is part of the roundtable discussion, I will not watch the show. She has become too defensive of the Bush administration.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:04 pmI really have a hard time with the idea that she's "uniformed", though. She's certainly got plenty of history of being well informed.
No, I think she's a shill and an apologist for this administration. I think she's doing her best to put a good spin on Cheney's remarks.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:07 pmMake that 'uninformed', not 'uniformed'. UG
April 7th, 2008 at 11:09 pmExley Says: I can't friggin read or interpret words.
There is NO way to interpret that entire transcript as anything other than, No I don't care what the American people think... How the hell else would it be interpreted?
April 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pmJohnross, you serious or is there some sarcastic humor I'm missing? It's late and I'm bored so hell, thought I'd throw a few crumbs to the trolls. There's been a lot of discussion about Dick's arrogant statement but that ain't been one of them. Even if he meant "no", why would he have used voice inflections to make it a questionable "So???"? Anyway, we're all impressed with what you "think" he meant.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:23 pmThere still appears to be a small percantage (29% or so?) who still cling to the delusion that Bush and his neocon handlers are actually "conservatives" or "Republican."
April 7th, 2008 at 11:23 pmIn the great tradition of "American Pie", I think DICK stuck it in Cokie. Was it just me, or did Cokie look embaressed that she just protected her Pillsberry dough boy....hmmm. Imagine that, DICKIE AND COKIE ....
April 7th, 2008 at 11:24 pmSeems to me that Lincoln paid a lot of attention to public opinion. Why do Bush & Cheney & Cokie & company think otherwise?
http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/Library/newsletter.asp?ID=124&CRLI=172
April 7th, 2008 at 11:24 pmAbove the Clouds Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
There still appears to be a small percantage (29% or so?) who still cling to the delusion that Bush and his neocon handlers are actually “conservatives” or “Republican.”
The sad thing is, to the Bush regime, the 29% is the voice and the rest are "fluctuating polls". I think they're going to start referring to the two thirds as the two bits.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:28 pmExley: THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. {These "fluctuations reveal a steady downward support of this war}Think about what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had paid attention to polls, if they had had polls during the Civil War. He never would have succeeded if he hadn’t had a clear objective, a vision for where he wanted to go, and he was willing to withstand the slings and arrows of the political wars in order to get there. And this President has been very courageous, very consistent, very determined {stupidly stubborn}to continue down the course we were on and to achieve our objective. And that’s victory in Iraq, that’s the establishment of a democracy where there’s never been a democracy, it’s the establishment of a regime that respects the rights and liberties of their people {while we dismantle the rights and liberties of the citizens of the U.S.}, as an ally for the United States in the war against terror,{which we have helped escalate with this invasion} and as a positive force for change in the Middle East.{Instability, death and destruction} That’s a huge accomplishment.”{and made ourselves and supporters piles of money!}
April 7th, 2008 at 11:37 pmIt's always difficult to speak about words we can't restore rightly. I would so much like to see people treating each other wîth esteem. It would come back to them in the same way.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:38 pmhttp://www.sikantis.net
impeachcheneythenbush Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Nicely done!
April 8th, 2008 at 12:07 amDon't get me wrong, I'd like to see Cheney impeached as much as the next guy. I just thought I'd play devil's advocate and point out that when you put "No." on the transcript (period instead of a comma), it makes it look like he answered flatly "No." to the question: "You don't care what the American people think?" I think his "no" was more in dismissal of her question before putting his own spin on it. He said, "No, I think, uh..." It's a subtle difference, but it's there. I suppose it doesn't matter since his answer is inherently the same either way, but looking at it typed out as "No." without hearing it makes it sound a lot more openly disdainful and Cheney would obviously be more devious than that on national TV.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:14 amChenney is a FACIST pig! I hope he gets the same end as his WWII facist counterpart, Musollini. His fat ungly body hanging upside down and ItalianS from around the country cueing up to spit on it! WAR CRIMINAL! TRAITOR (9/11)!
April 8th, 2008 at 1:06 amDespite the attempts by some to divert attention away from Cheney's callous, but predictable response, could any of his apologists please explain how his using the word "no", along with the verbiage that followed would differ in any meaningful way from the message conveyed by merely saying "no"?
April 8th, 2008 at 1:26 am.
Cokie brings new meaning to being Cheney's "Lap dog"!
.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:44 amI'm not trying to defend Cheney's remarks at all. All I'm saying is that, to be fair and impartial here, the correct way to quote him would be:
CHENEY: No...
Instead of:
CHENEY: No.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:46 am"Talking on and on after saying 'no' (without adding anything of substance) turns it into a 'yes' "
April 8th, 2008 at 2:09 am-Exley & johnross
Exley " victory " means for them , something the Bush Crime Family is too cowardly to admit , is a PERMANENT occupation , just as long as " anti-american" cleric Al Sadr or more accurately described , ANTI OCCUPATION Cleric , Al Sadr rolls over and allows a FOREIGN army to take control of his country. HIS COUNTRY . Not the draft dodging , war criminal Cheney , that didn't tell a single truth before the illegal invasion , not Bush (too cowardly to go to Nam ), yet says it should have gone on longer , none of your cohorts in DC . So you know what to do with your misleading propaganda .
We know what the accused war criminal Cheney said .
April 8th, 2008 at 2:22 amCokie Roberts has always been a disgrace to her profession. Her bias against Bill Clinton and her desire to see him impeached was disgusting to watch.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:47 amYou can disagree with Cheney, but it is reasonable to interpret his comment as 'if we want to accomplish objectives we have for Iraq, we should not let near term public opinion polls drive our policy.'
I'm not debating the applicability, only suggesting it's a reasonable interpretation of his comments.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:30 amPoll after poll after poll demonstrates that exactly the opposite is true. It's fine for Roberts to say that McCain is right and that we should stay in Iraq indefinitely and continue to occupy that country until we "win." That's an opinion. But to claim that public opinion is consistent with that view is just false.
Cokie is as bad as Brit Hume. The administration can do no wrong. It is truly tragic that news commentators have such a biased agenda, the pandering to Bush/McCain is sickening....retch retch
Will the lies never end..
April 8th, 2008 at 7:38 amYou can disagree with Cheney, but it is reasonable to interpret his comment as ‘if we want to accomplish objectives we have for Iraq, we should not let near term public opinion polls drive our policy.’
Since they've had the same attitude for five years about public opinion, "near term public opinion polls" must mean pretty much any polling whatsoever on the subject.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:55 amIt may come as a surprise to many of you, but this is NOT the first time Mr. Cheney has said this. I remember him saying it last year in January after President Ford's ceremony in Washington, on CNN to one of their reporters, I believe it was John King, who interviewed him. I happened to be visiting another city and it was on in my hotel room. I couldn't believe the media let him get away with that remark then.
This man clearly has no use for "that piece of paper" (The Constitution of the United States), and I don't know how even the most conservative republicans can support him. What they in their lust for power don't seem to get is the fact that General George Washington, his men, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and a lot of other men fought and died for the freedom's we once had.
I say, "once had" because the Constitution has been schreded by this administratin with the conscent of the Congress, both republicans and democrats. They site Ronald Reagan as their hero, but I can guarantee he's turning over in his grave about the power grab and abuse of power these guys have committed. I totally disagreed with almost all of President Reagan's policies, but I know he was a man of honor who believed deeply in the Constituion has would NEVER approve of the way it's been treat and abuse by the Bush/Cheney Regime.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:20 ambackup Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 6:30 am
There is NO way to interpret that entire transcript as anything other than, No I don’t care what the American people think… How the hell else would it be interpreted?
You can disagree with Cheney, but it is reasonable to interpret his comment as ‘if we want to accomplish objectives we have for Iraq, we should not let near term public opinion polls drive our policy.’
I’m not debating the applicability, only suggesting it’s a reasonable interpretation of his comments.
Based upon what ??????????????????
You need a positive public opinion when you're dealing with an all-volunteer army ; it will cease to exist in a negative enviroment.
And this illegal and idiotic invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation that most people now view as a colossal error to get involved with in the 1st place , is indeed under the category of needing the approval of the American public to have it continue ; regardless of what a power-hungry , chickenshit chickenhawk wants to say or claim .......
April 8th, 2008 at 8:53 amThe Shadow Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 8:20 am
"Men Of Honor" do not conduct illegal arms sales/deals without oversight .................Ronnie Retard was the beginning of the dumbing down of America and of the Chimpy administration ; he was absolute horseshit and a tremendous phony.......
April 8th, 2008 at 8:56 amCokie's a played out old beast.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:09 amKookie should keep in mind that God has a special place for fascists.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:06 amCokie Roberts is a well-bred blue-blood from Louisiana who's father was in government. She doesn't know better because she's been in a bubble all her life.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:16 amAmazing, I didn't even know she was still alive.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:17 amHonestly old people such as her from the 50s, and 60s should no longer be in news of office, their too racist.
And who cares if the quote is mangled? The meaning is absolutely CLEAR, you Whore of Babylon.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:17 amI can't hear the Cheney audio right now, but I'd have to know how he emphasises the "no." The reason is, if it's a normal "no," then Roberts is wrong. But if it's "no" as in: "No, I'm not saying their opinions don't matter, but I'm saying going along with the polls is wrong..." then it's a different story. I'll have to wait for audio.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:20 am