Last Monday, at a screening of Ron Howard’s new film “Frost/Nixon,” Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace vociferously defended President Bush against criticism by Howard that Bush has abused the office of the presidency in a way similar to President Richard Nixon. “Richard Nixon’s crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain,” said Wallace. Wallace claimed that it was a “gross misreading of history” to say that Bush abused his power “for pure political self preservation” like Nixon did.
Appearing on Mike Gallagher’s radio show today, Wallace revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney personally thanked him at his holiday party last night:
WALLACE: Let me ask you this, did the Vice President say to you, “thank you so much for defending the president and yes I’m going to be giving you a special exit interview in a couple of weeks?”
GALLAGHER: Did he say all that to you?
WALLACE: Yes.
Later in the interview, Wallace said that “a bunch of people” at Cheney’s party thanked him for his comments. “Cheney was genuinely grateful for what I had done, and Ed Gillespie, the senior counselor to the president, was there and genuinely grateful.” Listen to it here:
As ThinkProgress noted earlier this week, the Bush White House did in fact abuse its power for political gain and to maintain control of the government. Beyond politicizing many federal agencies, the Bush team also outed an undercover CIA agent in order to punish a critic and fired nine U.S. attorneys for political reasons.
sweet jeebus, sounds like this "special exit interview" is going to come with a "happy ending" from cheney. wonder if he'll pop his teeth out
December 5th, 2008 at 4:14 pmSo, Chris Wallace and not Meet the Press is Cheney's "Go To" Guy now?
December 5th, 2008 at 4:15 pmCheney also promised Chris that he would allow Chris to give him a personal handjob at the VP's residence.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:15 pmCheney'll even furnish the KY and the kneepads...
December 5th, 2008 at 4:17 pmLibertyLover Says:
December 5th, 2008 at 4:18 pmSo, Chris Wallace and not Meet the Press is Cheney’s “Go To” Guy now?
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Oh no, FUX is Cheney's favorite propaganda mouthpiece. Didn't you hear that one of his demands when he travels is that his hotel room TV must always be on and with FUX Noize on. I believe Sean Insanity works part time as Cheney's pool boy.
Glad to see that ol' Chris W is still "Fair and Balanced". Would be a shame to have Faux change horses now.
AssKlowns!
December 5th, 2008 at 4:18 pmHeh...this news will make Sean Insanity very angry and jealous
December 5th, 2008 at 4:20 pmSo, is Wallace admitting that Bush abused his power, possibly for some different reason? Will Wallace ask Cheney about his own abuses of power (his personal, illegal classification system; his refusal to cooperate with police investigating his shooting of a 78-year-old man in the face; his calling in Congressional Republicans to lie straight to their faces about the dangers this country faces in order to support an illegal war)?
These people do not believe in a constitutional form of government. They simply don't. They actually believe that the president's powers are unlimited.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:23 pm(Rinnnngggg...)
"Chris? Yeah, it's Dick... Dick Cheney... remember, from the Christmas party? Right, about that exit interview, something's come up, can we reschedule? I'll have to move it up a week, say next Friday? Great, lets' meet at the Burj Al Arab, in the lounge. Huh? Where? It's in Dubai... DUBAI! Listen, I gotta run..."
December 5th, 2008 at 4:24 pmWallace was invited to Cheney's party? Wonder if Olbermann and Maddow were as well...
And again I'll ask, who the hell paid for this party? If it was the taxpayers, we want our phucking money back!
BTW, my son checked out the Guinness Book of World Records from his school library this week, and had to show me one entry that "will make you really mad, Mom." It was "most money spent on an inauguration, $40 million. Any guesses who that was?
PEACE
December 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pmIf dick cheney is 'genuinely grateful' for something you've done, you know you've sold your soul and there's no going back.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:30 pm.
Can we just agree that mainstream media driven journalism in the 21st Century is now more about loyalism to an Administration than it is about critical independent thinking and rationalizing?
.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pmIt is so hilarious to see what is probably the most political administration in the history of this country trying to redefine itself in the eleventh hour. Your place in history is secure Mr. Bush, worst ... President ... ever.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pmThank you TP for the reminder that even if he looks sort of like a journalist compared to the collection of knuckle draggers and mossbacks at Fox "News" Chris Wallace is still just a hard core winger sucking up to the oil gangsters and war profiteers once again.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pm“Richard Nixon’s crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain,”
And Bush's crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political party's gain and for the financial gain of himself and his friends.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pmBeing THANKED by an administration for defending them, when the real purpose of the media is suposed to be watchdogs of power, would EMBARASS any real journalist. Chris clearly doesnt qualify. His father would have burned his office down had a VP said that to him.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
“Richard Nixon’s crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain,”
And Bush’s crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political party’s gain and for the financial gain of himself and his friends.
"Your honor, I robbed that 7-11 because my family had no food. But that guy robbed the Plaid Pantry because he is a sneaky crook and he spent the money on booze and broads. Throw the book at him!"
Maybe if someone mugged Chris Wallace and then explained that it wasn't for a selfish reason, he might see things differently.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:43 pmDid Hannity and Billo have to do a best out of three of rock, paper, scissors for the fluffing privileges?
December 5th, 2008 at 4:44 pmOK, I'm jaded enough to realize that sometimes interviews are given out for rewards.
But since when has the process become so open thta they don't even try to cover it up ?
December 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pmPoor Mike Wallace. He must be turning over in his grave. And he ain't even dead....
December 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pmSo a "buncha other people" at Cheney's party thanked Wallace too. There is only one thing you could possibly say about this crowd. They are traitors to this country and to the U.S. Constitution.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:50 pmI've heard of children trying to escape their parents' shadow.
I just haven't seen one dig a hole to burrow deeper into the shadow's depths.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:58 pmWhile we're throwing out our politicians, we need to flush some "journalists."
December 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pmIs it just me, or is Chris Wallace a fruit? I mean, you gotta ask yourself, why does Faux News have all these wussy-looking pukes working for them?
December 5th, 2008 at 5:04 pmZooey
I'd start with whomever calls themselves the head of CBS News and start chopping away.
Cancer is an important topic, I just don't need Katie Couric making it a centerpiece of the telecast every third night.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:05 pmThat must have been one rocking party. And Chris Wallace went home with the door prize! An exit interview with Cheney. I'm sure Chris will hit Cheney with some tough questions that will really clarify Cheney's role over the past decade or so...
December 5th, 2008 at 5:08 pmThat nose of his fits quite snugly in Cheney's a$s crack...
...brown nosing, brown shirt.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:09 pm“Richard Nixon’s crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain,” said Wallace.
Wrong.
Nixon, like Bush and Iraq, believed he, and only he, could lead America out of Vietnam. It wasn't done for personal political gain. He truly believed the country would be destroyed, if another politician were in his place. And that went for republicans as well, like George Romney, Lyndsey, and Rockefeller.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:09 pmYep, there's how you know you're not even remotely a "journalist."
December 5th, 2008 at 5:11 pm16. EugeneDebs Says:
Being THANKED by an administration for defending them, when the real purpose of the media is suposed to be watchdogs of power, would EMBARRASS any real journalist. Chris clearly doesn't qualify. His father would have burned his office down had a VP said that to him.
Virtue is not hereditary.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:19 pm~ Thomas Paine
"Bush: Laura and I gave up entertaining because of the Iraq war."
Yeah, like George gave up golf because of the Iraq war or he gave up booze and blow because of the Iraq War. On and on.. The clown President is still trying to look for a legacy to leave behind when the fact that his entire 8 years as the stolen Presidency-in-Chief was nothing but a sham built on lies and greed. Nice try George. The American people are finished with you.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pmthis the very problem:
December 5th, 2008 at 5:27 pmYou can be a Guest at the Party
or
You can be a jouranlist
You canNOT be both -- at least not effectively.
This is exaclty why Blogs and Comedy Central have become the main info source for so many Americans.
chris, we left a little something for you on the table next to the bed. buy yourself something REAL nice!
December 5th, 2008 at 5:43 pmCould Chris Wallace possibly be more obsequious than the other exit interviewers so far? Tough competition there.
December 5th, 2008 at 6:04 pmScrew Wallace... and if you think Cheney is going to tell the truth.... you had better review the last 8 years
December 5th, 2008 at 6:43 pmWhat, no kiss?
December 5th, 2008 at 6:55 pmOn behalf of my country, Mr. Wallace, I'd like to say F&%# you with a giant Saguaro Giant Cactus.
Also, I'll be happy to bring a waterboard for your exit interview with the vice crook. You should take turns using it on each other.
I flipped a long time ago. Maybe, now, the rest of the nation will.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:28 pmI'm gonna DVR this interview and tuck it away. On the day I hear that Dickles clutched his chest, said "Rumph!" and fell sideways out of his chair, I'm gonna mix my absolute BEST gin martini and watch it through. It won't be soon enough for this bastard of bastards.
December 5th, 2008 at 8:57 pmMemo to Wallace: no one wants to hear from Cheney, ever again.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:08 pmHey Chris,
December 5th, 2008 at 9:53 pmWhy haven't had anymore terror alerts. Oh, that was just for previous elections. Even Tom Ridge couldn't understand why there were so many alerts.
Wallace is a disgrace. To say that bush didn't abuse his office for political gain, ignores the Federal Attorney scandal, among other things.
December 6th, 2008 at 12:33 amBut, hey, this is the right wing, rushpublican crowd that lies to serve its bankrupt politics of dominance, oppression and greed.
Wallace is the worse example of a complicit media during these horrible years of the Bush Administration. His pandering and loyal pundit logic has made him a caricature in the eyes of many Americans. He has remained true to the end, one can only hope that the future casts these spinners of distortion and apologist of lies for the pathetic journalists that they claim to be.
December 6th, 2008 at 4:12 amHistory will site Wallace as an example of the propaganda machine that whole heartedly remained loyal to the Bush Administration and the GOP without regard to the complete truth, and many a time without regard to the truth at all.
Revionists like Wallace are not fooling many if not most Americans. Their days as journalists should come to end right along with this adminsitration; or hopefully soon.
Let's face it; we, the American People, are being played for the suckers we are, and Wallace knows who butters his bread. I would have said this kind of abuse was not possible in our democracy, but I over estimated the integrity and grit of my countrymen and their willingness to stand up to raw authority.
I understand now what the Bush crowd allways knew; if it came to having to defend ourselves against this government, most of those loudest outspoken gun rights freaks would die hidden in their closets with their guns locked and loaded, and never fired!
Blame Bush and Chenney if it makes you feel better, but the fact of the matter is that most of you, like Wallace, are a bunch of cowards who are all too willing to bend a knee to raw authority, especially for personal gain! Enough said.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:15 am