As predicted, Dick Cheney is using his CNN appearance and using CNN's host, John King, to bash the Obama administration. CNN had promised to keep the Obama administration "honest" during pre-inauguration advertising. I found that almost hysterical since CNN never kept the Bush administration honest -- especially when John King was their gung-ho White House reporter. And, King and Cheney go way back as he points out in his CNN bio:
King also contributed to CNN's Emmy-winning 2006 mid-term election coverage as well as to coverage of the 2004 presidential race, the Iraq War, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the tax-cut debates of 2001and 2003 and the war on terrorism. In 2006, he reported an hour-long special on executive authority, "Power Play." He has conducted one-on-one interviews with an array of senior officials, including President George W. Bush, first lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.One should never expect much from John King when it comes to holding anyone from the Bush-Cheney administration accountable. That's why Cheney is on CNN with John King today. From the early reports CNN is already pushing out in advance of the broadcast, Cheney is on an Obama-bashing mission:
King traveled with Cheney to the Middle East in March 2002 as the administration began to build support for confronting Saddam Hussein.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney told CNN's John King Sunday that he believed President Obama's decision to eliminate the use of many of the most controversial interrogation practices used under the former administration had put the country at risk.Actually, it's probably good for Obama to have Cheney attack him. Cheney and George Bush are responsible for the massive financial mess Obama inherited. Having Cheney out there talking -- and putting his face in front of the American people again -- just reminds us of that.
Asked whether he thought those moves had made the United States less safe, Cheney said he did. "I think those programs were absolutely essential to the success we enjoy, of being able to collect the intelligence that let us defeat all further attempts to launch attacks against the United States since 9/11," he said on State of the Union. "I think it's a great success story. It was done legally, it was done in accordance with our constitutional practices and principles…"
Obama campaigned against those practices, said Cheney, "and now he's making some choices that in my mind will raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
Last time Cheney reared his ugly head was when he announced his endorsement of McCain. Obama had a lot of fun with that:
I hope Team Obama has his much fun with Cheney's latest appearance.
