Time To Wipe That Egg Off Your Face DICK!! Pt.1

The past couple of weeks have not been kind to that beloved humanitarian, Dick Cheney. A couple of issues have come to light that have confirmed my belief that he is, and always has been, a cancer to our way of life. There are few, if any, figures in our country’s history that I detest more than Cheney. Much of my disdain for the sociopath began with his role in the Iraq War and his part in running Colin Powell out of town. Though Powell left of his own accord; it was Cheney’s deceitful nature that the General had grown tired of. As Secretary of State and the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Powell was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable in regard to military matters. Though originally a proponent of our invasion of Iraq; Powell quickly saw through the charade the Bush administration had employed as a justification for the invasion. As a man of honor; he simply could not be part of an administration that had used faulty intelligence and admitted forgeries as a means to con the American people and Congress. For those who disagree, I have but one question: How many of those pesky WMDs have we found?

Cheney’s secretive and deceitful nature can be traced back to 2001 when he headed an energy task force. Not surprisingly; this task force worked without any oversight and was secretive in its very existence. If ever there was a conflict of interest; this was it! From Howard Fineman’s THE THIRTEEN AMERICAN ARGUMENTS : “Earlier in that year of 2001, in one of the Bush administration’s first official acts, Cheney had convened a task force to study the country’s energy needs, and how to meet them. Its membership and meetings were shrouded in secrecy, but there was no hiding Cheney’s personal agenda, which he had brought with him from his job at the energy company Haliburton…” (I’m not done with Haliburton) While Cheney advocated, and eventually prevailed in his quest to deny the recently held right of individual states to deny the installation of gas, oil, or electrical lines; he purchased a $2.67 million dollar home in Maryland. Cheney’s home had a beautiful and completely unobstructed view of the Chesapeake Bay-no power lines blocking the VP’s view.

Let’s fast forward to 2003. While the White House is already under fire concerning the veracity of the administration’s reasons for entering the war in Iraq; Nobel Prize winning journalist Nicolas Kristof uncovered another case of deceit perpetuated by the Bush/Cheney dynamic duo. The alleged purchase of uranium from Niger by Iraq had been deemed to be bullshit. Worse yet; it was discovered that the documents used as evidence of these purchases had been forged by the CIA. Ooops!! No one expected the ever vigilant and sworn protector of our Constitution to take this lying down. From Scott McClellan’s (Bush’s Press Secretary) book WHAT HAPPENED: INSIDE THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE AND WASHINGTON'S CULTURE OF DECEIT : “The vice president, whose credibility and integrity were specifically being questioned (imagine that), and his office would take a leading role in these efforts, beginning in late May 2003…the vice president’s office quickly learned the identity of Kristof’s unnamed source. It was former ambassador Joseph Wilson, who’d been sent to Niger to investigate the uranium allegation in January 2002. Under the cloak of anonymity, the vice president and trusted aide Scooter Libby began an effort to discredit Wilson with selected journalists.” Apparently, the much ballyhooed “liberal media” was left out of the loop.

Both Fineman and McClellan shed some light on Cheney’s vulgar, pretentious, and arrogant “vision” for the Middle East. (I’m close to vomiting) From Fineman: “He (Bush) drew upon theories that had been offered to him in his earliest briefings, by Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney, and others. World peace, they advised him, required that Arab and Muslim nations be modernized and democratized. They had to be made, or at least reformed, to understand if not fully accept the Western idea of pluralism and secular democracy.” UNBELIEVABLE!! Many have stated that the Islamic world detested us long before the Bush regime assumed power and of that; I have no doubt. Iran alone has every reason to despise us considering the fact that their coup in 1953 was masterminded by, you guessed it, the CIA. Couple that with our support and the eventual granting asylum to that vile, sadistic piece of shit, The Shah; and I for one, don’t blame them. That being said; this attitude the Bush administration had concerning the entire Middle East did little to change their perception. Given the fact that Bush rarely went to the bathroom without first consulting Karl Rove or Cheney; his adoption of this Middle East approach was a given. From McClellan: “For Bush, removing the ‘grave and gathering danger’ that Iraq supposedly posed was primarily a means for achieving the far more grandiose objective of reshaping the Middle East as a region of peaceful democracies.” Is anyone else feeling ill?

I have dedicated too much time and effort into the history of Cheney’s propensity to be both secretive and full of shit; not to mention his sordid ideology. Because of this, I have chosen to make this into a two part article in the hope that I don’t bore you to tears. So, for those of you who are interested in reading more about the adventures of that great American after he left office; stop by tomorrow. Until then…

Cheney continues to dig a deeper hole

As if Dick Cheney hasn’t made a big enough ass of himself already by defending the torturous acts allowed during Bush’s tenure; he has decided to amplify his image by siding with Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell. Let me see if I have this correctly: He prefers to ally himself with an obnoxious political pundit who has never proposed an alternative agenda over a retired 4-Star General and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is important to note that Cheney and Powell have been at odds for years.

Limbaugh, once again, chose to play the race card stating that Powell endorsed President Obama purely on the fact that they both happen to be black (I can’t believe anyone takes this moron seriously). This is just another example of the ignorance exemplified by Rash every time he opens that big mouth of his. Powell has admitted to endorsing Obama but he insists he remains a member of the Republican Party. “He has described himself as a Republican and a right of center conservative, though not as right as others would like.” Ahhh-now I get it. By not adhering to Limbaugh’s neo-conservative ideology, he has betrayed the party. How dare Colin Powell strive for bipartisanship to help his country get out of the mess it is in?

Colin Powell was originally a proponent of the war in Iraq but became increasingly disgruntled with the handling of the war and the methods used to curb terrorism. Now what would a 4-Star General know about military affairs? Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld were all in agreement over the handling, or mishandling, of “suspected” terrorists. Powell, a soldier in every sense of the word, expressed his objection to these practices and eventually gave up his position of Secretary of State after GW’s first term. This opened the door for another Bush puppet, Condoleezza Rice who, like Cheney, continues to defend the horrid treatment advocated by the Bush administration. I believe her effectiveness was shown when she was stumped by a question asked by a 4th Grader!

In a CBS interview on Face the Nation, Cheney continued to defend said practices and demanded the release of CIA memos that allegedly show the successes attained by implementing torture as a means of interrogation. President Obama, along with his national security adviser retired Marine General James Jones; contend that these tapes prove nothing since no other means of interrogation were ever tried. Cheney went on to say that when Guantanamo Bay closes and these suspected terrorists are brought to US soil, the threat to national security will be drastically heightened. General Jones refuted that assertion as well. Cheney believes that allowing these prisoners rights in a fair trial is a bad precedent. OK!

Dick Cheney received 5 deferments when he became eligible for the draft during the Vietnam War. After flunking out of Yale, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wyoming. If you’re wondering where I’m going with this-here it comes. How does someone with absolutely no military experience become Secretary of Defense; as he did under the elder Bush? And what right does he have to challenge the views of the likes of Colin Powell and Gen. James Jones on issues of national security and military matters? While Limbaugh gets paid a handsome sum to spew his vile diatribes; Cheney appears to do it out of sheer arrogance. His defense of, and apparent alliance with Limbaugh prove to be just one more example of the trouble the GOP is in.

Rehashing the deceit of the Bush regime

The revelation of deceit perpetrated during the Bush regime is by no means an original concept. However, I have begun reading a book entitled WHAT HAPPENED by Scott McClellan, former Press Secretary for George W. Bush. McClellan has been criticized by both the right and left for choosing to reveal the inner workings of the Bush administration. The left is angry because he failed to speak out against these blatant deceptions earlier and the right simply views him as a turncoat. They contend that he wrote the book based on a lucrative offer by the publisher, Public Affairs, not because of any crisis of conscience. Regardless of his reason; his book soared to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Though I have only read a few chapters of WHAT HAPPENED, I find it to be both fascinating and appalling.

The author began as a true believer in George W. Bush and was honored to be a part of something he envisioned as the beginning of a historical change in American politics. Well; he had the historical aspect right. Unfortunately for McClellan, his Camelot-like perception was quickly and painfully crushed. “I believed in George W. Bush’s leadership and agenda for America, and had confidence in his authenticity, integrity, and judgement. But today the high hopes that accompanied the early days of his presidency have fallen back to earth.” It would be difficult to debate Bush’s authenticity but arguing about his integrity and judgement would be too easy.

The crux of McClellan’s opening chapters is the deceit practiced to justify the our entry into the war in Iraq. The role the CIA played in this is both criminal and expected. Bush based his reasoning for waging war on the threat of Iraqi nuclear capabilities and their attempt at furthering those capabilities. This was predicated on the discovery of Iraq’s interest in purchasing uranium, also known as yellowcake, from Niger. The fundamental problem with that is the fact that it never happened and the president and his lemmings were fully aware of that. Adding insult to injury; Mohamed ElBardari, the director general of the United Nations’ nuclear inspection and verification division, claimed that the allegations were anything but credible (nice job CIA) and there was “no evidence or plausible indication” that Iraq was involved in any form of a nuclear build-up. He issued this statement just days before Bush authorized the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I must confess that I consider that operational term to be somewhat ironic at this point.

I have always been of the opinion that Bush was/is either too ignorant or too arrogant to admit when he has mud on his face. Proof of that would be the interview in which he stated that he could not think of a single mistake he made as president. If he had simply called me; I could have helped him with that answer. To further exacerbate this problem was his statement that became known as “the sixteen words” in the inner circle of the White House. “The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” That’s it GW, blame it on the Brits! This alleged transaction was found in documents that were admittedly forged by the CIA! To encapsulate; Bush sent our young men and women off to fight a war based on a lie that he was fully aware of.

Much of the verification of this deception was credited to, at the time, an unnamed source. That source proved to be former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who had been sent to Africa in January of 2002 to investigate the collusion between Iraq and Niger. Once the source was revealed; Vice President Dick Cheney, who was concerned about his credibility (why would that be in question?), and his shadow Scooter Libby began a campaign of covertly attacking the veracity of Wilson. According to McClellan; Richard Armitage, Karl Rove, and McClellan’s predecessor, Ari Fleischer (I can’t imagine those shoes were difficult to fill) joined forces with Cheney and Libby in their attack on Wilson. The author went on to say that Bush himself aided this band of idiots with his handling of the documents pertaining to the yellowcake fiasco. What took place next is one of the most disgusting and diabolical things ever initiated by high ranking members of our government.

As a means of retaliation; the aforementioned group “anonymously” leaked the identity of Wilson’s wife to the press. Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, just happened to be a covert CIA operative. In their pathological zeal to avenge Wilson’s perceived betrayal, they jeopardized the life of a government official and the lives of anyone professionally affiliated with her. These vindictive bastards were responsible for decision and policy making for the most powerful nation in the world. For lack of a better phrase: I find that fact to be very, very scary. More to come…

National security and human rights; boundaries are required

While studying Criminal Justice in college, I recall writing a paper on the restrictions imposed on the law enforcement community by the 4th Amendment. For more on the 4th Amendment, go to www.lectlaw.com/def/f081.htm. That being said; the allowances given to former President Bush following the horrific events of 9/11, paved the way for him to make a mockery out of the Constitution. There is no doubt that extraordinary measures were called for. However, according to memos released, and soon to be released by Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr., unprecedented executive powers were granted.

When one man is given the power to disregard constitutional rights; accountability is no longer an issue. History has shown us that nothing positive results from such practices. Have we already forgotten the Iran-Contra Affair? When Bush and his closest followers chose to take advantage of these powers accorded to them; the 1st and 4th Amendments were ignored under the guise of national security.

According to Tim Ruthen of the L.A. Times, the Office of Legal Counsel which was headed by former Assistant Attorney General John Yoo, gave Bush the power to supersede these amendments. Among the actions this carte blanche approach provided for was the torture and illegal detention of many suspected terrorists. It also included the use of widespread domestic wiretapping without the need for a warrant. Among the original opponents of this were Jack Goldsmith, successor to John Yoo, and surprisingly Bush’s own Attorney General, John Ashcroft. What came as no surprise was the fact that Vice President Dick Cheney (shocker!) and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld were staunch supporters of this executive tyranny.

Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, has publicly accused Rumsfeld of being responsible for the Pentagon’s policy on torture. Author John Byrne has devoted an entire book to Rumsfeld’s actions and has expressed a desire for a formal prosecution. For more: www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/12/14. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Judiciary Committee Chairman, has begun a petition calling for the establishment of a Truth & Reconciliation Commission to investigate the alleged abuses during Bush’s tenure. “These abuses may include the use of torture, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary rendition, and executive override of laws.” There are many who feel that this is not enough; contending that war crimes were committed. This is a problem that is simply not going to go away.

Along with the other powers mentioned; the President also had the ability to approve treaties with other nations without the consent of Congress. This is an incredible amount of responsibility for a man of superior intelligence and decision making capabilities, never mind one of… Present Assistant Attorney General Steven Bradbury has stated that many of the allowances granted between 2001 and 2003 “should not be treated as authoritative for any purpose.” He went on to claim that the Department of Justice had conveniently withdrawn some of the more questionable memos. This, coupled with the allegation that nearly 100 tapes depicting torture inflicted on prisoners were destroyed by the C.I.A., has brought human rights issues to the forefront.

I have no doubt that certain provisions outlined in the Patriot Act were responsible for the disclosure of numerous terrorist cells. This undoubtedly resulted in the saving of countless American lives. My problem is with the authority one man was granted without the benefit of some oversight. Let’s remember; this was not Abraham Lincoln in office. Americans have been victims of terrible violations of human rights, such as the Bataan Death March in 1942, the abduction of American citizens in Iran in 1980, and more to the point, the abuse of American POWs during and after the Viet Nam War. We portray the image of defenders of human rights as evidenced by our intervention into such places as Bosnia and Somalia.

My hope is that the fallout from these allegations and investigations do not permanently scar our image. Like all Americans, I was outraged watching the planes crash into the towers and called for immediate retribution. But have we gone too far? Only time will tell and personally, I am fearful of what may be uncovered.