1. AdamG | 05.11.09

I’m not going to debate the effectiveness of these tactics, as I have no idea what was done and how effective the tactics were. I do know that they were technically illegal according to the Geneva convention, and that by using them along with the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, we distanced ourselves from the international community - and that surely made us less safe.

I also believe that Cheney is speaking from his heart, as a true believer in these methods. While that may be one motivation, another would be avoiding prosecution.

2. Bob | 05.11.09

If he loves this country so much, why did he avoid defending America during the Vietnam War? Why attach Colin Powell, a decorated war veteran among many other unquestionable accomplishments? Why promote the oil industry so much? To the point where he and his buddy CEO’s are rolling in hundreds of millions in paper profits, at the middle classes expense? The answer is because he loves America, but despises most Americans.

3. @mthinker | 05.11.09

Rush’s arguments are a (surprise!) strawman. Of Course Cheney’s not in it for money or interns–he’s in it for his legacy. History will devastate him if we don’t have another attack soon. Winners write history and he is in a very bad position now. Just like Rush-and many liberals during the Bush admin–He is hoping for disaster so his policies and ideologies will be vindicated. As it stands, he is a selfish, frightened, and discredited intellect.

4. Alvy Singer | 05.11.09

Cheney is not motivated by money or interns but for saving what is left of his rotting legacy.

Powell, no matter what his party, has served his country as a soldier and a statesman. Cheney deferred his enlistment and went on to nearly destroy this country he supposedly loves.

What is most despicable about Cheney is that with all his talk of the country being “less safe” he apparently is setting himself up as a prophet if — and God help us such a thing would happen again — a terrorist attack occurs on American soil. You can bet Cheney will be the first one on Face the Nation with his crooked grin and his cold heart, saying, “See? Did I not warn you all?”

Can you imagine any human being setting himself up for such an occurrence. It is shameful. Ignominious.

5. Philip S | 05.11.09

Since when does anybody pay attention to well known gas bag drug addicts?
Marion Barry has no business lecturing anybody on morality.
And in this case, Rush Limbaugh, another drug addict, is the last person anybody possessed of reason would seek out for opinion. Rush Limbaugh is certainly the LAST person on earth qualified to psychoanalyze ANYBODY.
NOBODY who associates themselves with Christians has any business supporting torture.
Who Would Jesus Waterboard?

6. Philip S. | 05.11.09

Oh yes, Rush’s attempt to mindlessly link the subject of Torture and Cheney to President Clinton’s indiscretion makes all the same logic as mentioning Eisenhower’s. It is clearly a desperate attempt to toss unrelated smears to muddy the water. If he believes that somehow THAT response is in any measure a reasonable counter to Cheney and Torture, it is successful only with his syncophant lock step drone followers.

7. Thomas | 05.11.09

Indeed - he doesn’t need the money after all the money he made at Halliburton which makes money off of men and women who actually serve in the Armed Forces. Dick “5 Deferment” Cheney didn’t quite figure out how to serve in the Armed Forces.

Another surprise, “5 Deferment” Cheney prefers no-serving blow-hard Limbaugh over a highly decorated military man.

Boy, Dick sure makes me proud to be American!

8. smokehouse | 05.11.09

The slobbering liberals are useless Americans. Just what good are they? Just take a look at the morons on this trackbacks.

9. Don | 05.11.09

It doesn’t matter to me what defenses torture enthusiasts come up with. Reason or legality matter little to me when it comes to torture. It’s a dishonorable practice promoted and condoned by dishonorable people.

10. Vic Winkler | 05.11.09

I would say that Cheney had more nuance in his answer than is evident in the transcript.

However, it is not a positive situation for the nation or for the Republican party for so many highlevel Republicans to believe that Rush Limbaugh has more to offer the Republican party or America than General and Secretary Powell.

At this point in time, there is no reason in the Republican party — only a to-the-death-grip on right wing extremist beliefs. That’s not the Republican party of Lincoln, or of the years before the 1990’s. Once upon a time, if you said you were a Republican there was a lot of room to further define exactly what you meant. Not today, you are either a Conservative Republican or you are derisively referred to as a RINO.

This is not a strategy for long term success!

11. TSS | 05.11.09

To all you gasbag posters who have the audacity to denigrate a man like Dick Cheney who served this country for the last 40 years in positions that make you small people a mere pimple on his rear-end, may I say that when we do get hit again, AND WE WILL, I hope you don’t realize the error of your judgements while rising up on a mushroom cloud.
There are serious people who want to kill us, ALL OF US. Cheney spent a lot of sleepless nights protecting your rear ends. You ungratefuls shoud be ashamed of your attitudes.

12. dj | 05.11.09

“he is toxic and despised by the drive-by media and the Democrat party and the left in this country.” Nice math, Rush. He had an approval rating in the 20% range when he left! Maybe just a few other people didn’t care for him either.

13. Stephen | 05.11.09

He’s motivated by the fact that his former boss didn’t give him a pardon before he left office. Now he’s got to find a way to release evidence he wants to keep him from getting convicted of war crimes. That’s the reason he’s doing these interviews every week “asking” for the release of top secret memos that supposedly will clear his name.

Given Cheney’s documented CYA mentality, he likely doctored up those memos himself for insurance if he didn’t get his pardon.

14. PJ Finnerty | 05.11.09

Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh both avoided service to their country during the Viet Nam era. This is not true of Colin Powell.

15. Ang | 05.11.09

I see many attacking Cheney because “Cheney prefers no-serving blow-hard Limbaugh over a highly decorated military man.” Isn’t that EXACTLY what America did when they elected a weenie like obama over Sen. John McCain who has done more for his country than everyone on this board put together? Even Hillary said, “I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Sen. John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he’d bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.”

16. eddieo | 05.12.09

We defined the crimes committed by Bush and Cheney as Crimes Against Humanity. We were the first to prosecute - and execute - people for committing these crimes. To not prosecute is yet another violation of international law.

I urge Americans of all political stripes to demand that their representatives move forward with prosecution. To not do so makes us all complicit in these highest of all crimes.

17. Jacob | 05.12.09

“Is it possible that Dick Cheney is motivated by love of and for his country?”

Is it possible that Adolf Hitler was motivated by love of and for HIS country?

18. Bill Badman | 05.12.09

What a joke. All you libererals are only attacking normal Americans day and night. We are not going to any tea-bagging parties, we are going to Tea Party you all out of office. Tax and Spend demoncrats, you will soon be on your way.

So insult and call us what you want. We will take our America back soon! Bill Badman

19. nova | 05.12.09

There should be a law that talk show hosts (especially those who impact 5 million or more listeners) have passed a basic critical thinking test,and/or have a college degee. But in Rush’s case it should be basic literacy.

20. Wayne Altman | 05.12.09

I did not know that only those who have served this country in a military capacity could have opinions… I love the idea!!! Ooops that would make many of you ineligible though…
Oh well no loss, let those of us that have served give the opinions on the subject of water boarding. I am confident it would be STANDARD practice for every idiot with a C-4 vest, and detonator.
Dick Cheney has served this country for longer than most of you have been on this planet. He has earned the right to have his opinion, what have YOU done?
You act as if making money was a crime too. That is the biggest problem with the U.S. right now. Too many of you concerned with keeping your jobs, and not with CREATING jobs. How about you spend less time pontificating on who did or did not serve, and more time creating wealth for yourselves, and others?

21. alex | 05.12.09

Patriotism and love your country have a lot of meaning…Not only by going to war to protect and defend the country. Patriotism and love your country, is by helping your own citizens in time of needs, job security, health care. If our citizens do not have job security, health care and good eduction, who are there to protect, defend and make our nation prospering. Prosperity is the strength of the nation. If Dick Cheney so love his country so much, he would not deferred so many times for his duty during Vietnam War. Because of GW and DC war, we lost our credability around the world. So much of that…

22. tyrone.sweetlick | 05.12.09

Whether he loves his country or not doesn’t make him correct. There are plenty of people out there who love their country and make mistake after mistake.

I’m not against Tricky Dick having an opinion, however I think he is given a pass by many simply because of his position and self-confidence. If he didn’t speak so snidely, I would think he is merely an arrogant teenager. Instead, he sounds like a bitter old man determined to insult everyone who doesn’t agree with him any more, which seems to be more and more people. Get off my lawn!

23. Claire N. | 05.12.09

Cheney will *always* have political aspirations. This is simply the next stage. Clearly, a person does not have to be an elected official to be involved in politics.

As far as the claim that he “served” his country, I’d suggest that being a partisan appointee under Nixon, Ford and Reagan hardly qualifies as “service.” His job, under those administrations, was to look out for the best interest of the president, NOT the country or the American people. And ultimately, his allegiance was to himself.

I also feel compelled to point out that the only posts on this forum that launch personal attacks are those addressing democrats and/or liberals. The right has been in control of either the executive or the legislative branch OR BOTH for all but four of the past 30 years. Four months out of power and all we hear from the right is “liberals are bullies! We’re the victims!” It makes me want to beat my head against a wall.

24. AdamG | 05.12.09

TSS - If Cheney is so noble and should be revered, why is he coming out with the truth now? The Bush Administration was asked about torture countless times, they deferred the press’ inquests. Now, for some reason, he’s told us that President Bush and himself signed off on the program in order to save lives. It would have been noble to take responsibility during his tenure.

Ang - Military Service is not a prerequisite for the Presidency. Cheney threw Colin Powell under the bus, he didn’t just not elect him.

Bill - We’ve had eight years of taxing and spending, where have you been?

Wayne - Everyone has a right to their opinion. You’re right, money isn’t a crime, but using a position in government for one’s own monetary gain is deplorable at best and illegal at worst. The war was run by Halliburton and KBR, who overcharge the government billions of dollars.

Finally, the US was attacked on September 11th, 2001 - on Cheney’s watch. Yes the US will probably be attacked again, but anyone could predict that. Cheney isn’t passing on intelligence to the new administration, counseling them or making an appeal to the American Public. He’s simply criticizing new tactics and shifting the blame onto the Obama Administration in case something bad goes down.

25. Bob | 05.12.09

Cheney has primarily served himself, not his country. He parlayed his talent for politics into positions of power and enrichment. Exactly what has he done for his country? He collected a $200,000+ paycheck for eight years (chump change for him), and all we have to show for it is a ruined economy, record profits for Halliburton and Americans who hate each other more than ever. At least the Iraqi’s are “free”. Thanks Dick.

26. JP | 05.12.09

Claire, good point. The only ones hurling personal attacks against other people commenting are the Rush/Cheney supporters. This is not surprising. If you can stand to listen to Rush for any amount of time, you’ll notice that he just labels everyone who doesn’t agree with him as “liberals” and proceeds to bash the character and integrity of this so-named group. Classic logical fallacy. And Cheney? ‘Nuff said about him - classic chickenhawk who was way more bent on pursuing an extreme ideological agenda (look up Project for a New American Century) than serving the interests of the people. He’s a truly scary individual and I don’t know why the media keeps giving him a mouthpiece.

27. Jan | 05.12.09

I used to love Colin Powell! Yes, he was a great General, but now he has shown his true colors. Do people forget he helped get us into the war in Iraq as Sec of State and with his speech at the UN. Then, like a rat he jumped overboard! I thought the captain was suppose to be the last one to leave the Ship of State! Absolutely no honor in what he’s done …he’s more about defending his race now than his country. What do they call that — an opportunist?

28. Simplicio T. Soriao | 05.12.09

I see the ultimate patriot in Dick Cheney.

Devoid of personal interest, he is not one who will cave in at the first sign of disaster; nor will he be the one to compromise principles at the expense of weakening the security of this nation.

He is the true Republican.

29. tdub | 05.12.09

What the grand windbag Limbaugh leaves out in his statement, “…he (Cheney) knows that he is toxic and despised by the drive-by media and the Democrat party and the left in this country..”

Left out is the fact that Cheney would be lucky to break the 20% figure of Americans who agree with him. Instead of continuing to lie to the public in his media-whore tour ‘09, how about retiring to put his lies down in print for those willing to lap the lies up, for a cost.

His “lone patriotic voice of reason in the wilderness” bit is frankly, pathetic and testamant to this guy’s bloated ego and arrogance.

30. Justin | 05.12.09

I want to expand on what JP said, something not mentioned by anyone else on this thread: we should be pressuring and excoriating the media for allowing Dick Cheney to continue fearmongering on national television. That a man who tanked the country in a mire of wasted **** should not only be allowed air-time, but be deferred to, encouraged to soliloquy uncontested, and awarded more air-time for his “troubles”, is truly disturbing. I recognize that the media is a profit machine, but still you’d think that these shameless idiots would show some respect to the American people and keep this war criminal out of the media. What’s next, “CNN’s The Economy with Don Rumsfeld”? “The Oliver North Show”?, “Stocks and Bonds with the Deposed Board of Enron”? I think we should demand that Cheney is excommunicated, censured, and sent to a remote underground location to either rot to death or await his prosecution for war crimes. Freedom of speech or not, it’s shameless, get this monster out of the media. Oh, and send Karl Rove with him.

31. Anthony | 05.12.09

another racist claims that Powell supports Obama because of race. When Christopher Buckley, the son of William F. Buckley endorsed Obama did any right-wingers claim it was because of race? No. A number of prominent republicans publicly endorsed Barack Obama. Only General Powell, the black man, is accused of doing so because of race. That is the textbook definition of racism. Racists are alive and well, and quite active in the far right wing of the Republican party.

32. Wade | 05.12.09

Why is it that we can all agree that Adolph Hitler was a paranoid and psychotic, but we simply won’t accept that Dick Cheney is cut from the very same cloth? Why do we continue to rationalize Cheney’s behaviors or pretend that they are any other than the continuation of a life-long pattern of selfish and manipulative actions designed to accumulate and hold onto power? Obviously, 87 percent of Americans know the real Dick Cheney and don’t need to “understand” what motivates him, because they already know.

33. Ace King | 05.12.09

How interesting that Cheney wants Obama to release proof of how the torture protected us, yet two years ago he fought against the very same release because doing so would endanger our sources and methods. Which is it, mister former Vice-President?

34. Homunculis | 05.13.09

I’m thankful for Cheneys service. And doubly thankful that he is proactive in speaking his mind on rollback of policies that have kept this nation safe.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Al Quida and the Taliban are NOT covered by the Geneva conventions. Our ‘enhanced’ interrogation methods where NOT torture. America HAS been kept safe by preemptive and proactive methods put in place by Bush/Cheney, and we ARE seeing rollback. Those are the FACTS, and not the prismatic opinions that seem so popular in this forum.

35. J. Bridy | 05.13.09

Will someone in the media please ask former VP Dick Cheney on live television why the North American Air Defense Command or NORAD did not protect Americans and maintain control of American air space on the morning of 9/11? This question is directed at the time when the commercial aircraft were clearly flying wildly off of the flight path they were authorized to maintain on pain of interception by armed military aircraft under NORAD’s standing and standard operating procedures? Why were NO NORAD aircraft scrambled during the entire 2 to 3 hour period of the televised attack, when they could have prevented the final run of at least three of the aircraft, the second plane in NYC and the one that crashed in Pennsylvania and the attack on Washington, DC? Please also ask Mr. Cheney what he knew about unusual war games that were scheduled for NORAD on that day and why were NONE of these defective operations investigated or procedural facts verified by the Bush Administration, The Air Force, the Joint Chiefs, the FBI, the FAA or the NTSB. Ask Mr. Cheney if any other forensic reports of NORAD’s de facto standing down on 9/11 were begun, completed, delivered or published? Nor was the government’s and NORAD’s lack of protective and defensive actions questioned by the American press at that time. Neither was NORAD’s failures extensively covered in the official bipartisan 9/11 Commission’s Report. Ask Mr. Cheney what official or unofficial role he played in NORAD’s operation on that fateful day in September, 2001. It has been reported that Mr.Cheney was in direct control of NORAD at the time of the attack.

36. Wade | 05.13.09

Actually, “Homunculis,” every single one of the “facts” you cite are not facts at all, save for your being entitled to you opinion. I’ll give you that.

“Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety, are deserving of neither.” –Benjamin Franklin

37. steve | 05.13.09

If someone were waterboarding US soldiers, beating them, dogpiling them naked, accusing them of crimes without evidence, subjecting them to rendition, killing them, we would and should be outraged. WE would appeal to the world’s courts. We tortured, period. It is specifically noted in two treaties that we signed. What else is there?
And if you have any doubt as to whether it is wrong or not, in every instance insert the thought of an American serviceman undergoing this same treatment and think of what your feelings would be then.

38. sos | 05.13.09

What goes around comes around.
It is Cheney’s turn to face the music.
It is Limbaugh’s turn to face himself.
All the mudslingers will have it return in their faces.
Some call it karma.
Some call it the law of the harvest (you reap what you sow).

Be careful what you say and how you say it.
You are inevitably pronouncing your own judgment.

39. Owen | 05.18.09

Simplicio T. Soriao said:

“I see the ultimate patriot in Dick Cheney.

Devoid of personal interest, he is not one who will cave in at the first sign of disaster; nor will he be the one to compromise principles at the expense of weakening the security of this nation.

He is the true Republican.”

FACT:
Cheney retired from Halliburton during the 2000 U.S. presidential election campaign with a severance package worth $36 MILLION. As of 2004, he had received $398,548 in deferred compensation from Halliburton WHILE Vice President.

Cheney is “Devoid of personal interest”? Simplicio, you certainly live up to your name!

Richard Bruce Cheney is a criminal and a war profiteer of the worst variety.

Cheney personally lied us into the Iraq War fiasco, and is personally responsible for the deaths of nearly 5,000 American Soldiers–men who did not have “other priorities”, unlike Mr. Cheney who requested, and received FIVE deferments during Viet Nam.

Yet Mr. Cheney has the audacity to disrespect a true patriot, General Colin Powell, who honorably served our country, nobly fell on his sword when forced to do so by Mr. Cheney, and now wants to tell the truth about how he was merely a pawn in the Neocon’s War for Profit.

“He [Cheney] is the true Republican.” Now that IS true, and a very astute observation from such a Simplicio person!

If chosing to respect and follow Rush Limbaugh and Richard Bruce Cheney, rather than General Colin Powell makes one a “true Republican”, then I suggest that the “true Republicans” get ready for a long, cold future as the completely marginalized Party of No.

You 21% dead-enders that currently support the American Taliban can rant on AM radio as loud as you want. You had your time in the sun, and now you can return to your dark, dank caves and “tea-bag” amongst yourself until some Neocon comes up with a Project for a New American Century sometime in the 23 century in another desperate attempt to bring about the “End Times”