Cheney: I was wrong about the insurgency

[dswoodley]

I guess that new pacemaker kicked-in...then I read the whole article.

Source (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/07/31/cheney_i_was_wrong_about_insurgency/2492/)

WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney Tuesday admitted he was wrong when he declared the Iraq insurgency virtually over in 2005.

In an interview with CNN's Larry King, Cheney said he thought at the time the capture of Saddam Hussein, elections and other milestones would be enough to undermine the insurgency.

"That clearly didn't happen," Cheney admitted. "I think the insurgency turned out to be more robust."

Cheney predicted, however, Iraq will be in a much better position by the time he and U.S. President George Bush leave office Jan. 20, 2009.

The vice president said he is opposed to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, saying, "you need to have someplace to hold those individuals who have been captured during the global war on terror."

Cheney also told CNN he doesn't care about whether he's well-liked and doesn't bear any grudges against Brent Scowcroft, who has said, "This is not the Dick Cheney I knew."

"If I were in the business to be popular, I suppose I'd be worried about my poll ratings and so forth. I'm not," said Cheney, adding he has no plans ever to run for office or seek another government post again. "I came here to do a job. I'm not running for any office, myself."

Cheney repeated in the CNN interview his assertion that the vice president is part of both the executive and legislative branches of government -- noting his paycheck comes from the Senate.

[killr_b]

Sounds like we should bring back voting on who the vice pres will be.

[Macky-Mac]

hardly the first time Cheney was wrong about something in Iraq......indeed, has he been right about anything?

[leekohler]

Yeah- he's there to do a job! :rolleyes: That job clearly isn't the vice presidency of the US. That job looks to be more like vice presidency of Halliburton. I think he's confused as to who he supposed to be serving.

[hulugu]

Cheney repeated in the CNN interview his assertion that the vice president is part of both the executive and legislative branches of government -- noting his paycheck comes from the Senate.

:eek:

No, actually your paycheck comes from my taxes jack***, so maybe you could stop trying to rewrite the Consitution and maybe get your head around a situation that you clearly know nothing about. :mad:

[hulugu]

hardly the first time Cheney was wrong about something in Iraq......indeed, has he been right about anything?

His stock portfolio.

[pseudobrit]

"If I were in the business to be popular, I suppose I'd be worried about my poll ratings and so forth. I'm not,"

No, you're in the business of running the country. A job at which you suck even more than being popular.

I love how in bizarro world, being massively unpopular is a virtue directly proportional to your unappreciated prescience.

[Maui]

"I came here to do a job."


Yah, Dick, and as near as we can tell, that job is to be wrong about pretty much everything. Do you remember saying "we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators"?

[steamboat26]

How can an elected official not care about his approval rating? Granted, it's too late to get rid of him now, and he won't be in politics (at least directly) after Bush leaves office, but wouldn't an elected official want to serve his country, thereby improving his rating?
And yes i know we are talking about Cheney, who probably doesn't care about anything except money, but i still feel, even as heartless and evil as he is, he should still care about what the American people think of him.

[solvs]

How can an elected official not care about his approval rating?

As you implied, he isn't running for anything and will be out of office soon. Plus, with an ineffectual opposition stymied by his cohorts, he can get away with it. He doesn't really care what you think, as we've seen by others like him here, he's got his, so **** you! :p

[Maui]

As you implied, he isn't running for anything and will be out of office soon. Plus, with an ineffectual opposition stymied by his cohorts, he can get away with it. He doesn't really care what you think, as we've seen by others like him here, he's got his, so **** you! :p

What just drives me up the wall is the superiority that is lathered on everything Cheney says. He doesn't care about what poll ratings are because he doesn't care what the american people think because he knows better. He needs to protect us from ourselves, on everything -- Iraq, bin Laden, terrorism, abortion, gay marriage, Democrats, certain NYT reporters, Joe Wilson....

It is a sign of maturity that you stop thinking you have all of the answers and that your own world view is "correct" and everyone else's is "incorrect." Cheney, and Bush, never learned that lesson.

[johnee]

He needs to protect us from ourselves, on everything -- Iraq, bin Laden, terrorism, abortion, gay marriage, Democrats, certain NYT reporters, Joe Wilson....

let's face it, republicans want a white america, where businesses rule, allowing (forcing) people to work their asses off in a never ending race. Immigrants are allowed (forced) to work on farms or they can't come into the country. Andy Griffin still rules mayberry and father knows best. perpetuation of the status quo (rich old men running things) is a must and god (dog) is on our side. amazingly, ~50% of americans still think this way, hence bush (idiot) getting elected.

[Aea]

let's face it, republicans want a white america, where businesses rule, allowing (forcing) people to work their asses off in a never ending race. Immigrants are allowed (forced) to work on farms or they can't come into the country. Andy Griffin still rules mayberry and father knows best. perpetuation of the status quo (rich old men running things) is a must and god (dog) is on our side. amazingly, ~50% of americans still think this way, hence bush (idiot) getting elected.

...

I am left without words, at least kind ones.

[leekohler]

let's face it, republicans want a white america, where businesses rule, allowing (forcing) people to work their asses off in a never ending race. Immigrants are allowed (forced) to work on farms or they can't come into the country. Andy Griffin still rules mayberry and father knows best. perpetuation of the status quo (rich old men running things) is a must and god (dog) is on our side. amazingly, ~50% of americans still think this way, hence bush (idiot) getting elected.

Sad, but true.

[dswoodley]

let's face it, republicans want a white america, where businesses rule, allowing (forcing) people to work their asses off in a never ending race. Immigrants are allowed (forced) to work on farms or they can't come into the country. Andy Griffin still rules mayberry and father knows best. perpetuation of the status quo (rich old men running things) is a must and god (dog) is on our side. amazingly, ~50% of americans still think this way, hence bush (idiot) getting elected.

Not a very helpful stereotype. One could just as easily say "Let's face it, democrats want an america where it's illegal to be white, where government rules all aspects of life, allowing (enabling) people to not work at all if they don't want to and have other taxpayers pay for their lifestyles. Any immigrant can come in regardless of the law and should be given a home, car, cell phone and education on the taxpayers' dime. Government knows best, you can't trust people to make the right decisions. Perpetuation of the welfare state (everything is an entitlement) is a must and religious people are plainly insane. Amazingly ~50% of americans still think this way, hence gore (sore loser) not getting the electoral vote."

This obviously drivel, but so is your statement. Can we move past stereotypes please?

[leekohler]

Not a very helpful stereotype. One could just as easily say "Let's face it, democrats want an america where it's illegal to be white, where government rules all aspects of life, allowing (enabling) people to not work at all if they don't want to and have other taxpayers pay for their lifestyles. Any immigrant can come in regardless of the law and should be given a home, car, cell phone and education on the taxpayers' dime. Government knows best, you can't trust people to make the right decisions. Perpetuation of the welfare state (everything is an entitlement) is a must and religious people are plainly insane. Amazingly ~50% of americans still think this way, hence gore (sore loser) not getting the electoral vote."


You had it right except the immigration thing. ;) I know of no one personally who thinks immigration reform is a good idea. There may be politicians who like it, but I don't know anyone else who thinks it's a good idea.

Otherwise, that was a fun stereotype! :)

[dswoodley]

You had it right except the immigration thing. ;) I know of no one personally who thinks immigration reform is a good idea. There may be politicians who like it, but I don't know anyone else who thinks it's a good idea.

Otherwise, that was a fun stereotype! :)

Well, to be honest, SOME republicans match SOME of the above description, but I know of no republican (personally) who matches ALL the description - maybe some whackjobs in a fancy white house in D.C....

[imac/cheese]

Not a very helpful stereotype. One could just as easily say "Let's face it, democrats want an america where it's illegal to be white, where government rules all aspects of life, allowing (enabling) people to not work at all if they don't want to and have other taxpayers pay for their lifestyles. Any immigrant can come in regardless of the law and should be given a home, car, cell phone and education on the taxpayers' dime. Government knows best, you can't trust people to make the right decisions. Perpetuation of the welfare state (everything is an entitlement) is a must and religious people are plainly insane. Amazingly ~50% of americans still think this way, hence gore (sore loser) not getting the electoral vote."

This obviously drivel, but so is your statement. Can we move past stereotypes please?

That has to be my favorite post of the year. :D Sounds like it came straight off the EIB network.

It is strange how people can actually believe that either of these stereotypes are true. There is such a small minority of republicans and democrats that fit these stereotypes, but it seems that people always think that they describe the other party pretty well.

[dswoodley]

That has to be my favorite post of the year. :D Sounds like it came straight off the EIB network.

It is strange how people can actually believe that either of these stereotypes are true. There is such a small minority of republicans and democrats that fit these stereotypes, but it seems that people always think that they describe the other party pretty well.

Why thank you! I agree 100% with your analysis.

[Thomas Veil]

What just drives me up the wall is the superiority that is lathered on everything Cheney says. He doesn't care about what poll ratings are because he doesn't care what the american people think because he knows better.There's a name for that.

Megalomaniac.

[solvs]

There's a name for that.

Megalomaniac.

I was thinking of a different name, but if I say it, I'd get banned.

[ham_man]

There's a name for that.

Megalomaniac.
I believe the term that you are looking for is "politician"...