Books I Want to Read (but have yet to be written):
Memoirs of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove
After a week in which Dick Cheney, “an unpopular former vice president” (as the Washington Times styled him) faced of in a type of debate with “a popular sitting president” (as the same paper styled Barack Obama), the less popular and more maligned (at least in the MSM) man “won, hands down.” Even media commentators, not kindly disposed to the man they’ve dubbed “Darth Vader,” concede the laurels to the Republican.
Cheney has increased his stature the right, with his approval rating surging. Conservatives are looking to him again for inspiration. If he writes a book, it is certain to sell as well as Mark Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny, now in its Tenth Printing, only two months after its pubilcation. (That manifesto has spent 97 days in the amazon.com top 100, most of time in one of the top positions.)
Seeing the success of conservative books in the Obama age, publishers should be eager to snap up the memoir Cheney’s shopping around.
Cheney isn’t the only former Bush Administration official at work on a book. Others scribbling away include the former President himself, his wife, the former first lady, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Karl Rove. I think I may pass on most of those memoirs, but in addition to Cheney’s book, I’ll definitely buy Rumsfeld’s and Rove’s. I doubt those three good men will mince words when they talk about the last eight years.
Frankly, I expect Rumsfeld to be candid about the mistakes he made; he may offer some insight into why the President delayed so long in shifiting strategies in Iraq. It would be interesting to see if Rove explains how such a politically savvy White House could tap a tone-deaf man as Press Secretary just as the media was becoming increasingly aggressive and the President’s poll numbers were starting to tumble.
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Part of what will make GWB’s, Cheney’s, and Rumsfeld’s books interesting and refreshing is that none of them have any apparent plans to return to politics. Their books won’t be part of some early campaign effort.
I expect Rumsfeld to be pretty much retired and doubt he’ll have much to say publicly beyond what he says in a book. GWB may end up back in the public spotlight, but I expect him to avoid controversy. He may at times defend his record as POTUS, but he seems the type who will be an advocate for charitable causes, not the type who will go negative; he will be more like his dad than Jimmy Carter. Cheney is the most interesting because he has no ambition to become popular, has apparently little desire to keep quiet, and is able to hit the Democrats on national security issues quite hard. The fact that it’s basically a draw between Obama and Cheney cannot provide any comfort to the Obama administration. Cheney’s being out there reminds America that however much Obama may be a more charismatic figure than Cheney and that however much Americans may engage in handwringing over the Bush-Cheney strategies of keeping America safe, we were kept safe by the Bush-Cheney team. Pres. Obama has made a lot of bold statements about how his methods (not waterboarding, just using the Army Field Manual, shutting down Gitmo and bringing the detainees to America, etc.) will make America safer, but any terror attack on America will essentially disprove that. (Of course, Pres. Obama is guilty of a lot of the same so-called abuses that Bush engaged in, like rendition, declaring that some detainees should be held permanently without trial, etc., but that doesn’t change the fact that Pres. Obama is betting that complete repudiation of Bush’s policies, at least in appearance, is the way to go.)
I would think that most presidents who replace unpopular presidents would at least want to acknowledge things that obviously worked for their predecessors. Pres. Obama obviously does not want to be that gracious, and I think that could end up being a bad move both for him and for America. I’m glad Cheney is holding him accountable for his choice to disparage essentially everything about the Bush-Cheney years.
Comment by cme — May 25, 2009 @ 9:24 am - May 25, 2009
I would want to read Cheney´s memoir for two reasons. First, for details of how they proceeded, (without compromising state secrets) as 9/11 was in process. Secondly, how he and Mrs. Cheney received the declaracion that heir daughter was a lesbian and how they came to accept it. Karl Rove´s memoirs book would have to be a manual for campaign advisors and those who want to be. I am looking forward to Conoleezza Rice´s book. Her biography is so interesting. She´s had a full life. Who knows, there might be more to come. What about Condi for President? Will the MSM note acknowledge historicity of her nomination? I never saw or heard it in either of jer appointments nor that of General Colin Powell. With MSM black only counts if you are a Democrat.
Comment by Roberto — May 25, 2009 @ 12:31 pm - May 25, 2009
Upon hearing Cheney’s speech at the 2000 RNC convention, I wondered then if we had nominated the correct person. While I admire the former VP very much, it is Karl Rove who is the number 2 person I’d most like to have dinner with. My number 1? Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts.
Comment by windybon — May 25, 2009 @ 3:54 pm - May 25, 2009
You guys are pretty over the moon for someone as discredited and repetitive as Dick Cheney. What’s so different about this speech compared to the ones he was giving as Vice President? What talking point did Cheney touch upon that he hadn’t invoked hundreds of times during the Iraq war? What has changed?
This crew whose books you’re so excited to read spent the last eight years ruining the United States and lying about it. Sorry to ruin the endings for ya, but in these books they’re writing, they’re going to continue lying about it.
Also, it’s pretty hilarious that after only six months, you guys are looking back with hope and admiration at the same people that made an international laughingstock out of the American conservative party. I wonder how this will work out for you?
Now quick! Accuse me of not reading your posts and being obsessed with George Bush!
Comment by Levi — May 25, 2009 @ 6:05 pm - May 25, 2009
Levi, please provide examples of where Cheney has been discredited and please provide examples of where Cheney and officials in the Bush Administration lied. You will need provide specific statements which they knew, at the time, were wrong.
And then, when you’re down, please provide evidence backing up Nancy Pelosi’s allegations against the CIA.
PS Links to left-wing blogs don’t count.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — May 25, 2009 @ 7:00 pm - May 25, 2009
Want to read a book with deep relevance to today’s politico-economic situation? I suggest “Atlas Shrugged”, first published in 1957.
Comment by MaggieLeber — May 25, 2009 @ 7:18 pm - May 25, 2009
Levi is a time traveller! Here is a message from Levi of the year 2017:
Since the Dear Teleprompter is, as it happens, ruining the United States as we speak with his $1.8 trillion deficits.
Oh Levi, you mean you’re not a time traveller? You’re an ordinary mortal? And – you were somehow referring to Bush? Kindly substantiate your allegations, then. Ranting and calling someone a liar doesn’t make it so; you must specify what you mean (as I just did with the deficits) and, if there is any dispute over facts, cite evidence.
And furthermore, please note that “lying” (your specific accusation) requires intent; you have to prove that the person knew that what they were saying was false (or that what they were not saying was misleading), and that they positively intended for people to be misled. You know, kind of like when Bill Clinton wagged his finger and said “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”; he intended for people to be misled.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — May 25, 2009 @ 7:55 pm - May 25, 2009
What must it be like to be such an Obamatelprompter TOADIE that one is obsessed with attacking critics of this administration. An administration that is the most unsettled, stumble prone, mistakefilled, boob infested in the last 100 years.
Here’s the daily Obama embarrassment…..
PLAYS GOLF?
Subject: Pool report 5/25/09
POTUS is, reportedly, golfing with Marvin Nicholson. No actual glimpses of the presidential golf game. Aides say POTUS paused at 3 p.m. to observe a moment of silence.
Such devotion to our men and women who serve, and those that have fallen. 129 days……grade A+!
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — May 25, 2009 @ 8:05 pm - May 25, 2009
BTW even leftists media talking heads are admitting Obamateleprompter getting in a terror argument with Cheney has proven to be a losing proposition for our young President.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — May 25, 2009 @ 8:07 pm - May 25, 2009
Yeah Gene, the CBS talking heads have been going on about it. CBS’s Schieffer Admits Cheney ‘Winning’ Security Debate:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2009/05/22/cbs-s-schieffer-admits-cheney-winning-security-debate
And Politico’s Cummings Whines Cheney’s ‘Made It Much Harder to Close Guantanamo’:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/05/23/politicos-cummings-whines-cheneys-made-it-much-harder-close-guantanamo
- She frames it as another example of Cheney being evil, blah blah blah, but the larger underlying point is what you said: that Cheney has been making some great points lately about security, and at Obama’s expense.
Another Newsbusters writer notices that, contra recent headlines, “Powell Defended Bush and Agreed With Cheney” about post-9/11 national security, in Powell’s recent interviews:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/05/24/will-media-notice-how-powell-defended-bush-agreed-cheney
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — May 25, 2009 @ 8:21 pm - May 25, 2009
I think Levi is referring to the KOShole F-bomb laden post.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/05/24/kos-droppings
If that’s not what brain dead liberals consider discreditation, I don’t know what is.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — May 25, 2009 @ 8:44 pm - May 25, 2009
Like most things leftists “know,” Cheney’s alleged lies don’t require actual proof; all it takes is enough lefties repeating the chant “Cheney lied! Hope and Change. Cheney is discredited. Hope and Change.” They are the Hare Krishnas of politics.
Dick Cheney’s a good man; and unlike Bush he didn’t get wealth and power because of his daddy and his friends. Unlike John Kerry, he didn’t get wealth and power by marrying a rich widow. Unlike Obama, he didn’t get wealth and power by becoming the toast of the unrepentant terrorist left. Dick Cheney is a self-made man, a grown-up, and a patriot. Three things that can’t be said about most politicians or certain people who comment here.
Comment by V the K — May 25, 2009 @ 10:08 pm - May 25, 2009
My simple solution to GITMO continues to be….send all 245 remaining horrific terror nutts to the bluest towns in the bluest states. Find out where Levi, boob, alex, kevin, etal live and send them there to be housed. They can even let them out to clean streets and freeway medians with minor supervision. And if anything horrible happens, it will happen in blue towns to the sisters mothers and daughters of liberals. It is about time liberal Democrats have to live with their smug easy irresponsible decisions. Oh and by the way. If there are 300 million dollar improvements that need to be made to your local jails to house these madmen. You raise your own taxes to pay for em. Stand up like men, and all you Obama toadies…..make like a community activist, take some GITMO detainees. Or shutup about it.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — May 25, 2009 @ 11:09 pm - May 25, 2009
If not for Cheney, Obama would have been allowed to stumble along without supervision and God knows how many other mistakes he’d have made. Cheneys opposition caused Obama to backtrack. Thank you Mr Vice President.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — May 25, 2009 @ 11:11 pm - May 25, 2009
Nothing but crickets from drive-by Levi.
I wouldn’t wish that on the douchebaggiest liberal. The American Criminal Liberal Union is pissing and moaning the most. Let them deal with the sweet angels at Club Gitmo.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — May 26, 2009 @ 1:08 am - May 26, 2009
The left is obsessed with the comfort of 245 terrorists held at Gitmo, but they don’t give a wet slap about the 11,000,000 Cubans in the gulag on the other side of the fence, denied basic human rights and freedoms. If anything, they applaud and support the communist thugs who keep them in bondage.
Comment by V the K — May 26, 2009 @ 7:19 am - May 26, 2009
To continue V the K’s point in #16…….
The left wants total ACLU pampering for terrorists brought to the US. So, Obama has ramped up the rendition. There is much going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, but, strange to say, no new inmates at Gitmo. That is because we have contracted the torture out to our “allies.”
This is a prime example of moral relativism, ACLU style. And the left is all up in to its chins in crickets.
Comment by heliotrope — May 26, 2009 @ 9:00 am - May 26, 2009
Yes. Now that renditions and torture might be serious issues – things that the U.S. might now really be promoting in the world – the Left is silent.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — May 26, 2009 @ 9:14 am - May 26, 2009
P.S. I’m not saying that like it’s a good thing. My position remains the same as always: torture is wrong. The tragic irony is that Bush administration interrogations of terrorists were not torture (as someone said recently) and when you learn the details about Gitmo from people who serve there, you learn that it has been one of the most conscientiously humane prisons in history.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — May 26, 2009 @ 9:18 am - May 26, 2009
Please. Housing terrorists in the same community is not a threat to a party led by the man who let proven domestic terrorist Bill Ayers babysit his children and pick indoctrination curriculums for public schools.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — May 26, 2009 @ 2:06 pm - May 26, 2009
NDT damn I forgot about that.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — May 26, 2009 @ 9:21 pm - May 26, 2009
To continue the points of #16 and 17.
The ACLU wants to pamper enemies of the United States and democracy in general. The left sits silent as the Castro brothers have imprisioned those who speak out for the right to have freedom of expression. Venezuela now imprisions the opposition. The mayor of Marcaibo is now in political exile in Peru. This past onday marked the second anniversary that Venezuela´s largest tv/radio station was shut down. Globovision and other independent stations and newspapers have been threatened for being the voices of the opposition and for democratic principles which is being termed as terrorist and attempting to overthrow the government. As he said last Friday, ¨This will stop now or my name isn´t Hugo Chavez Frias.¨
Comment by Roberto — May 27, 2009 @ 12:45 pm - May 27, 2009