L.A. Times calls for Dick Cheney's early retirement

[sabra]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=97005

L.A. Times calls for Dick Cheney's early retirement

A Los Angeles Times editorial on Sunday called for a "far more audacious" makeover of President George W. Bush's administration, saying he should send Vice President Dick Cheney into early retirement.

...


"Bush has acknowledged that he has spent much of his political capital on Iraq, and the way to replenish the reserves is to replace the officials most associated with the overreaching that led to the tragedy in Iraq -- and with the administration's broader disdain for diplomacy."

The paper noted broad speculation that Treasury Secretary John Snow will likely be ushered out next, but said a better solution would include the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- whose critics, including retired generals, have demand that he step aside -- and Cheney's ouster.

"Throwing Cheney overboard would be an implicit repudiation of the excessively hawkish foreign policy with which the vice president, even more than Rumsfeld, has been associated," the paper said.

[Eric J in MN]

1. May Cheney and Rumsfeld retire soon, never to affect

US policy again.

[rodeodance]

18. yes, they can walk into the sunset of their side by side houses

maybe not side by side but I hear pretty close.

[MrSlayer]

2. And I call for his arrest and imprisonment.

Let's see how well this works out.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Home for retired neoconservatives

United Nations Prison, The Hague

[PuraVidaDreamin]

13. That prison is too nice looking

but I'll settle for it

[Jack Rabbit]

16. It's from where they carried out Slobo feet first

. . . and that is the only way retired neoconservatives should be allowed to leave.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Los Angeles Times Editorial: Bush's third term

From the Los Angeles Times
Dated Sunday April 23

Editorial: Bush's third term

If President Bush hopes the "shake-up" of his administration initiated last week will re-energize his listless presidency, he's bound to be disappointed. A far more audacious makeover is needed — one that sends Vice President Dick Cheney into early retirement.

Second terms are notoriously difficult for presidents. For President Bush, it has been disastrous. His swaggering November 2004 news conference — at which he bragged "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it" — seems from another era. Whatever political capital existed he has squandered with the Iraq war, the Valerie Plame leak inquiry and his ill-advised plan to partly privatize Social Security. His one victory — getting two reliable conservative jurists on the U.S. Supreme Court — is no doubt an enduring one. But there's nothing else . . . .

We know the objections. The vice president is not a mere presidential appointee but an elected constitutional officer. In choosing a replacement, Bush might be pressured to predetermine the outcome of the 2008 Republican presidential race by anointing one would-be successor over another. Throwing Cheney overboard would be an implicit repudiation of the excessively hawkish foreign policy with which the vice president, even more than Rumsfeld, has been associated . . . .

We even have an answer to the complaint that in jettisoning Cheney, Bush would be repudiating his own record. The truth is that the president, however grudgingly, has recognized that he and the administration made mistakes in the run-up to the war in Iraq and in its aftermath. He has not confessed that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, but he has acknowledged with increasing explicitness that he was wrong to believe that Saddam Hussein harbored weapons of mass destruction.

Read more.

[ihelpu2see]

4. I have a problem with "Dr" Rice as VP.... People give her way to much

slack and she would be difficult to criticize, not because she has not made mistakes (loads) but because of the obvious (female) . The right would napalm anyone who dare bring up the PDB from 8-2001 and her obvious lack of credentials in terrorism, the right would frame it as bigotry and sexist to challenge her....

just my thoughts

[KeepItReal]

11. "lack of credentials" is the only thing consistent about these people

They never played their assigned positions, anyhow.

[AndyTiedye]

I'm Not Wild About Condoleezza "Mushroom Cloud" Rice Either

but we have to get rid of

before we can have CHIMPEACHMENT
just like they had to get rid of Agnew before they could impeach Nixon.

[fooj]

22. That picture is absolutely repulsive.

Peace.

[AndyTiedye]

25. How About This One?

:puke:

[fooj]

27. Grrrrrrrrrrr...

:grr:

[rodeodance]

19. I do not understand why Condi gets high marks--she is in shit deep!

[Dulcinea]

24. Not gonna happen.

Darth Cheney & Rummy will be around till the bitter end. Let's face it, who's really running things? Boy George is just the PR guy.

[Jack Rabbit]

26. How do we know Bush and Condi are lovers?

Because they are always lying together.

[Catrina]

33. You have a point, but this week, Condoleeza has been called as a witness

in the other scandal, the Pentagon Spy case, that so far has received little media attention. She is said to have given sensitive information to the two men on trial for spying on the US and passing the information to a 'foreign nation'. Their defense is that they did not need to spy, because top US officials freely shared the information with them.

To prove their point, they have called one of those officials, Condy, to the witness stand where she will be under oath for the first time. This story came out on Friday. Her spokesperson has denied that Ms. Rice leaked sensitive information to the accused spies.

I don't think it would be a good idea to make anyone connected to this administration, VP. Most of them will probably end up being indicted for something, since all were involved in the leak and spy scandals.

I think Bush may be forced to take on someone who is not tainted, like John McCain to replace Cheney, who may himself be indicted in the Plame affair. Of course there is the possibility that Bush too, could be indicted.

Fearing those indictments, or impeachment, Republicans may feel that McCain would be a good choice ~ he would then become president if Bush is forced out of office, which is looking more and more likely every day. This might explain McCain's sudden interest in the Christian right. Just my thoughts ~

[madmunchie]

6. Do you think that they are afraid of possible charges if Cheney,

Rumsfield...resigning and then going to civilian office? If Dick and Don are in civilian life aren't they more likely to be charged and investigated? If that were to happen wouldn't that alone bring Bush down?

[create.peace]

7. Silent Coup

Just the other day, maybe wednesday, my husband said, betcha what could happen is "Cheney could have 'health problems' - leave office and be replaced by Giuliani....or McCain.....or ugh Kindasleezy." Then then worse case scenario, Bush leaves (maybe sacraficially impeached) and G, M or R runs as the incumbant. Rice actually doesn't seem plausible as she is too inside. But with McCain kissing the religious wrongs behind, and Giuliani still the Hero of 9/11.....two more deciders in the wings.

This LATimes editorial is for me then no good news. Bush would preemptively pardon Cheney (all legal amazing enough) and that's that....





feelings of uncomprehension flood my brain

Hannah in Kansas
Not afraid of your lyin' eyes, W

[onehandle]

8. No. I want him to resign in 2007 during Bush's impeachment.

I want him to run from his crimes, not fade away.

A 2006 Democratic Congress = 2007 Impeachment.

[DeadManInc]

14. 2007 imprisonment I hope

[Jack Rabbit]

31. Campaign slogan

PELOSI FOR PRESIDENT IN 2007

[okoboji]

9. won't happen

Crashcart isn't thru earning money for Haliburton and friends......

[noahmijo]

10. Noahmijo calls for Cheney to ride World's Scariest Rollercoaster

C'mon Dick be a MAN. I'll even buy your fuckin ticket for you....don't worry you can leave that pacemaker here with me it'll be safe...heheheh

[oscar111]

12. nt.

ccc

[chaumont58]

15. I think maybe this is the crazy thing I have ever seen

They are asking for the VP to resign, but the President can stay? Good God, what does it say about Bush?
When I first say something about this editorial, I thought it was a joke. The LA Times has changed some since the Tribune bought it, but damn!

[rodeodance]

20. to me it says that Bush is a lapdog of Cheney.

....They are asking for the VP to resign, but the President can stay? Good God, what does it say about Bush?

[chaumont58]

23. I'll tell you what I think: Bush is cold meat

I do think the Times editorial is almost like Steven King, or Kafka, but before the world gets too much older, they are going to go after chimpie. It ain't Cheney's watch. It's Bush's watch. Americans and Iraqis died unnecessary deaths, because Bush oked it. Nothing can change that.

I've been puzzled some as the why the pukes would even try to improve Bush's poll numbers. Bush is not a likeable man, he just isn't, despite Tweety Bird Matthews. My old grandma used to say: 'you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear' Bush is not presidential timber, now or ever. His poll numbers are going to go down, even further.

[sandnsea]

34. First Cheney and Rumsfeld, then Bush

Sounds like a perfect plan to me. With 70% of the country hating Bush, I don't know why we aren't calling on him to resign instead of waiting around for impeachment.

[rodeodance]

17. nominate.

[rodeodance]

21. even if does not happen, this is not good PR for the WH.

[ShortnFiery]

28. Don't hold your breath for the WP to follow suit ...

They've sold out to the dark side. :(

[Canuckistanian]

29. Snow is already out - they just can't find a replacement

I imagine that the Cheney situation may be the same. Nobody is applying to be the First Mate on the Titanic.

[FightingIrish]

30. Bush needs a twelve step program to recovery

1. Andy Card
2. Scott McClellan
3. Karl Rove
4. Don Rumsfeld
5. Dick Cheney
6. Peter Pace
7. John Bolton
8. Condoleezza Rice
9. Dan Bartlett
10. Laura Bush
11. Barbara Bush
12. Himself

[cliss]

32. Now to REALLY make an impact,

the Los Angeles Times should post a photo of President Cheney, asleep in his chair.

He snoozed while poor Mr. Hu Jintao was treated like yesterday's garbage in Washington this week.

THAT ought to seal the deal.