Cheney downplays Iraq violence, sees 'a lot of success'

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/01/cheney-downplays-iraq-violence-sees.html

Cheney downplays Iraq violence, sees 'a lot of success'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney dismissed the growing ranks of bipartisan critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, stressing instead in an interview to be aired in full this afternoon on the "Situation Room" that "there has been a lot of success" in the war-torn country.

When asked by CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer if Iraq is now a "terrible situation," Cheney responded, "No, there's not. There is not."

"There are ... ongoing problems," he added. "But we have in fact accomplished our objectives of getting rid of the old regime, and there is a new regime in place. It's been there for less than a year, far too soon for you guys to write them off."

The vice president cited Iraq's "democratically written" constitution and three national elections as evidence of progress, while expressing confidence that the violence will abate.

"We still have more work to do to get a handle on the security situation, but the president has put a plan in place to do that," Cheney said.

[liberal N proud]

1. Cheney is a known liar too

[Imagevision]

25. Go Fu*k yourself Cheney; " I believe Iraq is in it's last throe's of the war

this fu*king whacko coined the phrase for Bush; "Stay The Course" which come to think of it is precisely what we're still doing after the people voted in November that they did not want to remain staying the GD. course!!

[HughBeaumont]

2. The only "success" that will come out of this administration . . .

. . . is a day that sees The Penguin and his Winged Monkey on trial for war crimes.

[subterranean]

3. There has been a lot of success in Iraq...for Halliburton.

[fNord]

24. don't forget Boeing, Mcdonald Douglas, the Carlyle Group, and

the rest of the pricks who think blood is currency

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. .......................In his portfolio

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

5. from their POV it's a total success..

chaos

[redqueen]

7. "unending war"

jackpot!

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

8. yep

[teryang]

16. Exactly! Arab OPEC states on the gulf are cowering in fear

This is exactly what they want. First SA breaks the OPEC production cuts. Now their filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at lower prices. Any backtalk from Saudi Arabia and they'll start bombing Iran.

One energy expert being interviewed from Davos Switzerland on CNBC this morning was cut off when he started criticizing SA actions. Then two other energy experts on in the afternoon described the Bush SPR announcement as "sinister." One openly said it was an indicator that Bush was going to bomb Iran and noted it was six years to the day that he father made a similar announcement that was later followed by war against Iraq. The other just said it was an obvious subsidy for big oil.

[gratuitous]

6. Odd examples of "success"

There's a new regime in place, we gave them a constitution, and they've voted three times. That's success, according to Mr. Cheney. But the new regime is powerless to run the country. The constitution we forced on Iraq, in light of the lawlessness rampant in the country and the general disrespect for the United States and everything it's doing there, is nothing more than a piece of paper. And three national elections in less than a year doesn't really look like a sign of stability.

What about the fact that the Iraqi Parliament hasn't met for months, Mr. Cheney? And those that do try to attend session don't constitute a quorum to do business? A new "regime" is all fine and dandy, but if that regime can't meet because no one can guarantee even a modicum of safety for the participants, of what practical value is that regime?

These observations and questions occurred to me, just sitting at my little computer. I'm sure that a highly paid professional like Wolf Blitzer brought up all this and more and threw it right in Mr. Cheney's snarling puss, right?

Oooh, listen! Crickets!

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I personally think all of these guys are on acid.

What world do they live in?

Cheney is just plain delusional. And evil. Bad combination.

[arewenotdemo]

21. nobody on acid could do shit so evil

but i agree they're evil and delusional

[darkstar7646]

10. Keep in mind how they might define "success"...

I mean, the destruction of the American democracy is their ultimate goal...

[shanti]

12. exactly

it's not the "success" we the people would categorize as such.

[Hobarticus]

11. How would he know? Has Vader actually ever BEEN to Iraq?

Or does he just watch shiny happy Fox like all the other curmudgeons?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

13. Cheney is heavily invested in the Coffin Futures Market

He's making a killing...

[teryang]

14. Let them eat cake

he definitely doesn't see the handwriting on the wall.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Jack Rabbit downplays anything Cheney says, hears 'a lot of baloney'

!!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

17. Success for his cronies?

Sure, but not on the ground in Iraq. They have denied the seriousness of the situation in Iraq from the very beginning. What else can one expect from an administration that knowingly goes to war on forged intelligence?

[VolcanoJen]

18. Paul Begala, in response to watching the interview...

... just said on CNN, "He should be ashamed of himself. He should have used that interview to resign. Just step down, just say "I Quit!" already. Admit to us that you screwed up America in your first term and you're setting the world on fire in your second term."

I couldn't agree more.

[VolcanoJen]

19. This jerk still can't take responsibility

Love the part when, asked by Blitzer what his biggest mistake was, says "Oh, I think in terms of mistakes, I think we underestimated the extent to which 30 years of Saddam's rule had really hammered the population, especially the Shia population, into submissiveness. It was very hard for them to stand up and take responsibility in part because anybody who had done that in the past had had their heads chopped off."

Uh-huh. Yep. That's your biggest mistake. Sure. By the way, Mr. Cheney, Go F Yourself.

[Demeter]

20. Success, Cheney-Style, Is To Be Devoutly Avoided By All Sane People

What Cheney considers success has been variously defined as:

piracy

murder

chaos

by those who write the dictionaries.

[VegasWolf]

22. Are they in their "last throes" again? nt

[fNord]

23. You know, many Nazis believed that if WWII never ended, than...

it would be the same as if germany won. war with out end means that the corp-ocracy would continue to have there blank check to rape, murder and pillage as they see fit. it would seem that although Sun-Tzu was not required reading for Bush co, Machiavelli most certainly was.

"A wise prince will seek means by which his subjects will always and in every possible condition be in need of his leadership; and then they will always be loyal." --Machiavelli's "The Prince"

[antiimperialist]

26. At least 69 killed in sectarian violence today

Plus the 5 US soldiers fallen from the civilian helicopter and executed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070124/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[mitchum]

29. Correction: those 5 in the helicopter were not soldiers...

they were MERCENARIES

[stonecoldsober]

27. The last throes? Again??

[number6]

28. Cheney is still a dick

sees 'a lot of success' ????

?? wtf ??

[roamer65]

30. I'm surprised the Mossad agent, Leslie Blitzer, asked such direct questions...

of Darth Cheney. I was waiting for Leslie to be choked by Darth's death grip, especially when Leslie asked about his new grandchild.

[rodeodance]

31. Cheney: Talk of blunders in Iraq is 'hogwash'

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/24/cheney/index.html?section=cnn_topstories&eref=yahoo

Cheney: Talk of blunders in Iraq is 'hogwash'
POSTED: 9:58 p.m. EST, January 24, 2007
Story Highlights
• NEW: Cheney: Premise of blunders hurting credibility on Iraq is "hogwash"
• NEW: Vice president says question about daughter is "out of line"
• Congressional opposition won't stop plan to increase troops, he says
• Pulling out of Iraq would validate terrorists' strategy, Cheney says

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday dismissed as "hogwash" the suggestion that blunders may have hurt the administration's credibility on Iraq and led members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to question President Bush's plan to send more troops to Baghdad.

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, conducted a day after Bush delivered his State of the Union address, Cheney was asked to respond to some Republicans in Congress who "are now seriously questioning your credibility, because of the blunders and the failures."

To that, Cheney answered, "Wolf, Wolf, I simply don't accept the premise of your question. I just think it's hogwash."

Cheney said the administration is committed to moving ahead with its plan to send more troops to Baghdad, even if Congress passes a resolution in opposition. (Read a transcript of the interview PDF)

"It won't stop us," he said. "And it would be, I think, detrimental from the standpoint of the troops."......

[Arkana]

32. Fixed.

To that, Cheney answered, "Wolf, Wolf, I simply don't accept the premise of your question. I'm so disconnected from reality I'm voting for Eisenhower."

[Erika]

33. This administration has no touch with reality

I am so ashamed they were elected.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

34. They were NOT elected.

They ascended to the throne via a coup.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[0007]

43. ....and we wonder why the world hates us!!

Hogs & hogwash go hand in hand with the cheney family.

[shanti]

39. oh, they are in touch with reality

their OWN reality, which has nothing to do with US!

[The Roux Comes First]

36. Wolf: I will defend the President's innate limitations to the end

Of course it is known that those danged cosmic rays (or was it being raised by Barb or read to by Laura??) took out any even theoretical ability the young nimrod may have had at taking responsibility, being accountable, or facing up to botched, failed initiatives, despite a lifetime consisting only of the above. And of course any ability to care or empathize went right with it.

As his veep, I can do no less than also continue to deny reality any place in our decisionmaking process!

Stop asking these idiotic questions or we'll have to cut off your subsidies.

[killbotfactory]

37. "My brilliant plan is working brilliantly!"

"Damn your lying eyes!"

[calimary]

38. Did he, in fact, use the term "in fact" while making his cockeyed assertions?

That rascally cheney sure likes to use the term "in fact" - especially when he's spewing LIES.

[Lasher]

40. He can't speak without saying "in fact".

Too bad nothing he says is ever actually based in fact.

2/3 of the country, as well as the rest of the world, hates him and Junior. Yet they just keep playing the same old broken record over and over.

[hatrack]

41. Gee, Uncle Snarly is getting all testy!

No one could have predicted Dick Cheney baring his fangs when trapped in a corner.

[gratuitous]

42. Well, your credibility is certainly being questioned, Mr. Cheney

If that questioning isn't due to your murderous or criminally negligent fuck-ups, what do you attribute your credibility problem to? Your sparkling and sunny personalities?

[KurtNYC]

44. Cheney got an apology from the guy he shot in the face

There are no "blunders" in his world.