"This is our due." What did Cheney mean?

[priller]

Did he mean, we deserve this? Who is the "we"? Republicans or the wealthy? I'm just not sure I understand what he meant.

[Cannikin]

1. When did he say it? What was he talking about?

[BurtWorm]

10. O'Neill quoted Cheney saying that when O'Neill questioned the 2nd tax cut

See Sidney Blumenthal's comment on the O'Neill book at salon.com:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2004/01/15/o_neill/print.html

The "inscrutable" Cheney emerges as the power behind the throne, orchestrating the government by stealth and leaks to undermine opposing views. He uses tariffs as "political bait" for the midterm elections. When O'Neill argues that out-of-control deficits will cause a "fiscal crisis," Cheney "cut him off. 'Reagan proved deficits don't matter,' he said. 'We won the midterms. This is our due.'"

[Fleshdancer]

2. show me the money!

Definately for the wealthy. The concept that he and his millionaire friends deserve a tax cut because Republicans won more races in 2002 is absurd. Class warfare much?

[NicoleM]

3. I think he meant,

"We rule the country now and we can do whatever the hell we want." And what they want to do is get rid of all federal social programs. Since the Murkin People like Social Security and Medicare, the only way they can do it is to bankrupt the federal government.

[tom_paine]

5. Yes, it was the Imperial "we", the Imperial "our"

The Divine Right of Kings, you know.

Vice-Emperor's, too.

[Woodstock]

4. Here is the context for your statement

O'Neill had been preaching that a fiscal crisis was looming and more tax cuts would exacerbate it. But others in the White House saw a chance to capitalize on the historic Republican congressional gains in the 2002 elections. Surely, Cheney would not be so smug. He would hear O'Neill out. In an economic meeting in the Vice President's office, O'Neill started pitching, describing how the numbers showed that growing budget deficits threatened the economy. Cheney cut him off. "Reagan proved deficits don't matter," he said. O'Neill was too dumbfounded to respond. Cheney continued: "We won the midterms. This is our due." ...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040119-574809,00.html

I interpreted Cheney's statement:

(we & our in the following sentence)=(Republicans=party for the corporations=party for the wealthy)

"We worked hard to fool enough working people to gain a majority in the midterms. So now we have the power to give ourselves tax cuts/breaks, and we're going to use it."

[King Coal]

9. God Bless Paul.

We should all email him and tell him we appreciate his patriotism.

[wtmusic]

6. The usual bullshit sense of entitlement

God's Chosen People.

Ugh.

[creativelcro]

7. it seems pretty clear what it means, no ?

They (wealthy conservative contributors and/or CEOS) gave money to our campaign so now we have to give them some money back, in the form of tax cuts etc.

[proud patriot]

8. It has to do with an Aristocratic belief

that the poor and middle class have taken all
the money from the families who believe themselves
the royalty of America .

You see they believe Everything already belongs to
them and the fact that there is a middle class at all
means The American people have it too good .

in Cheney's perception

For an entire century the poor and middle class
have been alllowed to take what is rightfully
the Aristocrats . Every Home purchased by a middle
class family is a bad thing in the sick and twisted
vision the Aristocrats have . Cause that house
should be their's to rent out to the under class .

[Iverson]

15. five points for you.

:thumbsup:

[Toucano]

11. It's a smash and grab!

They smash the windows of democracy with the 2000 election and grab all they can get for themselves from the US treasury.

Greatest grand larceny ever committed in the history of the world. Ever!

By "our due", he sure as hell didn't mean the American taxpayer!

[Robin Hood]

12. Because they were denied the White House for eight years.

They wanted to do this after the gulf war, but CLinton denied their oil grab by kicking their butts out of power.

[Skittles]

13. It meant Bush Inc feels entitled to f*** us all

which they are actively doing

[Woodstock]

14. Here's what Arianna Huffington said

When O'Neill, who had the gall to be concerned about the looming fiscal crisis triggered by the growing budget deficit, argued against a second round of tax cuts for the wealthy, he was quickly put in his place by Cheney. "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter," growled the vice president, blithely ignoring the nearly 20 years it took to undo the fiscal damage Reagan's budget-busting had wrought. Besides, added Cheney, sounding less like the most powerful No. 2 in history than a kid cajoling his parents into giving him ice cream because he has cleaned his plate, "We won the midterm elections; this is our due." This is our due? Is it actually possible to so badly misread what this country -- or, indeed, democracy -- is about?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/huffington/2004/01/14/oneill/