Cheney needs to step aside for good of Bush, party

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040621/6303254s.htm

By James P. Gannon


An open letter to Vice President Cheney


Dear Mr. Vice President:

I am writing to you as a long-time admirer. Ever since you rose to prominence 30 years ago -- when you became chief of staff to President Gerald Ford and I was a Wall Street Journal reporter covering economic policy in the Ford administration -- you seemed to embody the qualities needed at the right hand of the president. Your competence, calmness amid crisis and absolute devotion to duty were obvious then, as now.

For nearly four years now, you have been a loyal and hard-working partner in the presidency of George W. Bush. Your experience, steadiness and character surely have given the president strength in these difficult times. I believe you have always considered first what is best for the president, and only secondly what is best for Dick Cheney.

That question arises now in this election year. Forgive me for suggesting that self-sacrifice may be the greatest service you can render to President Bush in what promises to be a closely contested election. You must ask yourself now if your continued presence by his side will offer strength or weakness to the Republican ticket in November, and what it will mean for GOP prospects in the future.

Nobody knows better than you do that you have become a lightning rod for criticism, and a favorite target for your party's political opponents. Fair or not, it is simply too easy to paint Dick Cheney as a tool of the oil industry, a too-eager advocate of war in Iraq and a too-gullible supporter of the now-disgraced Ahmad Chalabi, who fed the Bush administration false intelligence on Iraq. Your former company, Halliburton, is a political albatross around your neck, weighing down not only you but also President Bush.

[trotsky]

1. "Devotion to duty"?!?!?

:puke:

Try devotion to stock options.

[GainesT1958]

2. Uh-oh, I can see the trend taking shape, following in 2000's footsteps:

"Bush/Rove '04"!:eyes:

B-)

[aquart]

3. Opening guns?

Well, well, well.

Are Republicans visiting Cheney asking him if he wants to be the man they blame for losing the election?

Golly. Who on earth do they think is clean enough to restore Bush's standing?

[Mistress Quickly]

4. McCain?

[pocket]

5. McCain

They are going to try to draft him for VP.

[aquart]

8. After the Democrats have lauded him to the whole nation.

It would be brilliant.

I hope Biden commits hara kiri.

[aquart]

9. Although I suspect McCain poses the same problem for Bush as for Kerry.

Put McCain in second place and invite a bullet for the front runner. Bush gets to be a martyr for the cause and McCain maintains the asshole policies with a clean reputation.

[colonel odis]

10. when soliders become p.o.w.s, their military careers are, in effect, over.

there's always the nagging wondering if they gave up any secrets. if they turned on their country while in capitivity. if they did anything to embarrass themselves and their positions.

they never go any further up the ladder. they're treated well when they return, as you might expect them to be given what they often suffered. but there's always the fear of the manchurian candidate scenario.

for those reasons, mccain could never be trusted to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. this is all smoke and mirrors. i doubt he could get the top security clearance he would need.

[alonso_quijano]

6. very telling...

"I believe you have always considered first what is best for the president, and only secondly what is best for Dick Cheney."

Third, of course, what's best for Halliburton.
Fourth, what's best for Falwell/Robertson and company.
Fifth, what's best for Dick Cheney, again.
Sixth, what's best for offshore industry.
Seventh, what's best for the Likud party.
Eighth, what's best for the oil-n-gas crowd.

When will he get to what's best for America?

[HamdenRice]

7. Can't happen

If Cheney isn't vice president, who will tell junior what to do? That would be a disaster even worse than the current junta.

[Disturbed]

11. Cheney could resign.

His heart condition is the perfect excuse. He could still advise via phone. McCain for VP? Most likely not because he would over shadow W and ruin any chances for Jeb's run in '08. The Neocons see him as a threat, not a team player. It won't be Guliani. He has way to many negatives. Pro-life, Pro-Gay, Personal Scandal. The Fundies, although hypocritical, wouldn't go that far with an endorsement of him. If Cheney does resign, the VP won't be someone that could be a strong Pres. candidate for'08.

[RamboLiberal]

12. I beg to differ on Giuliani

The 9-11 hero of the day outweighs any negatives with the Rethugs and a lot of the country.

Rudy got one helluva a positive on that day.

If Cheney goes I'd put my bet on Rudy being on the ticket. Convention in NYC, near 9-11 date - could put Bushie over the top if Bunnypants isn't afraid that Rudy would outshine him. Course the Rethugs have to consider that Rudy would want to run for the Big Job in '08.

For that reason they may go to McCain, though I'd bet there'd be some real infighting with Bushie if he won with McCain on the ticket.

I used to respect McCain, but I've lost that after all his kissing up to * & Rove after the way they screwed him over in SC.

[donhakman]

13. Fair or not?

Mr. Gannon
besides being assinine,
you are too kind.

[ewagner]

14. Restate my theory....

McCain would entertain running as Dubya's VP to get even for South Carolina. Unless I am a very poor judge of character, I still say that McCain wants revenge for what the bushies did to his family. McCain is a proud man and he doesn't lick boots easily.

Once McCain is VP, he'll do everything he can to get Dubya impeached so he can get the office he thinks he properly deserves and disgrace Dubya at the same time.

What the hell........I can always dream..........

[loyalsister]

15. Fundies aren't Republicans

Their political affiliation is about who they believe follows their biblical wishes. Nothing else. If pukes abandon some of the planks that they have come to dearly love (gay bashing, invading the uterus of all women) they would probably feel like the party left them and may even start thinking about the economy or something.
If they weren't in power, they would have fringe candidates that would make made the Republicans look like Ralph Nader.
As it stands we wind up with them in charge under a figure head who thinks he has a direct line to god.

[Norbert]

16. Hannity says the Dick is an outstanging vice president.

I'm inclined to agree with him. Cheney put the VICE in vice president.