Attack, Deceive, Repeat | Ctr for American Progress

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Attack, Deceive, Repeat

At last night's debate, Vice President Cheney had a clear strategy: refuse to respond to tough questions, attack Edwards personally and, when necessary, deceive. Instead of taking responsibility for numerous errors in judgment over the last four years, Cheney reiterated his faith in failed policies. Instead of taking responsibility for his own voting record, Cheney engaged in petty attacks. Instead of coming clean with the American people, Cheney continued to play fast and loose with the facts.

CHENEY DECEPTION #1: I'VE NEVER SUGGESTED A LINK BETWEEN AL QAEDA AND 9/11: Near the beginning of the debate, Cheney said, "I have not suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11." That isn't true. On multiple occasions Cheney has suggested a connection, specifically emphasizing contacts between Iraqi officials and Mohammed Atta, one of the 9/11 hijackers. Appearing on Meet the Press on 12/9/01, Cheney said, it's "been pretty well confirmed, that he did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official of the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April, several months before the attack." (The 9/11 Commission looked into this rumored meeting and found there was no evidence to suggest the meeting occurred. On the date of the supposed meeting, Atta's phone was used numerous times from Florida and there is no evidence Atta ever left the country.) Appearing again on Meet the Press on 9/14/03, Tim Russert mentioned that 69 percent of the public believed there was a connection between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks. Cheney replied, "I think it's not surprising that people make that connection." (The 9/11 Commission, after months of exhaustive study, found no evidence "indicating Iraq cooperated with al Qaeda in developing or carrying out any attacks against the United States.")

CHENEY DECEPTION #2: I'VE NEVER MET EDWARDS BEFORE TONIGHT: Cheney later said he was going back to the Halliburton issue but instead of addressing it, delivered a pre-packaged zinger: "I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight." One problem: it's not true. Check out the photo, video and documentary evidence.

CHENEY SAYS WE HAVE DONE "EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING" IN IRAQ: Cheney continued the administration's refusal that there have been any mistakes made in Iraq. He said, "What we did in Iraq was exactly the right thing to do. If I had it to recommend all over again, I would recommend exactly the right same course of action." Cheney's comments came the same day former Coalition Provisional Authority administrator Paul Bremer said the U.S. "never had enough troops on the ground."

CHENEY HAS NO RESPONSE TO ERROR IN JUDGMENT AT TORA BORA: Edwards stated that during the invasion of Afghanistan, "we had Osama bin Laden cornered at Tora Bora...This is the man who masterminded the greatest mass murder and terrorist attack in American history. And what did the administration decide to do? They gave the responsibility of capturing or killing...Osama bin Laden, to Afghan warlords, who just a few weeks before had been working with Osama bin Laden." Cheney responded by discussing John Kerry's congressional voting record in the 1970s.

CHENEY HAS NO RESPONSE TO HALLIBURTON CHARGES: Edwards explained that he opposed no-bid contracts for Halliburton because, while Cheney was CEO, Halliburton provided false information to the government (conduct for which the company was later fined millions), did business with Iran and is under investigation for having bribed foreign officials in Nigeria. Cheney said he didn't have time to rebut the charge. So-called fact checkers from the New York Times said that Edwards stretched the truth because there is "no evidence Mr. Cheney has pulled strings on Halliburton's behalf since becoming vice president." But Edwards never made that charge. (Incidentally, there is evidence that Cheney has pulled strings for Halliburton while in office.)

CHENEY REFUSES TO DEFEND HIS VOTING RECORD: Cheney, who spends much of his time on the campaign trail parsing the details of John Kerry's votes stretching back 30 years, refuses to defend his own record. Edwards noted, "he was one of 10 to vote against Head Start, one of four to vote against banning plastic weapons that can pass through metal detectors. He voted against the Department of Education. He voted against funding for Meals on Wheels for seniors. He voted against a holiday for Martin Luther King. He voted against a resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa." Cheney's entire response: "Oh, I think his record speaks for itself and, frankly, it's not very distinguished."

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