I just finished reading Angler (Cheney bio)

[Neecy]

I hesitated buying this. I'd rather look forward than back on the trainwreck of the last 8 years - but it's important to understand how we've fallen so far so fast. It's also a cautionary tale of Republican ideology run amok.

In short, Dick Cheney was our president from January, 2000 until approximately 2006, when Bush fired Rumsfeld. How he accomplished this is a tribute to his ability to manipulate the system and a disinterested, lazy Commander in Chief who would rather play president than be one. Other books have detailed Bush's lack of interest in his job; here we see the consequences of this for Cheney and the country.

The book opens with Cheney calling potential VP candidates in 2000 and asking if they'd agree to be vetted. If they did, they were given a vetting package that was astounding in the amount of not only financial but highly personal information it required for the individual and their family. Keep in mind that Cheney knew he'd forward himself as the VP - but continued to collect dossiers on people who would turn out to be key in the next 8 years - John Kasich, the House Budget Committee chairman; Tom Ridge, future secretary of Homeland Security; Bill Frist, future Senate majority leader; John Danforth, future UN ambassador; John Kyl, chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee; and Chuck Hagel, a fiercely independent Republican Senator. Cheney himself received almost no vetting - but he now had useful information on key people, which he abused almost immediately (see the book for the disgusting story) which possibly sent a message to everyone who had agreed to the vetting process.

Cheney's real takeover began when Bush allowed him to begin the 'shadow transition' during the Florida recount. Cheney populated the government with his people, particularly the second-tier positions where policies are shaped. Of course he picked Bush's cabinet. After the selection, Cheney made it a point to attend meetings that no other VP had attended - the crucial meetings where policy recommendations for a broad range of issues were decided. Cheney's presence shaped these decisions so, when recommendations ended up on Bush's desk from the economy to energy to judicial nominations they were Cheney policies that Bush merely rubber stamped. Cheney strong armed the Republican congress as well - giving him unusual power from the executive to the legislative.

Every one of his policies have been a disaster for the country, from the 'unitary executive' that gave us spying on US citizens, torture, Gitmo, and signing statements to the economic policies that have raped the middle class to environmental policies that have given a free hand to the polluters. And speaking of the spying program, the author infers that the domestic spying was much broader than is generally recognized, a 'big net' that swept up our emails and phone records.

Bush, despite being portrayed as lazy and disinterested, gets somewhat sympathetic treatment for not being as ruthless in destroying the middle class as Cheney. He gets a small amount of credit for pushing Cheney aside after letting him run the administration and run roughshod over his own White House staff for six years.

Of the entire sorry cast of characters, the only one who emerges not entirely insane is Condi Rice. She was treated with brutal contempt as NSA by Rumsfeld and completely bypassed by Cheney. When she was marginally in the loop, she tried to warn Bush of impending disaster so he could override Cheney - which he occasionally did. Whether she deserves sympathetic treatment will be for historians to decide. But she comes out of this book as more moderate and with more common sense than anyone else in the crew.

Cheney's illegal activities and contempt for the law left me wondering why impeachment, at least for him, was 'off the table'. I can guarantee there's enough there - Cheney can't destroy files that went to other agencies and individuals - that I predict Bush will issue a pardon for him before he leaves office if Obama is elected.

A good, if enraging, book.

[stray cat]

1. Thanks for an excellent write up - do you think it provides enough new insight over whats known?

[Neecy]

3. I think so

The book pretty much puts Plame entirely on Cheney, and the chapter on 9/11 proves that both Bush and Cheney lied to the 9/11 Commission about the shootdown order of hijacked aircraft. The book covered both of these issues much better than the msm has.

[peekaloo]

2. The author was on Democracy Now last week . Given his allotted time

he barely scratched the surface of what his book entailed. Thanks for the synopsis. We are in serious trouble when "Dr." Rice comes out looking sane.

Paul Giamatti said last night about being honored for his portrayal of Adams, "any kid in America can grow up to PLAY the president (twice).

Bastards all.

[UTUSN]

4. I can hardly wait to read it, but I'm halfway through The 7 Pillars of Wisdom

and I have to finish it because half-finished books reproduce like rabbits.



QUOTE FROM T.E. LAWRENCE, "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom," Anchor Books Edition, paper, p. 188: "...until a comparison of Kuhne and Foch disgusted me with soldiers, wearied me of their officious glory, making me critical of all their light."

[MadrasT]

5. I'm reading it now... great summary!

I hesitated to read it for the same reason you stated - I'd rather look forward. But it's so important to understand what happened. I don't know if I'll be able to finish it because it is so infuriating, but I'm making a hearty effort.

[Neecy]

6. I had the same problem

I got it last week and normally I'd have it finished in a day or two, but I kept putting it down because I could feel my head about to explode. I never do that with a book. Cheney has quite the effect :)