comments_image -

Is Dick Cheney Running for President in 2012?

I'm not trying to start any rumors, but Cheney is certainly acting like a guy who plans to run for something.
May 12, 2009  |  
 
Advertisement
 

What's that line? How can we miss you if you won't go away?

Just a few days ago, Dick Cheney explained his belief that it's time for some of the older establishment Republican voices to exit the stage. "I think periodically we have to go through one these sessions. It helps clear away some of the underbrush," the former vice president said, adding, "Some of the older folks who've been around a long time -- like yours truly -- need to move on and make room for that young talent that's coming along."

Two days later, he appeared on "Face the Nation." Next week, he's delivering a speech on national security at a Washington think tank.

Amid claims that the interrogation methods amount to torture and that those who approved them should be prosecuted or censured, it is clear that we know surprisingly little about the scope and efficacy of the Bush administration's national security policy. Many questions linger: What type of information did enhanced interrogation methods yield? Were lives saved as a result? Could that intelligence have been effectively collected by other means? How effective was the terrorist surveillance program in detecting the threat of al Qaeda and its operatives in the post-9/11 period? Will inhibiting these procedures cost more American lives?

On May 21, former vice president Dick Cheney will speak at AEI to address these critical issues and provide a blueprint for keeping America safe in the future.

It's all part of his plan to "move on and make room for that young talent that's coming along."

I'm not trying to start any rumors, but Cheney is certainly acting like a guy who plans to run for something. He's doing lots of media interviews, cultivating his connection with Limbaugh, attacking the president, lying about Democratic ideas, and giving at least one speech at a major conservative think tank about his vision for the future.

Steve Benen is "blogger in chief" of the popular Washington Monthly online blog, Political Animal. His background includes publishing The Carpetbagger Report, and writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He has also appeared on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show," and XM Radio's "POTUS '08."
submit to reddit

-
Email
Print
Share
LIKED THIS ARTICLE? JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST
Stay up to date with the latest AlterNet headlines via email
See more stories tagged with: republicans, gop, cheney, dick cheney, dnc, 2012, dick
Advertisement
Most Read
Most Emailed
Most Discussed
On REDDIT
On DIGG
 
loading most read content ..
Advertisement
Why Downplaying the Difference Between Obama and Romney is Not Helpful

By David Atkins | Hullabaloo

 
 
6 Signs Conservative Rhetoric is Losing the Debate

By Ryan Cooper | Washington Monthly Political Animal

 
 
Prohibition, 2012: Senate Bans Fake Pot, 'Bath Salts', 2C-E in Amendment Added to FDA Safety and Innovation Act

By Kristen Gwynne | AlterNet

 
 
Appalachian Women Lead Dramatic Protest Against Mountaintop Removal: Interview With Marilyn Mullens

By Jeff Biggers | AlterNet

 
 
Amazon Communities Develop Innovative Water Solutions After Environmental Devastation

By Tara Lohan | AlterNet

 
 
Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker Calls Drug War a "Nightmare," Tweets About Racist Incarceration

By Kristen Gwynne | AlterNet

 
 
Breaking: Obama Campaign Stop at Factory Farm Propaganda Site, Billed as "Grassroots Event"

By Dave Murphy | AlterNet

 
 
Amazon.com Becomes 16th Corporation to Dump ALEC

By Rebekah Wilce | PR Watch

 
 
DNC Finally Helps Scott Walker Opponent Raise Money for Recall Election

By Lauren Kelley | AlterNet

 
 
OWS Librarians Sue Mayor Bloomberg, NYPD, and City of New York Over November 15 Middle-of-the-Night Raid

By Lauren Kelley | AlterNet

 
 
 
 
 
loading ...
POWERED BY DIGG'S USERS
 
[ page served from web 2 ]