Republican calls Dick Cheney "Ridiculous" (w/ video)
Say what you will about Chuck Hagel. But this was one pretty sweet tongue lashing he gave Dick Cheney on The Rachel Maddow Show.
RACHEL: What do you make of Vice President Dick Cheney's allegation that President Obama has made the U.S. less safe? He's been rather bellicose about that recently.
HAGEL: Well, that's ridiculous. It has no merit on fact, or by any measurement. Come on, this guy hasn't even been in office two months!
The mess that the Bush Administration left the Obama Administration....I'm a Republican! We ran up more than a third of the nation's national debt under a Republican President and a Republican Congress six out of the last eight years. We got America into two wars. We've done great damage to our economy, to our force structure, to our standing in the world. And for a Vice President who participated in that, who LED in that, to come on and say that this new administration has really put America in danger is just folly.
Now, maybe in four years that will be the case. I don't know, we'll see. But to say that now makes no sense and I'm sorry the Vice President said that.
Hagel also went on to criticize Michael Steele for threatening to run Republican primary challengers against Sens. Collins, Snowe, and Specter for supporting the stimulus bill, calling Steele's plans "nutty prescriptions."
Not that I'm gonna go out and vote for Hagel to come back to the Senate or anything, but.....damn! Dare I say it: Well played, Chuck.
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Cross-posted at Daily Kos
Just goes to show, not all Repubs are bad anymore than all Dems are good.
March 18, 2009 1:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do like Hagel. I thought it was interesting that when Bush was asked about Obama yesterday while giving his speech in Canada, he said he hoped that President Obama would succeed, adding, “He deserves my silence, and if he wants my help he is welcome to call me.”
Little different than what Cheney said.
March 18, 2009 1:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if the differences between Bush and Cheney are stronger than suggested by the spat over Scooter. I wonder if Bush is starting to figure out how bad an influence Cheney was on his own ability to be president.
March 18, 2009 3:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bush started to realize he was in trouble with Cheney the day that he tried to manipulate Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey in the White House to go along with some anti-Constitutional Cheney scheme and (1) Comey flatly told him and he'd resign that day instead, (2) Comey added that he felt obligated to mention the FBI Director was resigning that same day over the same mockery of rule of law. Cheney would have told them both not to let the Oval Office door hit their asses on the way out, and there would likely have been mass protest resignations at Justice to boot, and that would have been fine with Cheney too. Bush realized his presidency was at risk and calmed the waters. Of course he failed presidency was at much graver risk than he understood.
By the end, Bush knew that (a) he was a poster child of failure and (b) Cheney's genius and his own trust in the madman had largely made him that.
March 18, 2009 5:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
dicky c. The single worst human being to be in the WH in a hundred years. Makes Nixon look like a misdemeanant.
March 18, 2009 8:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great find, XX. I always liked Hagel for this reason, even if I rarely agreed with his policy positions
I am still pissed these guys didn't say a thing for the entire time they were in Congress. I also find it curious that they canonize Reagan, who was every bit the dip shit that George Junior is, only Daddy Bush pulling the strings instead of Cheney.
I wonder how long it will take the GOP to realize that they have been duped and to look a little further back in history for a clue as to how they can move forward.
March 18, 2009 8:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Unlike Bushit, and Dick "Five Deferments" Cheney, Hagel is an actual veteran.
March 18, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
This suggests that the repubs can see the importance of coming out and telling the truth. If one can do it, more than can do it!
Thanks for this great catch, Superbowl!
March 18, 2009 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
The video has now been updated with the shortened version from Think Progress. No need to skip through any part of it now.
March 18, 2009 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
And it's over on TPMDC now too.
March 18, 2009 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's that link:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/hagel-to-gop-if-you-dont-govern-seriously-you-become-irrelevant.php
The TPMDC story has a link to a Mother Jones article on the same interview. And more.
March 18, 2009 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dang, one speaks out! Good post superbowl, thank you.
March 18, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hagel cleared my one major concern about him in Senate Roll Call Vote: 340 on September 19, 2007. Godspeed Sergeant Hagel.
March 18, 2009 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting user name.
Not looking for readers in New England, eh?
March 18, 2009 11:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha ha, no it's all good. I welcome readers from every state.
Truth be told I wasn't that old when Super Bowl XX was played. But seeing as it's still a proud moment for me as a Bears fan, I wanted to express that in the name.
March 18, 2009 11:59 PM | Reply | Permalink