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EXCLUSIVE: Cheney One-on-One
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ShareApril 04, 2007 12:03 PM
ABC News Radio's Ann Compton Reports: In an exclusive interview with ABC News Radio, Vice President Dick Cheney greeted the release of fifteen British sailors from Iran, blasted Democratic efforts to attach a timetable for withdrawal to an Iraq spending bill, and played the role of political pundit in the 2008 Republican presidential contest.
Regarding the soon to be released British sailors, Cheney told ABC News Radio, "I don't know all the details, obviously, but I'm glad to know that the British sailors will be released," quickly adding that it was "unfortunate they were ever taken in the first place" and pointing out "there's considerable evidence that they were, in fact, in Iraqi territorial waters when this happened."
Cheney said he did not know if there was a 'quid-pro-quo' ensuring their release but said if there was such an exchange, it sets a bad precedent for the future.
"If you get into the business where you reward that kind of behavior, there will be more of that kind of behavior," Cheney said.
The Vice President also sounded off on the emergency spending bill for the Iraq War currently winding its way through Congress with a timetable for withdrawal attached.
"The president is the commander-in-chief," Cheney declared, "he's the one that makes the decisions about the use of miltary force."
Blasting Democrats who support the withdrawal measure, Cheney asserted, "They are trying to usurp the ability of the president to make those basic decisions," adding that he felt their legislative efforts would "interfere with the actions of our troops on the ground."
"We made it very clear," Cheney concluded, "what we want is a clean bill."
On another hot topic, the Vice President continued the White House's criticism of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's, D-Calif., Middle East tour which included a recent stop in Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad.
Cheney called Pelosi's diplomatic venture "unfortunate" explaining, "the fact of the matter is Bashar Assad has been a bad actor in many respects," citing Syria as a "conduit for Iranian support of Hezbollah" and a "flow of jihadists" into Iraq.
Echoing President Bush, who on Tuesday labeled Pelosi's visit to Syria "counterproductive", Cheney added, "He's been isolated and cut off be of his bad behavior. The unfortunate thing about the Speaker's visit is it sort of breaks down that barrier."
"His bad behavior's being rewarded in a sense," Cheney concluded to ABC News Radio.
On the more general question of his relationship with the newly minted Democratic Speaker of the House, Cheney smiled and said simply, "It is what it is."
After complimenting Pelosi's "historic" status as the first female Speaker, Cheney also said, "There are fundamental differences. Nancy Pelosi is basically a, you know, what (former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations) Jeane Kirkpatrick used to call a San Francisco Democrat; she's a liberal and those are her views, there's nothing wrong with that, that's her world view...(but) we're bound to have disagreements and we do."
Expecting his sixth grandchild next month from daughter Mary Cheney and her lesbian partner Heather Poe, Cheney reiterated that he had not changed his views on the Clinton era 'Don't ask, Don't tell' policy concerning homosexuals serving in the military and repeated his support for states taking the lead in gay rights equality issues.
Cheney, who returned to the hospital recently to treat a deep vein thrombosis, insisted he was feeling good and said, "I was fortunate to catch it early and I've got great medical care."
Declining to detail much about his post-White House plans except to say, "I'm not aiming to do anything in the public spotlight," later further clarifying, "but I do expect that the public aspect of it will end it ," Cheney did comment on the 2008 Republican presidential field.
Insisting he would stay out of the presidential fray until "at least after the convention", Cheney declined to predict a nomination winner but could not resist several pundit volleys from ABC News Radio's Ann Compton.
When asked whether Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is too old to be president, Cheney answered, "No."
Asked whether former New York Mayor Giuliani has been married too many times to be president, the Vice President also retorted, "No."
And, finally, when asked whether religion would be an impediment for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Cheney again replied, "No."
April 4, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (67)
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Cheney has about as much credibility with the American Public as a serial killer. Why anyone gives this regrettably disdainful guy airtime is beyond me.
What a joke, when he leaves the White House he will be rolling around in all that money he has been able to hide from his War profiteering, thanks to his sweet deals with haliburton in Iraq. Cheney is a despicable human being, thank God he's almost out of our face. Let's hope it's for good.
Posted by: Sue Filutze | Apr 4, 2007 12:30:29 PM
Mr. Cheney needs to go back to 8th grade and study the Constitution again, but then he probably had better things to do with his time back then.
Congress fairly explicitly has the responsibility of funding the Army. However the Army can't be funded for more than two years at a time, this is so Congress has a control over a President ignoring We, the People.
Posted by: ntsc | Apr 4, 2007 12:33:58 PM
"echocing the president's words" - they all have the same talking points. Must meet first thing every morning and get them memorized!
Posted by: sunny | Apr 4, 2007 1:07:39 PM
Asked if he had a decent, honorable bone in his body, Cheney again replied, "No."
Posted by: republiCON | Apr 4, 2007 1:36:54 PM
According to the Cardiac Kid, it seems everyone other than GOPinheads are behaving badly.
Tsk tsk tsk.
When will they learn to behave and use the system to rob, pillage, and kill like Cheney does?
Posted by: georgembush | Apr 4, 2007 1:38:46 PM
So if I am reading this right and applying the fact that the VP has been completely proven wrong on his past judgements, I can conclude that McCain is too old, Guliani has too many ex wives and Rommney is the wrong religion. Pelosi is doing the right thing and Iran should be commended for releasing the British sailors.
Posted by: Agjobs | Apr 4, 2007 1:40:28 PM
once again the un asked queation is why. why is so terrible for nancy pelosi to vivst syria but no mention of the republican visit last week?
Posted by: butch | Apr 4, 2007 1:50:44 PM
Shooter Cheney: YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIBILITY ON ANY SUBJECT.
End of story.
Posted by: tuckerk | Apr 4, 2007 1:52:38 PM
Funny, isn't it? Rep. Joe Pitts and two other Republican congressmen are ALSO visiting Syrian President
Assad at the same time as Speaker Pelosi...and somehow, only she is the one "rewarding bad behavior". Or, did I miss out on the hypocrisy express?
Posted by: Lisa L | Apr 4, 2007 1:53:06 PM
Why is it we still listen to anything this man has to say? Just asking.
Posted by: Shawn | Apr 4, 2007 1:57:58 PM
I love Dick Cheney. His grandchildren are very lucky to have him and so are his children.
Posted by: newman | Apr 4, 2007 1:58:27 PM
Asked whether Cheney thought Romney, McCain, and Giuliani were too warmongering and authoritarian and lied too much for the Republicans, Cheney said, "No. Republicans are addicted to war and power and lies and can't ever get enough."
Posted by: Barry Mauer | Apr 4, 2007 1:58:44 PM
You can gauge Cheney's answers to Compton's questions by his track record while in office. He's batting a 1.000, he's been wrong about everything!
Posted by: 4tpaine | Apr 4, 2007 2:03:40 PM
See ya Dick!
Why didn't ABC News ask him about the GOP going to Syria, and the White House's help in sending them there?
Does ABC love to leave out huge pieces of stories to make the GOP talking-points?
What about the message that Pelosi brought to Syria from Israel? Why did ABC fail to mention the most important aspect of her visit to Damascus?
Ommitting this stuff is basically lying, and maybe that's one reason ABC has seen it's viewership completely tank lately.
Posted by: Volum | Apr 4, 2007 2:07:16 PM
Like anyone believes what the President or the Vice-president says anymore. Lies, lies, and more lies that is what has come out of this administation since day one.
Posted by: Kathy | Apr 4, 2007 2:13:07 PM
Why wasn't the fact that the GOP had a delegation in Syria days before Speaker Pelosi visited noted in your story? Why aren't the republicans as outraged by that fact? Why are you, in the press, so obviously biased against full-truth in your reporting? ALL THE FACTS, make an informed public! Or is that what you're afraid of?
Posted by: Dave Hoffer | Apr 4, 2007 2:14:56 PM
In reading this article and all the NO's that Cheney gave on the various questions on the presidential candidates to date. He should have learned how to use the word NO when it came to mimicking Bush and giving the high 5's for getting us into this ill advised conflict and using WMD and a phony report that everyone knew was false but yet used by Bush in the State of the Union speech. By the way. All you Moron's that follow this administrations lead and patriotic call for arms. I would be interested to know how many of you have lost loved one's for a dream?
Posted by: Ted Lipniarski | Apr 4, 2007 2:18:23 PM
I'm so glad DICK cheney has "..got great medical care."
Good for him. He deserves it and the rest of us 47 million uninsured don't.
You know, some animals are more equal than others.
Posted by: Reichstadt | Apr 4, 2007 2:39:56 PM
Why are you not asking anyone about the "right-wings" visits to Syria? Too much ditzney in your reporting. Getting as bad as O'Really!!!!!
Posted by: Jim | Apr 4, 2007 2:40:42 PM
It would be nice if reporters would actually do their job for once and not act as a mouthpiece. How hypocritical is it to criticize Pelosi for going to Syria, when the day before 3 republicans were there doing what she was doing. God forbide someone do some research and ask a remotely tough question. This is why the public was allowed to be lied to about Iraq, lazy journalists who are more worried about access than telling the real story. Way to go abc, protect your investers, got to get those tax breaks!
Posted by: craig | Apr 4, 2007 2:44:04 PM
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