Details the myriad illegal, immoral, and unethical activities of Dick Cheney when CEO of Halliburton, his obstruction of justice, and lies to the American public since his appointment as Vice President. For information on an equally corrupt politician, see link to Tom DeLay-Corporate Whore. Be sure to visit our cavernous vault of archives.

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CHENEY FLIP-FLOPS—BIG-TIME! A phony man pulled a major flip. But will pundits dare to discuss it?

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2004

CHENEY FLIP-FLOPS—BIG-TIME: We all know how our Big Pundits hate flip-flops! But are they prepared to report Cheney’s flip? Last week, the dissembling veep kept telling voters that Kerry recommended “sensitivity” toward terrorists. Everyone knows that this claim is pure bunk, but pundits hid beneath their desks, too afraid to challenge Cheney’s fake statement. Result? By Saturday, the veep was playing the rubes extra hard. He played them in Elko, Nevada:

CHENEY (8/14/04): Senator Kerry has also said that if he were in charge he would fight a “more sensitive” war on terror. (Laughter.)
America has been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was ever won by being “sensitive.” (Applause.)
President Abraham Lincoln and General Grant did not wage sensitive wars. President Roosevelt and Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur did not wage a sensitive war. A “sensitive war” will not destroy the evil men who killed 3,000 Americans on the morning of 9/11, and who now seek chemical, nuclear and biological weapons to kill hundreds of thousands more. The men who beheaded Daniel Pearl and Paul Johnson will not be impressed by our sensitivity. (Applause.)
As our opponents see it, the problem isn't the thugs and the murderers we face, but it is somehow our attitude. Well, the American people know better. They know that we are in a fight to preserve our freedom and our way of life, and that we are on the side of right and justice in this battle. Those who threaten us and kill innocents around the world do not need to be treated more sensitively. They need to be destroyed. (Applause.)

Shocking, isn’t it? According to Cheney, Kerry thinks the problem is us, not the terrorists. They won’t be impressed by sensitivity, he said, implying that Kerry had said something different. What a truly remarkable slander—a slander acceded to by your “press corps,” who cower and hide behind their chairs when Cheney plays games like this with the rubes. And by the way, is the following statement accurate? “America has been in many wars, but not a one of them was ever won by being ‘sensitive.’” Readers, did we learn nothing from watching Patton? Every American war has involved diplomacy—“sensitivity” to allies’ interests. But those voters—laughing, applauding—didn’t know Cheney had played them for fools. And pundits were simply too afraid to notice the plain and the obvious.

And that’s where Cheney’s flip-flop comes in! On Thursday, the VP spoke with conservative talk host Hugh Hewitt (click here, then scroll down for transcript). He started with the week’s prescribed drivel about how “the two words don’t really go together, sensitive and war.” But moments later, Hewitt asked about the current stand-off in Najaf. And wouldn’t you know it? Surprise of surprises! Accidentally telling the truth, Dick Cheney flip-flopped—big-time:

HEWITT (8/12/04): Will the Najaf offensive continue until that city is subdued even if that means a siege of the Imam Ali shrine?

CHENEY: Well, from the standpoint of the shrine, obviously it is a sensitive area, and we are very much aware of its sensitivity. On the other hand, a lot of people who worship there feel like Moqtada Sadr is the one who has defiled the shrine, if you will, and I would expect folks on the scene there, including U.S. commanders, will work very carefully with the Iraqis so that we minimize the extent to which the U.S. is involved in any operation that might involve the shrine itself.”

Good God! As Cheney dumbly but honestly noted, the army hasn’t taken that mosque due to “sensitivity” about cultural issues. Dumbly, Cheney used the very word he had just trashed Kerry for using. Dumbly but honestly, Cheney showed how utterly fake his week-long assault has really been.

But then, the U.S. army has been “sensitive” to allies and potential allies in every war it ever has fought. And Bush and Cheney have pursued the same sort of “sensitive war” for which they’ve assaulted Feckless Kerry. Yes, Cheney has played the voters for fools in his ugly trashing of Kerry. But now, this fake man has flip-flopped—big-time. We know how our pundits just hate those big flips. Will they dare mention this one from Cheney?

IT’S TIME FOR THE “PRESS CORPS” TO ACT: We know! Washington pundits get very scared when faced with the Bush Admin’s endless faking. But this latest example is so extreme and absurd that it simply must be reported. For the past week, Bush and Cheney—and Cheney’s wife—have trashed Kerry over this gimmicked-up scandal. They have baldly misstated what Kerry said—and they’ve played the voters for fools in the process. And now here he is, the great Dick Cheney, expressing the very same view he’s been mocking, even using the very same language! But will your frightened, startled-deer pundits dare discuss what the great man has said? The answer to that is perfectly clear; unless they’re forced, they won’t likely act. They’ll micro-nitpick Kerry’s statements—but run in fear from Cheney and Bush. Your Washington pundits—your Sangers; your Simons; your Meachams, your Kornbluts—these foppish scribes become scared rabbits when it comes to telling the truth about power. You’re going to have to scream and yell if you want them to talk about Cheney’s big flip. They’re very frightened, and weak (more below). You’re going to have to scream and yell if you want your weak pundits to act.