Liz Cheney, CIA | 07/14/2009 8:55 am
Liz Cheney May Run for Office Someday, But Today She's Blasting Democrats on Security
Dick Cheney’s daughter says Dems are politicizing intelligence issues by ordering probes of secret programs to go after terrorists.

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As Liz Cheney continues to defend dad Dick Cheney’s post-9/11 actions, she’s not ruling out a run for office herself sometime in the future.
"Right now, I’m very busy" helping Dad with his memoirs, Cheney told MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" today. "It’s something I may do down the road but it’s not something I’m thinking about right now."
A day earlier, Cheney, 42, told The Washington Times "America’s Morning News" radio show that a run for office is "something I very well may do."
Cheney, a lawyer and State Department appointee who worked on the 2008 Republican campaign, has, in the past few months, been a staunch defender of many Bush administration policies and a critic of those of President Obama. She’s also taken to the airwaves to blast Democrats for talking in public about interrogation techniques and other intelligence matters. Some Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called for an investigation into whether the Bush administration told the CIA to keep information from Congress. Liz Cheney today said that’s a whitewash to take attention away from Pelosi’s missteps in saying what she did — and did not — know about interrogation techniques for terror suspects in 2002, and said the recent allegations are "highly politicized." Pelosi accused the CIA of lying to her and others about what techniques were used, and Republicans said she needed to offer proof or apologize. Then there came news last week that the CIA did in fact keep some things from Congress, but we don’t know exactly what those things were. One reportedly was a CIA plan to dispatch small teams overseas to kill senior Al-Qaeda terrorists, which never really got off the ground. CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the program last month, and told Congress that the plan had been kept from them at the former vice president’s request.
"This appears to have been a series of plans to capture or kill Al-Qaeda and for the Democrats to use it and politicize it, for the Speaker to talk about investigations to cover up the trouble she’s in … strikes me as incredibly irresponsible," Liz Cheney said on MSNB today, adding that the American people should ask, "Are the Democrats up to handling national security?"
Talking about sources and methods and plans "weakens our ability to win this war," she continued. "The Democrats need to think long and hard whether they want to take us down that path."
Cheney stressed that the Executive Branch has the authority to make decisions about what they want to tell Congress. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales also today refused to give details about the CIA program. "There’s simply no evidence" that Cheney or the administration broke any rules. Others agree. Two former intelligence officials told CNN that Dick Cheney is getting a "bum rap" over reports that he ordered the CIA to withhold information about the Al-Qaeda program from Congress, and that there was no requirement to brief lawmakers on a program that wasn’t even put into action.
"It should come as no surprise that we would go after the bad guys, the terrorists," one official said.
"Right now, I’m very busy" helping Dad with his memoirs, Cheney told MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" today. "It’s something I may do down the road but it’s not something I’m thinking about right now."
A day earlier, Cheney, 42, told The Washington Times "America’s Morning News" radio show that a run for office is "something I very well may do."
Cheney, a lawyer and State Department appointee who worked on the 2008 Republican campaign, has, in the past few months, been a staunch defender of many Bush administration policies and a critic of those of President Obama. She’s also taken to the airwaves to blast Democrats for talking in public about interrogation techniques and other intelligence matters. Some Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called for an investigation into whether the Bush administration told the CIA to keep information from Congress. Liz Cheney today said that’s a whitewash to take attention away from Pelosi’s missteps in saying what she did — and did not — know about interrogation techniques for terror suspects in 2002, and said the recent allegations are "highly politicized." Pelosi accused the CIA of lying to her and others about what techniques were used, and Republicans said she needed to offer proof or apologize. Then there came news last week that the CIA did in fact keep some things from Congress, but we don’t know exactly what those things were. One reportedly was a CIA plan to dispatch small teams overseas to kill senior Al-Qaeda terrorists, which never really got off the ground. CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the program last month, and told Congress that the plan had been kept from them at the former vice president’s request.
"This appears to have been a series of plans to capture or kill Al-Qaeda and for the Democrats to use it and politicize it, for the Speaker to talk about investigations to cover up the trouble she’s in … strikes me as incredibly irresponsible," Liz Cheney said on MSNB today, adding that the American people should ask, "Are the Democrats up to handling national security?"
Talking about sources and methods and plans "weakens our ability to win this war," she continued. "The Democrats need to think long and hard whether they want to take us down that path."
Cheney stressed that the Executive Branch has the authority to make decisions about what they want to tell Congress. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales also today refused to give details about the CIA program. "There’s simply no evidence" that Cheney or the administration broke any rules. Others agree. Two former intelligence officials told CNN that Dick Cheney is getting a "bum rap" over reports that he ordered the CIA to withhold information about the Al-Qaeda program from Congress, and that there was no requirement to brief lawmakers on a program that wasn’t even put into action.
"It should come as no surprise that we would go after the bad guys, the terrorists," one official said.
Read more about: Al Qaeda, Bush Administration, CIA, congress, Dick Cheney, Interrogation, investigation, Leon Panetta, Liz Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, News, Office, President Obama, U.S., war on terror























312 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
I think from this report, says it all:
Again, is Pelosi really worth this administration losing their credibility?
Deborah, I particularly liked this sentence, "I often wonder what every American would be saying about this topic if it were 3 months out after the attacks?"
We should all give serious thought to that question.
S G, You know we really never agree on anything and I have many times tried to meet you half way. But this mess just is absolutely not a political party thing to me. It is an American people ordeal to me. Do you not understand the urgency to focus on the economy, jobs, and healthcare and everything else that is a mess in our country?? It is now Obama’s mess, he might have inherited but he has stepped in it now. Is the stimulus package working for you, loved ones, and your friends. We sure have not seen anything good happening in the state of Florida! If you truly believe that Obama was left the largest mess ever (which is not accurate) then do you not want him to focus on that S G? That is my whole point.
I have said this before and I will say it again, it would be so interesting to know how the Democrats would have handled 911. I would feel the exact same way I do with what Cheney or whoever did what they felt was the best thing in a God awful situation to keep us safe. I would have supported them after 911 just like I support Bush and Cheney.
S G if they had any proof what so ever that Cheney literally broke the law, he would be long gone and you know that. But my only point is for President Obama to take care of "We the People" that is what counts. This is just absurd and do you know who is going to pay for this investigation that will take forever?? You and me S G- No thank you, get the homeless a place to live, help get people jobs, save our 401K’s-what is left of them, and get our people food on their table, and healthcare would be great. This is what counts and this is what he promised us! Change, transparency, and not the old gotcha politics, I want what he promised. Sooner than later and we Can Not keep saying he inherited this. What good does that do and what difference does it make? Sorry about the length, I just wanted you to know this is not about a party to me at all. I at least hope that you will try to understand where I am coming from. I know you really dislike Cheney and I understand where you are coming from. This is not the time nor should it be a priority. That is all I am saying. Have a good night.
S G, I know that I could never change you mind about how you feel. But I will never ever choose to believe that ANY President from either party would be thinking about oil after the United States was attacked. I can not even wrap my head around such a thought. If you choose to believe that 9-11 was on Bush’s watch, then S G why do the Democrats continue to say that the economy was inherited, especially since Obama has passed the stimulus package and has his own policies incorporated now, but still will say everthing is Bush’s fault?
Those are the type of inconsistency’s that I have difficulty with. Where are the U.S. citizens that were hunted down, I can’t imagine that they would not be on all the main stream news networks and MSNBC? They would have a hay day with that. I really want you to know that I am not coming from a party line on this issue with Cheney. I am just speaking as an American citizen, giving my personal view of what I think is most and important right now in our country. I believe that priority must be the people. At the same time I really do respect the fact that you feel very differently than I do and I am not trying to say you are wrong. I just wanted you to know that. Your opinion is obviously as important as mine is. We just do not agree on this. Agreed?? Oh, just one more thing, how is it that you do not believe that President Bush did not keep us safe for 8 years? Just curious on your take with that. Have a good one!
Stacy, Good Afternoon from Florida! Just wanted to thank you and also tell you I felt like you were literally in my head as I was reading your post! It is Exactly how I feel and I sure could not have said it any better!
It is so difficult to understand that some Americans would rather go after anyone in a previous administration, just because of such hatred, but most of all at a time like this. My brother-in-law out in Calif. has been out of work for 8 mo. now and politicians and some Americans want to focus on this. Pretty hard to understand Stacy, isn’t it?? Enjoyed your post, it was great and thank you for it! It is really true when people say, "it is always easier in hindsight"! Especially when you are not the one’s making the horribly tough decisions. Have a great day!
So Stacy and Deborah, you are not saying that Cheney is not guilty of the alleged charges. You think we do not have time to fool with it? Interesting that Cheney was Secretary of Defense in George H. W. Bush’s administration when we rushed to the aid of Kuwait when Iraq threatened to invade. Now that was putting the first foot into Iraq, and that intervention was completely oil related. The Queen Noor at that time, the American Princeton graduate who married the king, father of the current king….writes in her autobiography that her husband, perhaps the most respected Middle East leader, was on the verge of negotiating a truce between Iraq and Kuwait, but the Americans insisted on a battle. No incident occurs in isolation…History is a confluence of incidents, which should not be ignored.
And as relates to the Gulf War, G H W Bush enjoyed huge popularity, but lost the next election because of the economy. His son experienced the same surge of popularity, but exitted and left McCain and the Republican party with the same mess Obama faces. All of that history cost McCain the election because he had no economic policy.
What would America look like if McCain had been successful? What would be different?
Peace and grace