Cheney as Elvis: He'll never leave the building

It doesn't really matter who Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain selects as his running mate. Democrats are already gearing up to compare him or her to Vice President Dick Cheney.

The reason: nothing works better to propel Democrats to the polls than the idea of four more years of Dick Cheney.

In a website called TheNextCheney, the Democratic National Committee quoted McCain as saying, in 2001, that if he'd been nominated instead of George W. Bush, he would have made the same veep decision. Or, as he told Cheney at the time, "With a little more luck, I might have been able to ask you to be my vice president." So, asked the DNC, "Who will be John McCain's second choice?"

From there, it's a catalog of choices -- all with a Cheney connection.

There's Tim Pawlenty, hand-picked by Cheney to be Minnesota's governor. Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, who changed his positions on immigration and Social Security reform to match Cheney's. Carly Fiorina, the former H-P chairman who wants to outsource jobs, just like Cheney does.

You get the idea.

Which makes us wonder whether Cheney has become a larger-than-life character who will loom over the political scene for decades, long after he leaves the building.

Like Elvis.

— Johanna Neuman

Photo credit: U.S. National Archives

Comments

[Brittanicus]

Massive negative consequences of illegal immigration on today's and yesterdays economy. It is all encompassing! Obama, McCain, Governors, Mayors, Councilors, City managers take notice! 80 percent of the American people are watching!

Overpopulation, traffic congestion, urban sprawl, pollution, environmental damage, water, oil, gas, energy diminishing resources, contagious diseases, lack of affordable housing, depressed wages of US citizens, underground economic, fraudulent documents, identity theft, Sanctuary cities, predatory businesses tax evasion, soaring nationwide crime rate growth , increased taxpayer burdens, $$$ going across the border, overseas, overcrowded schools, uneducated legal children, overcrowded prisons, inadequate health care for legal residents, but free health care for illegal immigrants.

The balkanization of our communities and a large and growing population with loyalty to other Nations. Just read this disturbing revelation of costs to the Taxpayer: GOOGLE these sites! Find the truth? numbersusa, snopes- under-politics, fairus, capsweb, americanpatrol, libertypost, vdare. Our politicians must endorse the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) before the next AMNESTY bill.

[Dee]

VOTE FOR MAVERICK MCCAIN

Obama is inexperienced, not familiar with international issues, and can’t be trusted because the American public loves him too much!

People of this country have an obligation to elect McCain! McCain WILL establish world unity by declaring that all Americans must sing: Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran. He can use the world’s largest privatized United States Army ( Blackwater) to force Congress to pass a bill that will send cigarettes and Cindy McCain’s favorite prescription drugs of choice to Iran.

McCain can enlist hardcore Republicans to teach in our schools and lower educational standards to reflect McCain’s knowledge of world history! It will be wonderful! President Bush could be his “English language” advisor, while McCain works on history and geography! After all, who cares about the difference between Iraq and Afghanistan? McCain could retire Joe LIEberman as his watchdog of blunders because after a few years of war, all Americans will believe that Iran helped Al Qaeda! McCain can even have all history books reprinted to prove the Czech Republic is really Czechoslovakia. After all, who cares if Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and Slovakia in 1993. By changing things on the world map, he can legally and rightfully confuse Somalia for Sudan. He can make Pakistan share a border with Iraq! Just change the map fools! McCain can officially rewrite the history of the Sunni or Anbar Awakening! McCain could even uproot Vladimir Putin and MAKE him President of Germany! All of this and more can be done with lowering educational standards and wars upon wars!

Picture it! President John McCain sitting in front of a panel of red buttons, pushing them as fast as he can while singing Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Germany, France, England and any country of his choice simply because he doesn’t know the difference between friendly countries and unfriendly countries. American’s across the great land will all have jobs building bomb shelters for woman and children while the men will be enlisting in Blackwater’s Army. The economy will be the greatest in the world as more conventional and nuclear weapons are produced.

Oh what a sight! McCain pushing red buttons, woman, children and old men and women bunkered down in bomb shelters with Grandpa busy watching a rerun of Cindy McCain (nude as a jay bird) participate in the Ms. Buffalo Chip beauty pageant! Can you visualize it…Bombs flying above, and occasionally landing on well-hidden shelters, Blackwater troops marching down streets collecting gays, Hispanics, Democrats and other enemies of the Bush and McCain policies!

While he’s at it, he can have his book “Faith Of My Fathers” rewritten to reflect the real truth of his P.O.W. days. He did not give the names of the Green Bay Packers to the enemy! He gave the names of the starting defensive lineup for the Pittsburgh Steelers as his squadron mates!
McCain will of course have the writer shot on a public square for those not hiding in shelters to see!

McCain is such a wise leader…he was opposed to insurance companies paying for birth control pills because this country needs to replenish itself with hardcore Republicans! We mustn’t forget about the oil companies! Wars need Oil! McCain will be very popular with Americans!

Vote, Vote, Vote for Maverick McCain!!!

[Diana Witt]

I hope you are wrong. As August marches on, I've started to think of
Bush-Cheyney as a rotting corpse that you have in your living room and you can't get rid of it till Jan. 20, the idea of either of them hanging around, even metaphorically, is unthinkable.

[Merfzero]

Boy, am I going to love to hear the Obama campaign explaining the Leiberman / Cheney connection.

[Louise Sheaffer]

You should be ashamed of yourself for running an article such as this. You sound like 4th graders. This hype is so childish and really does upset me. Just how stupid do you think most Americans are?? But then, you ARE who you ARE and do fall into that per centage of Americans that really are that stupid...sometimes my memory just escapes me and I have to fall back to reality. I also know that you don't have what it takes to post this comment but sure made me feel better just to say it !!!

[Jared]

It’s unfortunate that the DNC has now turned to boldface lies and misrepresentation. Take their info on Mitt Romney for instance. They indicate that Mitt Romney has flip-flopped positions to support Cheney/Bush by citing an old quote by Romney and then contradicting it with a newer quote, but with respect to the mismanagement of the war, they start with a newer quote, that the war was mismanaged and then compare it to older quote saying that he wouldn’t second guess Bush/Cheney, implying that he changed his position to support Bush/Cheney, when really he moved to say the war was mismanaged. If someone reading that was not paying close attention to the details, they would be misled (and I would say intentionally so by the DNC) to think Romney does not now believe the war was mismanaged, when that is in fact the more recent quote. Dirty pool.
They also say that Romney increased the state budget each year, which although true is misleading. The increase each year was well within a generally acceptable inflation range, 3-5% per year. What, does the DNC want us to believe that inflation does not exist? Newsflash: Prices go up each year. I guess they need an economics refresher course.

[margaret]

As anyone would VOTE FOR OBAMA....They are voting down the morals and values that this MIRACLE of a place called the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS blessed the world with! ! ! I, for one...don't want to participate in THE DEATH OF AMERICA....and the beinning of the birth of THE UNITED STATES OF 'AFRICA'! ! ! This guy is an ARAB! ! !...and NOT EVEN A CHRISITIAN! ! ! He'll throw ANYONE UNDER THE BUS! ! !...Rev. Wright AND THE REST OF THE POPULATION OF 'AMERICA'.

WAKE UP, AMERICANS! ! !....and SMELL THE COFFEE! ! !...This OBAMA will 'SELL US DOWN THE RIVER' just as fast as HE SOLD HIS 'WHITE GRANMOTHER DOWN THE RIVER! ! !

[Tom]

Hopefully, Cheney will be humiliated and in prison next year. It's important to demonstrate to future leaders that the people will not tolerate corruption, incompetence and utter disregard for their constitutional rights.

[Des O'Dwyer]

"If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate."

Clearly some of your readers are not sticking to the rules.

[Tom]

Poor margaret. So much ignorance, racism. Sad.

[Diane Bodenstein]

"[A]fter a few years of war, all Americans will believe that Iran helped Al Qaeda!"

Actually, it is a well-known and uncontroverted fact that Iran has been bankrolling, arming and otherwise supporting a number of terrorist and Muslim extremist organizations, including Hammas, which has torn apart Lebanon and has a stated purpose of destroying the state of Israel. Whether or not Iran has directly helped Al Quaeda, it certainly has done so indirectly, at the very least. But, then, you're probably one of those naive hardcore leftists who believes all the Muslim extremist propaganda...

I am not, by any means, advocating for the Bush-Cheney adminstration or the continuation of its policies - frankly, I am as disgusted with them as you are; but your farcical comment (and vivid imagination) goes way too far. Painting such a ridiculous, overexaggerated and alarmist picture, however facetious, is irresponsible and leaves you looking like some half-hysterical, disgruntled, left-wing extremist. In fact, it was precisely this sort of hysterical hyperbole that got us Lyndon Johnson - and a full scale war in Viet Nam - back in the 1960s. Oh, but then again, your memory probably doesn't stretch back that far, and you've probably never studied history!

[Daniel, Louisiana]

"This guy is an ARAB! ! !...and NOT EVEN A CHRISITIAN! ! !"

Both charges are incorrect. However, what would it matter if he were Arab? Or a Muslim?

Racism has nothing to do with this campaign. Sure.

[Sha]

Margaret - I am disgusted by your racism, ignorance and stupidity. Just goes to show you that no matter how much information there is out there, and no matter how many sources there are to seek out that information there are people who will believe what they believe despite the fact that it is completely untrue, baseless and downright immoral and unchristian-like.

So I ask you - you contradict your own statement. Is he African American or is he an Arab? The answer - he is a bi-racial (african american/caucasian) man with no ties to Saudi Arabia whatsoever. How the heck is he an Arab? His father is from Indonesia. His mother is from Kansas. He is a Christian. That being said...what does it matter? America is a diverse racial society made up of all cultures and religious backgrounds. Whether he is a christian, muslim, jew or whatever is completely besides the point. He is an AMERICAN. There is a reason this country has religious freedoms but also has something called separation of church and state. Its there for people like you that don't understand that FREEDOM isn't something to only be enjoyed by others that think just like you but for all of us.

WAKE UP MARGARET! People like you are the reason this country is in the toilet....

[Sha]

correcting myself - his father is from Kenya, step-father from indonesia

[Chuck Glisson]

This comment is directed at; " Margaret" above;

By YOUR OWN COMMENTS you are by default, making the case for the fact that we NEED Obama in office. You use the word "America" in your rant to call for "saving" America, but the agendas that you stand for; racism, prejudice, misinformation, and mass hysteria are NOT the values that this country was established under, nor are they values that I endorse, furthermore I don't believe they are actual core values of the American public at large either.

Everyone PLEASE READ Margeret's comments above, and keep this kind of thinking in mind when you hear another GOP propaganda spin, these lies ACTUALLY WORK on SOME PEOPLE!

[Scootmandubious]

Posters like Margaret (more blatantly racist) and Dee (McCain talking point spammer deluxe) really dilute the quality of discussion here.

As for the blog post about how the Dems are going to compare any VP choice to Cheney...as if this is somewhat of a game, let me pose a question to Ms. Neuman....

Does it register to you at all what Dick Cheney has done to our system of checks-and-balances, attempting to centralize all governmental power in the office of the president, with no oversight allowed?

Seriously, do you understand how the last 8 years has, if not nipped in the bud, the power to destroy the fragile balance between the branches of government in America?

Maybe if you did, you would actually post more serious questions for thoughtful readers to ponder and debate.

[Geoff]

Dee you are so over the top you should have lunch with Margaret and Cheney, that should make for a new level of communication and hubris...The call of the election is not to make each candidate appear to be such a radical person that only a screaming idiot, liberal or Neocon, could possibly contemplate voting for them. Each party is in fact the same party, supporting the same "Interest Groups" and fund raisers...did we even contenplate that this great country our ours would be run by a combined political party? Has this county ever had such a disconnect from it's elected officials, especially on a Federal level? And it's citizens? Never and the chasm of the people, who are faithful party members and the party officials and politicans who look at the party as a business has never been so great. Our election is more about where WE the people want to take our country and should be a lot less of where the policial parties want to take this country, because they have no clue and are only worried about their piece of the MONEY pie. The fact is friends, countryme, very few of the politicans in our Federal Government today have a clue of the life, economic structure or wishes of voters....

Do we want sustainable energy? That is a yes, so Congress can't even pass a law to continue tax credits for it...Want to drill, what about the other leases that are out there that have never been drilled upon, maybe we should consider that first, since we gave the least, drill. I believe in the last study I saw it said only 10% of the land leased had even been explored much less drilled..hummmm, more drilling but more land, hummmmm, as usual, let us waste what we have with more waste...

And it goes on, the fact that we are discussing issues like the value of votes by associating anything with Cheney is a vast waste of time...why not take a close look at how your congressman or women voted in the last term? Consider that the President does not draw up laws, Congress does....can we send a message that more of the same from BOTH (or the one as I see it) parties is not acceptable. Vote for yourself if nothing else, speak to your friends and try to have a sane discourse about the issues that matter...come on folks, we should be thinking Americans not slandering, mud rucking, game players, this is our future we are voting on here. Wake up America, we are still the best country in the world, have a choice and can vote in privacy..so get involved and avoid lunch with Dee or Margaret....omg!

[Tom in Alabama]

Cheney will not attend the GOP convention because he will be decorating the Environmental Room at the George W. Bush Presidential Library which was relocated to EXXON hdqtrs. in Houston. Cheney also plans to unveil a special "Creationsim" plaque donated by Liberty University in honor of the dumbing down of America for the past eight years and creating a new generation of Republican sheep..

[Slap down Repubs]

Republicans have abused the Executive branch, the Constitution and the public for 8 years. Whoever did it, Bush, Cheney, Alberto Gonzales, Ashcroft they are all branches on the same poison tree. Chop it off now.

[Cryos]

I think this disingenuous strategy will work against democrats. It might energize the liberal base where they already have the votes, but I think the moderate democrats, moderate republicans and independants who comprise a large majority of voters will see this for the lie it is.

I think a lot of the moderates are smart enough to know that being in the same political party as another politician doesn't make you the same, they'll recognize the lies and exaggerations to prove this false point, they'll recognize the significant differences between McCain and Bush (and likely whoever is VIP from Cheney) and won't be suckered into voting on the premise of a false argument.

A lot of moderates and conservatives don't like Bush but the majority who are intelligent and decide their votes on several issues not scare tactics.

[Cryos]

"This guy is an ARAB! ! !...and NOT EVEN A CHRISITIAN! ! !"

Both charges are incorrect. However, what would it matter if he were Arab? Or a Muslim?

"Racism has nothing to do with this campaign. Sure. "

A lot of the people who post the blatently racist or ridiculous comments are likely Obama supporters just trying to bolster their weak case for basing the election results on racism mentality or they are truly ignorant thus irrelevant in the scheme of things. Ditto goes for McCain supporters posting information acting like Obama supporters.

As I see it if democrats ran a moderate candidate within the mainstream politics of americans they would win hands down due to the political climate but once again the DNC is choosing to run with a left wing radical and trying to package him up as moderate and using race and other criteria to try to force voters into a bad decision. I don't like McCain for several reasons but I judge a politician by their actions not words and based on those criteria trying to paint Obama as bipartisan and a unifier is laughable. The color of your skin does not determine your skill set, experience or workability with others.

[Ericmiami]

I guess this means Cheney is off McCain's short list?

[NinaK]

I just saw a new poll in FOX News showing 17 percent of those polled said they believe McCain is better for the U.S. economy. The other 83 percent said Senator Obama is better for the U.S. economy!!! Talk about a HUGE lift for Senator Obama!!! Way to go, fellow Americans!!

[NinaK]

What is the Liberman/Cheney connecton? Liberman was a democrat and swithed to Independent when he lost his Senate Seat. Now he is so far up McCain's rear all he sees is what is in McCain's evil mind. I'll bet the State of Connecticut gives him the boot completely during the next election and Liberman will not have a senate seat at all! He knows this and that is why he is kissing up to McCain to either be his VP or to hold an important job in his administration IF McCain lies and slanders his way into being elected.

[NinaK]

Cyros, a great number of republicans are disenchanted with their leaders in Washington; they are not blinded to the state of chaos the administration and the republicans, INCLUDEING McCain, have created in our country. Never before have I seen the huge number of house foreclosures, the gas so darn high, and the cost of groceries rise drastically in a few days!! A bread of regular bread is now over $4, Milk is up to almost $5 a gallon. Sure, you can buy the cheaper brands for a LITTLE less, but not much and when you buy cheap, that is exactly what you get. I especially notice in the texture of the breads. What I have learned throughout the years is to buy the quality products when they go on sale and stock up for at least 3-4 months. This works very well for me for canned and boxed goods. Shop around for your produce and your meats. Again, buy your meats on sale and freeze them. And don't forget to cut out coupons and use them. A few years ago when Albertsons came up with their "preferred customer cardholders", other chains made fun of them and thought it was a silly idea. Interestingly, today, ALL major grocery stores now, too, have this program. It is fun to buy 99% of your groceries on sale, run your preferred customer card and watch the cost of your groceries come down. I have saved up to $50.00 a trip by buying ONLY sale item. Ifl all of you do this also, you'll save quite a bit.