Bailout blues: Is Dick Cheney losing his groove on Hill?

One of the shockers in Monday's pretty shocking rebuff of the Republican president by the Republican caucus is that Vice President Dick Cheney, who once had a deft touch at twisting arms on the Hill, apparently did not do well.

In San Diego County, for instance, four out of five members of the congressional delegation voted no. And several of them were personally lobbied by Vice President Dick Cheney.

Duncan Hunter, a 28-year veteran Republican who is retiring at the end of this session, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Cheney personally appealed for his support. Hunter told the vice president that the $700-billion bailout amounted to a "massive exposure for the American taxpayer for what's at best a very limited return."

Cheney, according to Hunter, "said he appreciated my rationale and that he disagreed with it."

What a contrast from six years ago when, according to the new book on Cheney by Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman, Cheney frightened Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas into supporting the war in Iraq that he initially opposed. In "Angler" (pages 221-222), Armey reports that he felt rolled after a private briefing from Cheney about the potential threat that Iraq posed.

Did Dick Cheney, a fellow who had been my trusted friend, did he purposely tell me things he knew to be untrue? I will go so far as to say I seriously feel that may be the case. ... Had I known or believed then what I believe I know now, I would have publicly opposed this resolution right to the bitter end and I believe I might have stopped it from happening, and I believe I'd have done a better service to my country had I done so.

— Johanna Neuman

2002 photo: David Bohrer / White House

Comments

[Carol Verdurmen]

Is Dick Cheney really losing his groove or is it possible that during his closed door secret arm twisting session he expressly adivsed Republicans to oppose the bill? It seems possible that the whole "crisis" may have been invented to give McCain a chance to come to Washington and save America. I am certain this possibility will be simply blown off as the rantings of another conspiracy theorist like so many ofther questions during the whole Bush (Cheney?) Administration fiasco.

[bkmur]

Live by the sword. Die by the sword.