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Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence

By Jeralyn, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Sun Sep 11, 2005 at 11:48:05 PM EST
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Like many of us, Nora Ephron at Huffington Post has been puzzled by Dick Cheney's absence during Katrina and doesn't buy that it's because he was on vacation. She wonders whether the President and Cheney have had a falling out.

Could Cheney – and not just his aides -- possibly be involved in the Valerie Plame episode? Is Cheney not speaking to Karl Rove? Does the airplane/bicycle incident figure into this in any way? And how is it possible that the President is off on vacation and the Vice President is too? Not that it matters particularly if the President is on vacation; on some level, the President is always on vacation. But where was Cheney?

A few months ago, I heard of a lunch conversation that Cheney had with a political type in Wyoming. I have no idea if it's true or not, but it makes some sense. Here's the tale:

Cheney has been getting tired of being called upon to fix Bush's mistakes. Cheney said Bush is almost incapable of making any decision. He waffles and waffles. Then, once he makes a decision, he refuses to change it. Because of his born-again faith, he says "It's in the hands of G-d now" and washes his hands of it. Then Cheney is called in to repair the damage.

If this story is even remotely true, this may have been the final straw for Cheney, and he decided to let Bush try to wiggle his way out of his Katrina inaction on his own. Cheney's re-emergence this week may be the result of his fellow Republicans begging him to return to save Bush for the sake of the party.

But I also don't discount that Cheney may be in deep doo-doo of his own over RoveGate. Now, that would be something.

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    Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence | 17 comments (17 topical)
    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#1)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    "Cheney said Bush is almost incapable of making any decision. He waffles and waffles. Then, once he makes a decision, he refuses to change it." But... I thought that was the hallmark of a good leader! Nay, a great one!

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    I think that he is mean enough to make Bush suffer. I also think he is in deep doodoo with Fitzgerald. Tenet knew that he and the CIA were being set up, so he left a paper trail showing that all disinformation leads to the WH. Cheney went over there regularly, which was unheard of, not to get info but to set the stage for them to take the blame for the WH fixing evidence. As someone recently said, 'you don't mess with spooks.' Can't wait for the next episode.

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    Also by Nora Ephron, a series of pretty forgettable movies.... Just saying. # Bewitched (2005) (written by) # Hanging Up (2000) (screenplay) ... aka Aufgelegt! (Germany) # You've Got Mail (1998) (screenplay) # Michael (1996) (screenplay) # Mixed Nuts (1994) (screenplay) ... aka Lifesavers # Sleepless in Seattle (1993) (screenplay) # This Is My Life (1992) (screenplay) # My Blue Heaven (1990) (written by) # Cookie (1989) (written by) # When Harry Met Sally... (1989) (written by) # Heartburn (1986) (also novel) # Silkwood (1983) # Perfect Gentlemen (1978) (TV) # "Adam's Rib" (1973

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    The actress Ephron refers to must have been Diane Keaton. Snap! Of course the resulting movie was about as successful as the Curveball admin:
    This movie should be required viewing in all film schools so future film makers will know what a truly bad movie is. It is excruciatingly bad from beginning to end... You can blame the director and the writer and everyone else involved...
    Oops, we weren't going to play the blame game, eh.

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    it's speculation at this point, though it may well be due to his frustration with fixing the boy emperor's screw ups. wouldn't doubt it. but frankly I put cheney's absence down to extreme callousness; as with every other member of the administration. it's just a matter of degree with them. I would rank Cheney and Rove as among the most callous and vicious men/people to have ever worked in the white house, and saying a lot! perhaps cheney and rove have had a falling out, another possibility that could have serious implications for the Reptiles I mean the republicans.... I certainly like a good story as well as anyone and I do think Nora Ephron is on to something.

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    I chalk it up to the admin not wanting to trot someone out there who seems absolutely incapable of human emotion. I don't doubt that he's sick of dealing with the boy king (all the Wyoming people I know, who in turn know him say that he is an ornery b**tard), but he's not the type to just quit out of frustation. His agenda is too important to him. I also don't think it has anything to with RoveGate (though I do think that he's in trouble). These are the kind of people who will pontificate right up until the moment they are convicted of perjury, obstruction, etc. Then they will wait a few years, come on CNN and start pontificating again. Liddy, anyone?

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    Hit post before giving it the once over. Obviously, "frustation" is bad-typing for frustration, and there should be a "do" between "to" and "with RoveGate."

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    Rescuers collect dead, Cheney sounds upbeat - REUTERS UK Sat Sep 10, 2005
    Vice President Dick Cheney visited an emergency management center in Austin, Texas, and said the government was finally gaining control of the situation. "There are a lot of lessons we want to learn out of this process in terms of what works," Cheney said.* "I think we are in fact on our way to getting on top of the whole [b]Katrina exercise[/b]. We've got a lot of work ahead of us," he said.
    I say, Thanks Dick for confirming that to the Administration – Hurricane Katrina is Not a natural disaster. Not a social cataclysm. Not a terrible tragedy for our American family. Nope. Just a [military/psy-op] EXERCISE. *this paragraph is from Reuter UK follow up article on 9/11

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    More on Cheney Downloaded video of MD cursing Dick in MS [I don't have a TV]. Dick has put on a lot of weight since Nov 04 -- even if the suits camouflaged his bulk then, his torso definitely does not look good now -- especially for a cardiac patient. Did ya'll see that he sent two goons with M-16s to the MD's house after the reporters left ... they cuffed him (uncomfortably) and questioned him for 20 minutes before releasing. Hope he's got a good lawyer. Poor chap's house was smashed by Katrina so he was trying to sell video of these events on EBay -- but last I saw EBay Thought Police won't let him. For those of you who have been reading about Cheney and Rumsfeld playing roles in the post-apocalyptic non-constitutional government survival drills in FEMA underground shelters during the 1980s when they were employed in private industry... Cheney, even with his delicate health, was directing the "Katrina exercise" from an underground FEMA city. As the term "Katrina exercise" implies, it's a practice drill, an opening salvo -- sort of like the bombing runs on Iraw long before the shock & awe. If you prefer, think of it as a little appetizer, a taste to prepare us for what they're cooking up for the main course.

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#10)
    by cpinva on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    figures ol' dick would say he's getting on top of katrina. after all, he's behind us since the 2000 selection.

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#11)
    by Dark Avenger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    Reminds me of Fannie Flagg doing Martha Mitchell, and her remark about Nixon,
    "If he were doing to Pat what he's doing to the country, we'd all be a lot better off."
    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:41 PM EST
    I speculated on this last week. I think the absence of Cheney, along with Newt's pretty aggressive criticism of the response on Katrina, suggests he was hanging Bush out to dry, allowing him to fail. I further speculate that Rove (with Bush's permission) has abandoned the Libby-Rove mutual defense approach on the Plame investigation. Once it became clear that Fitz had Rove on perjury, Rove started singing, largely about the earlier meetings to get Wilson that he (Rove) wasn't involved in.

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#13)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:42 PM EST
    I hope Bush is listening to his shrink better than Cheney is listening to his cardiologist(s). He's so fat, if you cut him, gravy will come out. I guess HE would have survived this catastrophe all winter! (hat tip to White Men Can't Jump)

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:43 PM EST
    Well, unlike some I don't buy the premise of this whole thing. Cheney tired of cleaning up Bush's messes? Can someone point me to an example of a mess W created that Cheney could conceivably think he (Cheney) cleaned up? Cheney, who is basically responsible for Iraq? Cleaning up messes? You gotta be kidding me. I mean, isn't he basically running the whole clown-and-horror show himself anyway?

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:43 PM EST
    Bush gets stubborner and stubborner, as his insecurities blast through the roof. When Donald Rumsfeld had to deck Bush back in 2002 (remember the 'pretzel'?), Cheney laughed his head off, and Bush has never forgiven him. So there's a lot of bad blood between these two criminals. And with half a trillion dollars in the coffers, Cheney figures he'll just let Bushie turn on his own spit. After all, Go F*ck Yourself, Mr. Preznit!

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:45 PM EST
    OPEN LETTER TO: Dick Cheney... c/o the WHITE (multimillionaire club) HOUSE vice_president@whitehouse.gov PERSONAL PLEASE / Web POST 9/3/2005 . From Your... EMPLOYER / BOSS Roger Drowne EC & Other American Citizens... . . Hello Dick-ie ...JAIL IS... NOW... READY... 4 U & Your Multimillionaire / Law-Less / Friends 4 KILLING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY... . People in New Orleans & Iraq... DEAD . It Will B One Happy Day For My Grand Children, Children, And I 2 C U Behind Bars . Must be an awful big deal for you to finally appear ! Six days after New Orleans was wiped off the map ! . _________________ . While You Are In Jail... PLEASE SPEND SOME TIME And READ THIS BELOW ( and the other one ) . WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS IT BECOMES NECESSARY for the PEOPLE of the United States TO ALTER or ABOLISH the United States Government as it exists in the year 2001 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 . Using the Authority, Law, and Intentions of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. . And Now the People Step Forward and Charge High Treason, and Show that Democracy in its roots today, is Corrupt. . And that the Constitution has been Altered and Betrayed in Favor of A Small Group of Millionaires, . Over Another... . the Governed, the People of the United States. . And that the Election Process is UN-fair and has been Overwhelmed and Monopolized by Millionaires and their millions of dollars . . Read the rest - Continued at www.RogerART.com Scroll Down till You see Yellow link to ( Re-Written ) Declaration of Independence PS. Now Dickie boy... ( I Know by your actions that you do not understand this document. Please find some school children to help you understand what the founding fathers and mothers were talking about ) ... Thank You, Roger@RogerART.com ______ NOW... Who is Roger Drowne EC 2 talk 2 the VP of the USA like this... . Well... I, Like... All Citizens of the USA WE the PEOPLE... ARE YOUR... EMPLOYER . In Short... Your Boss . Roger is of mixed red blood, Descendent of Deacon Shem Drowne Who's silversmith shop was just down the cobblestone lane from Paul Revere shop ... in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Earth, 1775 Who's grasshopper weathervane still... Sits A-top Fanueill Hall in ( Boston Mass ) ______________ Change it, Sign it, Copy, Paste, Send to Dickie, If U Want 2

    Re: Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:49 PM EST
    What utter crap. To suggest that Cheney is fed up with Bush administration incompetence; and is, thus, letting Bush twist in the wind ascribes to Cheney virtue that he is without. Such also suggests that Cheney is not commander in fact. Remember it was Cheney, as chief of transition in 200 that populated the Bush administration with the incompetent cronies and the neofascist ideologues that are bent on conquering the world. It has also been Cheney who has directed billions of dollars of taxpayer funds to Haliburton through no bid contracts. Cheney should be prosecuted for war crimes, jst as should be his "boss."

    Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence | 17 comments (17 topical)