Cheney Cracks Up

Frank Rich alone is worth the price of a New York Time subscription. Read his piece, "Why Dick Cheney Cracks Up"

IN the days since Dick Cheney lost it on CNN, our nation’s armchair shrinks have had a blast. The vice president who boasted of “enormous successes” in Iraq and barked “hogwash” at the congenitally mild Wolf Blitzer has been roundly judged delusional, pathologically dishonest or just plain nuts. But what else is new? We identified those diagnoses long ago. The more intriguing question is what ignited this particularly violent public flare-up.

The answer can be found in the timing of the CNN interview, which was conducted the day after the start of the perjury trial of Mr. Cheney’s former top aide, Scooter Libby. The vice president’s on-camera crackup reflected his understandable fear that a White House cover-up was crumbling. He knew that sworn testimony in a Washington courtroom would reveal still more sordid details about how the administration lied to take the country into war in Iraq. He knew that those revelations could cripple the White House’s current campaign to escalate that war and foment apocalyptic scenarios about Iran. Scariest of all, he knew that he might yet have to testify under oath himself.

Cheney:Love Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry

NYT has some great letters to the Editor up in reaction to Herr Cheney. Here's a sample taste:

To the Editor:

Regarding Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney said the biggest threat is that Americans may not “have the stomach for the fight.” One has to wonder if he feels that the failure in Vietnam was merely a result of the American people’s not having “the stomach” for 10 years of combat and 58,000 American dead.

In classic Republicanspeak, Mr. Cheney obfuscates the premise of why we are at war and narrows the argument to a misplaced matter of courage.

The nauseating irony of someone who did not have the “stomach” to go to war himself accusing the rest of the country of the same failing serves to reveal the extent to which this conflict is without true rationale.

Pier Giacalone
Ridgewood, Queens, Jan. 27, 2007

All I can say is thank God the people are waking.

Dubya Stands for "Dangerous"

It's become kabuki theatre, this macabre dance Bush and Cheney do on a daily basis. It's like watching someone on a bad acid trip. Kabuki shares traditions with Bunraku, traditional Japanese puppet theatre, and these days it's becoming hard to tell who's pulling who's strings. The New York Times Maureen Dowd wraps the bow nicely with this bit:"Delusional is far too mild a word to describe Dick Cheney. Delusional doesn't begin to capture the profound, transcendental one-flew-over daftness of the man." Here's what Robert Byrd (W.V.-D) Chair of House Appropriations had to say yesterday about Jr. Isn’t the first sentence I’m quoting below tantamount to the legal definition of insanity?

This President - a President so cavalier that he once crowed “Bring ‘em on” to terrorists in Iraq - no longer appreciates the consequences of his actions. George Bush is leading us down a path that can only end with more American blood, treasure and stature lost.

Not only does Mr. Bush intend to plunge us deeper into what is now clearly a civil war in Iraq, but he is now increasing his belligerence towards Iran and Syria. In his State of the Union address, Mr. Bush called out Iran no less than seven times.

I fear that what we are seeing now is an administration intent on laying the groundwork for a wider war in the Middle East. That is why it is so important for us to reject Mr. Bush’s plan for more troops in Iraq. Once escalation in Iraq begins, there is no telling what ruinous consequences await this nation.

Right now, Mr. Bush must hear a siren call from every corner of America that we will not allow an imperial president to defy our will. Please stand with me.

Impeachment? Bring it on.

Dick Cheney is Dangerous

The only antidote for the venom espoused by this hateful man's rabid dog approach to foreign policy, congress and the American people is impeachement. Cheney is the roadblock to success in Iraq. How anyone can argue that "supporting the troops" is to keep them in harm's way? And increase their numbers? This is not only foolish but dangerous. If Dick Cheney weren't so scary and wasn't the vice-criminal in charge, people would point and laugh at his ridiculous posturing. "We have had tremendous successes in Iraq and will continue to have tremendous success..." Pure delusion. Jeffery Feldman has a great piece up on Reframing Dick.

Mad Cowboy Disease

Buzzflash has done a terrific interview with Justin Frank,M.D., author of "Bush on the Couch", a scathing indictment of Chimpy's mental health from the view of a psychiatrist. His conclusions are chilling. Dr. Frank: "I really think that Bush is not competent to be President. He is unconsciously destructive. He is out of touch with his cruelty. He is unable to think clearly when presented with new information. He cannot do it."Read it here.

Funny thing is Dr. Frank is not the only professional to consider the mental instability of the boy-king. Will Thomas writes his piece, "Is Bush Nuts?" and speaks with Carol Wohlman,M.D. about the rat-boy's "suicidal tendencies". Dr. Wohlman: "There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others: 1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest; 2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure; 5) reckless disregard for safety of self or others; 7) lack of remorse by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated or stolen from others." A good read.

"Ah am startin' ta look a little crazy..."