Washington Extra – Modern pursuits
Former Vice President Dick Cheney says he’s using modern technology like a BlackBerry and Kindle, when he didn’t even have a cellphone at the White House.
“I’m not totally modern. I still write long-hand and don’t use a computer for that kind of thing,” Cheney said in an NBC interview. “My grandchildren still laugh at me,” he said, and his 3-year-old grandson showed him how to play the Angry Birds game on an iPad.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill, while sticking to their well-trod positions on healthcare, did refrain from aiming big slingshots at opponents. (Angry Birds fans, that’s for you).
Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived to a red carpet welcome at Andrews Air Force Base where Vice President Joe Biden greeted him. Full pomp and circumstance will be on display tomorrow at the White House, symbolizing the importance that the United States places on ties with China.
But there will be plenty of squawking in the background over China’s currency and human rights.
Here are our top stories from Washington today…
Deals, currency spat accompany China’s Hu to U.S.
Dick Cheney: The Thin Man
I almost didn’t recognize him.
Watching Dick Cheney, one of the most recognizable political figures of the decade, on television speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, I did a double-take.
He is about 30 pounds lighter, after being in the hospital for five weeks this summer for a procedure to improve his heart function, according to someone close to him.
The former vice president and president appear to have moved beyond the end-of-term friction over Bush’s decision not to pardon Cheney’s chief of staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby.
Cheney in a television interview last year, and Bush in his newly released book, both said they hadn’t seen eye-to-eye on the former president’s decision to commute Libby’s sentence but not pardon him. Bush also wrote in his memoir “Decision Points” that he once had considered replacing Cheney as vice president.
But in a rare public appearance together since they left office, both seemed to have left past disagreements in the past.
Cheney praised Bush for being a president who did not “put on airs,” and said that ”history is beginning to come around.”
Missourimule; You have to be kidding, right??
American Hero?? What did Cheney ever do that was Heroic? He has never served in the Militaty, He has never done anything that would remotely be called Heroic, unless you count his shooting of his “friend” and then waiting until after supper to even check on his condition.
Someone in Cheney’s Office outted a Covert CIA Operative during a time of war. Unless the defination of treason has changed dramatically “Giving aid and comfort to the enemy during a time of war” is still defined as treason.
The fact thst Scooter Libby was the fall guy for this does not change the fact. Cheney should have been brought up on charges over this crime.
Cheney was upset that Bush didn’t pardon Libby — president’s memoir
George W. Bush’s memoir, “Decision Points,” is full of newsy tidbits, and there’s a lot of material about his relationship with his vice president, Dick Cheney, whom Bush considered dumping from the 2004 ticket.
In the book, which hits bookstore shelves on Tuesday, Bush describes how upset Cheney was at him for his refusal to give a full pardon to Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the senior Cheney aide who got caught up in the Valerie Plame scandal and who in 2007 was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Bush commuted the sentence, but refused entreaties to give Libby a full pardon.
Bush writes that in the closing days of his time in the White House in early 2009, Cheney pressed his case that Libby should be pardoned, and was angry when Bush refused.
“I can’t believe you’re going to leave a soldier on the battlefield,” Cheney told Bush.
“The comment stung,” Bush writes. “I had never seen Dick like this, or even close to this. I worried that the friendship we had built was about to be severely strained, at best.”
Bush tells NBC’s Matt Lauer in an interview to air tonight that their friendship survived the dispute. “I’m pleased to report we are friends today,” Bush said.
George you are still there? Give us a break please. We know that Mr Obama is proving even worst than your draconiac rule, please give him another two years to sort out the mess you left for him!
Rex Minor
Bush memoir includes some unexpected moments
Who would have thought former President George W. Bush would publicly admit that he had actually thought of dumping Dick Cheney as his veep?
But that’s just what he does in his memoir “Decision Points,” according to my colleague Steve Holland who obtained a copy of the book which is coming out next Tuesday.
And the worst moment of his presidency? When charges of racism were flung at him over Hurricane Katrina.
In an interview with NBC’s “Today” show, to be aired on Monday, Bush says he hit an ”all-time low” after critics like rapper Kanye West said his handling of the disaster showed that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
That comment still rankles Bush. “I didn’t appreciate it then. I don’t appreciate it now,” he tells NBC.
“I resent it, it’s not true,” he said of the accusation of racism. “And it was one of the most disgusting moments in my presidency.”
There are also some lighter revelations, like when Bush writes of being surly while growing up. “I poured vodka in the fishbowl and killed my little sister Doro’s goldfish.”
No. 43 slips under the radar in DC
Ole 43, otherwise known as former President George W. Bush, was in Washington today to address hundreds of people who worked for him over the years.
The whole thing was closed press and so we don’t have a complete read-out of the proceedings but suffice to say that Bush steered clear of the current volatile political climate in Washington.
This has been a consistent position of Bush. While he might chafe privately at some of the blame tossed his way by President Barack Obama, he doesn’t talk about it publicly. Having seen how tough the job is being president, he reckons Obama doesn’t need one more critic telling him how to do it.
Anyway, he spoke for a half hour then took questions for perhaps another 40 minutes to update people on what he’s been up to in the past year since leaving the White House.
His book about 12 monumental decisions he made as the POTUS is coming out Nov. 8. Laura Bush’s book is coming out in May.
Seen in the crowd of about 700 were two former chiefs of staff for him, Andy Card and Josh Bolten, and a deputy COS Joe Hagin.
Presiding was former White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto, who is president of the Bush-Cheney Alumni Association.
Crikey, talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing revisiting the scene of the crime…
About the best thing anybody can say for George W. Bush is: “At least he’s not Dick Cheney!”
Beyond the talk show fireworks, Cheney supported some Obama decisions
Former Vice President Dick Cheney swapped barbs with Vice President Joe Biden on the morning talk shows Sunday.
Beyond the fireworks, however, there were interesting things they didn’t argue about.
Cheney endorsed President Barack Obama’s approach in Afghanistan.
He backed an end to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that limits the ability of homosexuals to serve in the military.
And he disagreed with former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s comment that people might think Obama is tough enough to be president if he would declare war on Iran.
“I’m a complete supporter of what they’re doing in Afghanistan,” Cheney told ABC’s “This Week” program. “I think the president made the right decision to send troops into Afghanistan.”
One complaint, though, was the nearly nine months it took Obama to approve a way forward.
Biden really ought to think twice before sharing the podium with an admitted war criminal like Dick Cheney.
It looks like he has no comprehension of legal principle.
The First Draft: White House takes a lonely road to openness on Crasher-gate
President Barack Obama’s senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, feels the White House doesn’t need Congress to help it maintain openness on the Crasher-gate scandal. That’s why it’s chosen to eschew the limelight of a Capitol Hill hearing today.
“We think we’ve really answered the questions fully,” she told ABC’s Good Morning America, while making the TV rounds to defend a White House decision not to send its social secretary to explain how a Virginia couple got into last week’s state dinner without an invitation.
“Having a full review up on the (White House) Web site, where everyone in the country — anyone who goes on our Web site — can read it, is the definition of transparency.”
By “full review,” she meant a one-page memo outlining new White House staff procedures intended to prevent any future pair of gate-crashers like Michaele Salahi and husband Tareq from getting through the security cordon.
Jarrett’s is an interesting assertion. Obama has made a point to enhance public access to the government after eight years of unprecedented official secrecy under George W. Bush and his powerful veep, Dick Cheney.
The crux of the matter seems to be that not everyone agrees Crasher-gate is so important. The House Homeland Security Committee, which is hosting today’s hearing, thinks it a big enough deal. The Salahis weren’t an al Qaeda hit squad armed with poison lipstick or .50 caliber ink pens. They might have been, however, so why shouldn’t Congress hear from everybody?
But Jarrett says having U.S. Secret Service chief Mark Sullivan testify should be enough. It is the Secret Service, after all, that’s responsible for White House security. And once the agency completes its own investigation, those findings will get posted on the Web, too.
How does the couple slipping into the Whitehouse, uninvited, compare to the war,
economy, health care, and the climate. He has already admitted it was a security blunder, and has been open about ALL of it!! The decision was not to try to jail them and why!! How much more “open” can you get for God’s sake?!!!
Darth Vader, as played by Robert Gibbs
We saw a lot of photos over the weekend of President Obama and his wife, Michelle “Catwoman” Obama, handing out Halloween treats at the White House on Saturday night.
But we didn’t see one of the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, who had dressed up as Darth Vader to join in the festivities.
So check out the photo. He is without his glasses, so he probably couldn’t see a thing. We imagine it would be tempting for him to bring the light saber to his daily news briefing and zap offending questioners.
Politico.com has video of Robert “Darth Vader” Gibbs putting on the mask — scary!
Of course it wasn’t that long ago when another White House denizen had been called Darth Vader. “I’ve been asked if that nickname bothers me, and the answer is, no. After all, Darth Vader is one of the nicer things I’ve been called recently.”
Remember who said that? None other than Dick Cheney.
Halloween: Washington political fright night costume ideas
It’s Halloween this weekend. In Washington that can turn into political fright night.
So we thought we’d scare up some costume ideas to help those who are stumped.
One idea came from a comment on our Obama: “Skinny but tough” blog post from afuller who writes “Best new Halloween Idea: Socialist Mop!!!” We’re thinking red body outfit and crazy wild hair.
Another inspiration from a friend suggesting going as a teabagger (the protesters against all policies Obama). That should be fairly easy — cover yourself with tea bags — and it has the added benefit that if you get a bit parched and find some boiling water you’ve got all the makings of a thirst quencher.
The Daily Show on Comedy Central has come up with a clever costume for Cap’n Trade — think comic book hero like Captain America.
We’re still trying to figure out how to do the public option trigger.
Backstage, Inc., a costume store in the Capitol Hill area, says among the most popular political figures this Halloween are President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney. Asked whether Sarah Palin was in the mix, store employee Rip (as in R.I.P) Clossa says: “I haven’t had anyone ask about her.”
Performers angry their music used in Guantanamo interrogations
Interrogators at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay liked to blast rock ‘n’ roll music at inmates to try to induce them to talk.
Now some of the folks that made that rock ‘n’ roll music are blasting back.
Trent Reznor, Tom Morello, Jackson Browne, T-Bone Burnett, Rosanne Cash, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and other musicians have joined the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo. The newly formed campaign, led by retired Lieutenant General Robert Gard and retired Brigadier General John Johns among others, is increasing pressure on the Obama administration to move ahead with the president’s pledge to close the prison.
“Guantanamo is known around the world as one of the places where human beings have been tortured,” Morello said in a statement released by the campaign, charging that some inmates had been subjected to loud music for 72 hours in a row.
“Guantanamo may be Dick Cheney’s idea of America, but it’s not mine,” he added. “The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me — we need to end torture and close Guantanamo now.”
Thomas Blanton, executive director of the National Security Archive, said his group has obtained at least 20 declassified documents that refer to blasting Guantanamo detainees in an effort to “create futility” and encourage them to talk.
Gard, a senior military fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said “the torture that went on there is disgraceful and puts our troops at risk every day.”
