Enough with the Admiration.

Richard “The Dick” Cheney, the unindicted war criminal, recently said he thought Hillary Clinton should challenge President Obama for the Democratic nomination. Former President Clinton was asked about this yesterday on CBS’ Face the Nation. His answer irked me.

“Well, you know, I’m very proud of her, so I’m always gratified whenever anyone says anything nice about her. And I very much agree that she’s done a good job. But I also have a high regard for Vice President Cheney’s political skills, and I think one of those great skills is sowing discord among the opposition. So I think he’s right that she’s done a heck of a job. But she is a member of this administration, and committed to doing it. And I think he, by saying something nice about her in the way that he did, knew that it might cause a little trouble. I don’t want to help him succeed in his political strategy. But I admire that he’s still out there hitting the ball.”

Enough with the admiring Dick Cheney, Bill. You can have the grudgingly respect one has for an opponent, but keep it to yourself. Saying so in public emboldens Cheney as someone who even former President Clinton admires. Bill does this kind of thing a lot. He disarms something an opponent said by chalking it up to a political game, while at the same time bolstering his side (in this case Hillary). It was a good political manuever, but I think in this day and age where Republicans stand for true evil, it does more harm than good.

9 thoughts on “Enough with the Admiration.”

  2. Delaware Dem Post author

    Yeah, I know what Bill is doing here, but to non-politicos, it sounds like he said something nice about Dick Cheney, and thus maybe Dick Cheney’s thoughts are worthy of listening to.

  3. puck

    DD, there was really nothing else he could have said once the question was asked. A “No Comment” would have been far worse, so would an attack. Anything else would have been seen as meddling in the current Administration. Clinton was very deft and steered between the rocks.

    Besides, he is honoring the tradition of Presidents not criticizing one another (VP in this case). Although Cheney certainly is overdue for a Bill Clinton excoriation, Clinton got his point across.

    Cheney will have his day soon enough for people to try to think of nice things to say about him.

  4. Belinsky

    Rebecca’s right. That’s how the big boys play. After saying, “Mr. Cheney has had a long and distinguished career,” Colin Powell called Cheney’s book “a supermarket tabloid.”

  6. Valentine

    He said he admired his political skills, not the man. Heck, I admire the political skills of Bush and Cheney. Wish Obama would watch and learn.

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