Fear of prosecution caused Cheney to speak out, daughter says

Source: Raw Story


Fear of prosecution caused Cheney to speak out, daughter says
By David Edwards and John Byrne

Published: May 22, 2009
Updated 3 hours ago



Vice President Dick Cheney decided to speak out after learning that President Barack Obama might open prosecutions of former Bush Administration officials, his daughter disclosed Thursday.

Elizabeth Cheney told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that her father decided to speak out after he learned there was a possibility of legal action.

“He certainly did not plan when he left office to be doing this,” Cheney’s daughter said. “But I think as we watched in those very first days and weeks after President Obama came into office when he released the memos that lay out for the terrorists — the techniques we used to question them. Then when he suggested in the Oval Office itself that he would be open to the prosecution of former Bush administration officials including many who weren’t political appointees potentially, you know really, I think, made my dad realize this was just fundamentally wrong. We had to speak out.”

Hannity said he was “impressed” by Cheney’s performance.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/05/22/cheney-prosecution-fear/

He's a war criminal. Can anyone say "obstruction of justice"?

:mad:

my head as to what has transpired since he took office. I come hear and get updates on "the news" but can't stand to watch it unfold on my TV!

I was once an extremely serious political junky, now while I still can't kick the habit completely I find my cynicism being vindicated almost all the time.

My wish is not what I'm seeing, my wish is that there IS A PLAN in the works about so many issues I see falling by the wayside. My wish is that Obama can and will LEAD as POTUS, even though he can't control the votes in Congress. Still, there is the veto, and even more there is something called the "bully pulpit" that many Presidents have used to let "we the people" know that he disagrees with those votes and has what it takes to "call" them on it!

I AM truly sorry that I don't see this happening, and I certainly don't see the so called DEMOCRATS that the people elected doing the work of "we the people!" I was brought up in a strict Catholic family and a military one too, but am no longer so engaged, still all I can think of to say is...

Father, forgive them for they know not WHAT THEY DO!!

I will apologize in advance to those of you who feel I'm a traitor or out of line, but to simply agree with issues that go against what I believe in is something I can't do. If this was BFEE working the circuit, I wonder how many here would be going along with much of what we are having to accept.

There may be some "inside the Beltway" game being played and "we the people" don't know about it yet, but a lot of what I voted for just doesn't seem to be evolving. Give him time, or give them time... is that really the answer here?? I can't even get either of my Senators or Representative to acknowledge my inquiries, so what do I do?? I'm a Liberal who lives in a RUBY Red county, and Bill Nelson, FL isn't someone I feel is on my side. Actually, I feel very, very lost and perhaps I shouldn't even be blogging because of my negativity... still I need an outlet and this is it! Democrats in THIS county are very MUCH like Nelson and very little action goes on. I HAVE tried!!

astrology and spirituality forum. It's much more mello.

Your right though, I was a news junkie also, really believing, yes we can.

But the entire system is controlled by corporations and the illusion of democracy is a sham in America.

that I'm supposed to be doing to at this point in time. I CAN'T make my voice heard, I'm not "feeling" that many have answers and most of all I'm at a point in my life where I see Democrats "defending" issues simply because the issues are presented or defined and supported simply because there's a (D) attached to said name!!!

IMO, the battle isn't "we stick together because of the (D)" the battle is that we no longer understand WHY we feel the "need" to stick with the program when in one's gut you have some reservations. When dealing with certain issues, you either stand by what you believe or you make nuanced excuses regarding said issues. It seems to me that we have become a Nation DIVIDED and a demarcation line has been seared deeply on either side. Granted the message of the Repukes is offensive, but they stand steadfast, whereas Democrats when handed POWER on a silver platter remain fractured with infighting. One must only look here at DU where dissent is attacked in the same way that Repukes attack us. Unity in the Democratic Party is and has been what has cost us dearly in the past.

Do we turn a blind eye simply because we voted for control and/or power??? Or is there not some reality that many Democrats simply got on the band wagon because the winds were shifting because of BFEE??

An example... Arlen Spector... For me that says volumes about what is going on with the government founded for "we the people" and he IS a perfect example of "power grabbing!" I've seen him in action for many many years, and "trustworthy" IS NOT a word I would use to define him! If ever there was an example of how the system works, he exemplifies it! He wants desperately to be re-elected, and unfortunately may citizens will vote for him because they think he stood strong and saw the light. Truth be told, he simply WANTS to be re-elected! Can I get an Amen here??

I AM so very sorry to feel as I do, but how I feel is what guides me and I must be true to myself regardless of whether it shines a dim light on "right or wrong!" My wish is that I'm proven wrong regarding what I'm feeling now. I sincerely wish I could "walk the walk" because I'm a Democrat. But there comes a time in a life that you have to examine your own "reality" and stand firm in your beliefs. That DOES NOT make you a whiner or a traitor, it DOES make you "true to thine self!"

And this rant will soon slide down into obscurity! But that does not mean others are wrong, I can only hope that what THEY believe is as strong as what I believe and we can PREVAIL for the Republic of America!!!!

It is divide and conquer what they do to us masses.

Let us fight amongst ourselves while they are robbing us blind.

But............how we "choose" to feel "inside" is up to us.

So if we choose to let our inner serenity be dictated by things outside ourselves......

I could ramble but, suffice to say the political game is just a game.

We are not dems or repubs or black or white or gay or straight Etc ............

We are all human beings and when we all join that group/together, we will all win :party:

something unattainable... face it! Not a bad thing because some of us "want" it regardless.

I too could ramble on, but why? I agree with you about humanity, however dissension never seems to go away.

Why is that? If you're religious you believe that Jesus died on a cross for OUR sins. Some of us don't and we have to accept the consequences, if there are any. I don't know.

All I know it that I'm perplexed as to why today's generation doesn't comprehend the consequences of their actions!! I'm seeing a "slight" shift by some, but will the shift gain momentum?? I'm a Boomer, and that doesn't make me anything special, but I know for myself when I realized that "my" government LIED to me I became an activist! Not a radical of even part of a movement, I got married at 18 to keep my husband from being drafted in '65. But my gut told me.

As with those that have gone before us and took a stand to change history... "we the people" must always be "we the people!" Otherwise, DIVIDE & CONQUER wins the day!

our name for war profiteering motive.

Cheney wants to get a head start on convincing the jury of his innocence. He feels the best defense is an all out offense. Many people here at DU seem to think President Obama should be taking an active part in the prosecution. This would be a huge mistake both legally and politically. Our judicial systems needs to operate independently of political manipulation if it going to have any credibility, and President Obama has to appear above this fray if his agenda is to pass. We don't need a prosecution at the expense of health care. We need both, but it can't be manipulated or rushed. I truly believe these events will fall into place in due time. I think Cheney's bullshit is only tightening the rope around his neck. On the other hand it doesn't hurt to let this administration know that we want these bastards in prison.

He should be fearful of selling his pathetic little soul and how soon that debt will be collected.

I hope Cheney's fears are well founded in reality.

The more he sneers and snarls the less frightening he becomes. This man who was afraid to fight, cast the lives of others away without a thought. He is a disgrace and deserves any punishment that we are lucky enough to hand out! I say, simply water board the Dick and if his heart survives it we can sort the rest out later.

his own actions for the last 8 years at least have made his cowardice apparent.

Makes my day every time I think of it. Live in fear, dickweed! :popcorn:

As with all others who do them; Poppy and Junior Bush, Schwarzkopf.

n/t.

Not really sure how that works, has his soul been in hell with satan all this time and now his soulless body just ends? Does his consciousness join his sold soul at death, or is his consciousness already there?
An intrepid reporter should ask him for the details, for once he could give an informed statement.

rape is also torture. raping people's children is also torture.
let's try not to let this whole thing be defined as "waterboarding", which we all know, and have known, is the tip of the iceberg.

If he did nothing wrong and it was legal, then he has nothing to worry about.

It's not like anyone is going to be waterboarding HIM.

"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about."

Good one!

Obama needs to circumvent the FISA court and tap that Dick Cheney's phone!

no one is going to do anything about it.

Somebody IS going to do something. If not the US, another country will.

...now we know that Dick Cheney is scared.

Now we know what Dick Cheney does when he is scared.

I think this gives us a great deal of insight into this scumbag criminal.

He thinks he's so above the law--that all he has to do is show up on the tee vee and defend his crimes, and explain in lofty
tones, why illegally torturing people is a-ok.

These sociopathic clowns just don't get it. They think that if they could only further explain--that somehow we would understand
why they needed to act like ruthless, unAmerican barbarians.

Well, I'm glad the bastard is scared. He damn well should be.

"If you sit quietly next to the river, eventually the dead body of your enemy will float by."

your case as if you are honorable and innocent and legal. He is so guilty that he is in desperate mode.

I love it when it's the sociopath's turn to squirm.

Snuff this evil out!

I think he's trying to taint the jury pool.

so desires to go after them.

When you're guilty and trying to cover your ass, suddenly you can't shut up.

Oh wait, he does. He also looks "mostly" dead.

And he's being left twisting slowly in the wind.

And he isn't handling it well.

Eventually the douchebag is gonna crack and blurt it all out.

has its comedic benefits though too.

Right or wrong as it my appear to many here, he seems to have higher priorities than putting that gang of Chickenhawks behind bars. But he's certainly spooking them all, and making them look silly in the process!! "The guilty flee where no man pursueth"

pnorman

criminals to justice when we had the opportunity. I hope & pray that we've learned a huge lesson from that, and will pursue justice with bushco/cheney and their minions.

We really MUST pursue justice here and now!

Peace (and justice),
M_Y_H

But we're now looking at what might well be a world-wide economic catastrophe. I for one, would be willing to let Obama pick his strategies and battles. If he should make a "wrong" pick, that might set a bad precedent, but not necessarily beyond mend.

In 2000, out of disgust for Lieberman & Gore, I gave full support to LaDuke & Nader. "Wrong" move? Perhaps, but I had no crystal ball. Moreover, the penalties of making a "wrong" move then didn't come anyway NEAR what we may be facing now.

pnorman

"somewhere, Dorian Gray is eternally youthful."

or a toothbrush.

Ken Lay to mind when you said that. Entirely plausible.

Once again this has nothing to do with concern for the safety of soldiers or the country. Its all CYA baby!

Don't you see that they will bring us down, and it doesn't matter whether we prosecute them or we let them go?

There's a whole can of worms there that would come crawling out into the daylight if he were ever required to appear on the witness stand. Let's start with the Energy Task Force and then the ignored August 2001 intelligence briefings and go from there, shall we?

I say LIHOP. I hope that fear and anxiety ruins what is left of his miserable life.

That's what it is to be a slave. --Roy Batty in Blade Runner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Je6ePxJuG0

Yeah, you're right, Liz. He certainly didn't plan on this. He planned to just walk away from those eight years. Well, Liz, it just doesn't work that way.

Hannity is impressed by shiny things, too. As if Hannity's opinion mattered any more than a popcorn fart in a strong breeze.

Or at least he deluded himself enough to believe that.

Maybe if they just get him close to that microwave at 7-eleven while someone is heating up a one-minute burrito, he'll come to his senses.

Cheney is a CHICKENhawk.

He is the biggest coward I have ever seen.

He sent American soldiers to their deaths because of his fear and because of his greed.

The MSM should be ashamed of themselves for treating this man as though he were an honorable person.

He probably won't be around to be prosecuted but we do need to prosecute all of the top Bush administration because the only thing the chickenhawks will respect is punishment. Otherwise, they will be emboldened to do it again, only worse. And we can't have it be much worse than it has been this time around. Last time it was a small planeload of weapons and some dead nuns and this time, well, they tried for world domination. What would be next?

Just who is he trying to convince? The politicians, so they won't investigate? The public who already mostly hates him? The courts? The Atty General? He's trying to intimidate somebody by swaying the public to be on his side. This shows desperation or delusion, because nobody wants to be on Cheney's side in anything. Chickens coming home to roost bigtime.

Maybe he thinks he can scare Obama into backing off. We'll just see about that.

I would think we would be doing the same as him. It is not about Cheney or Bush or any of them.

Blood lust is the cycle of violence.

If there are prosecutions it is to make it clear what society believes is wrong, not to attack or hurt those that did wrong.

In 2003 most of us, media, citizens, and officials, did not do enough to stop them, most did not know how, or could not find a way to stop him. But we still, none of us, stood as tall as we could have in those years. In that we all have some blame, and all of us have been bad at times, and all have been deceived at one time or another.

In my belief prosecutions are not about the past, but it is about reestablishment of law and the declaration by society of what we believe. It is to end the 'discussion' that what he did was some how needed or right or that it somehow helped.

He should be prosecuted for all of the above reasons. And if anyone wanted to do more to stop in him in 2003, they would likely have ended up disappeared themselves, or tracked, or "detained", or questioned -- we don't even know what else.

More than anything else it has to be about preserving and upholding our laws --

I'm not into punishment --

"beware of those with a strong urge to punish" --

but I do imagine Cheney hanging by his thumbs from the White House gate every now

and then -- just imagining -- nothing serious!!!

If nothing else, it's about upholding the law and making an example of those who willfully break it.

If not, what will we do when the next "Bush administration" is in power? What if they do things that are even worse? If so, it will be the result of "moving on" and not holding the past perpetrators to account. People will feel even more helpless against them next time.

We need to get over this feeling of helplessness. Some think the reality is that we can't do anything but let them get away. That's NOT true. We are NOT powerless. The reality is acknowledging what the consequences will be if you do nothing. It is then that you must proceed to act on behalf of what is right and the rule of law.

the strong feelings we both have of the necessity to uphold law in the case of corrupt
high officials seems oddly lacking in those trained in law/Constitution --
in this case Obama and Holder.

Quite ironic.

Is it trained out of them or into them . . . ??

They would have been smeared or made irrelevant. But we all could have done more. And I understand people did as much as they could, and have alot of respect for those that do things now and stand for the better things. And those that made it through to get things on the path to change.

I still agree with prosecutions of those involved.

I think my post is a statement of motive. Hold to account not to hurt people, but to stop people from being hurt in the now and the future.

My comment is to say not to fixate on the actual punishing of the individuals, instead it is the punishment of the decisions and actions done by the individuals. That punishment is by use of prosecution. The things they did is what is wrong.

The actions they did can fester if they are allowed to go unchallenged by a societal decree that they were wrong. That can be with prosecutions, it is a normal way of stating what a society accepts. If they are not clearly shown to be wrong, in a few years they can rewrite the history of it by meme and coverage and bring back the same things.

It might sound like a fine line, but I don't want to be angry at individuals, I want to say what they did was wrong, so it is not done again. I do understand the idea of punishment, but that is not to hurt the individual, but to stop others from repeating their actions. Even if punishment leads to jail time.

And there is even an argument that jail time, or prosecutions can help the accused if they can not accept the consequences of actions, and if it is agreed they were wrong.

Depending on how much America and our leaders want to clean up our act...

the use of torture, as cheney himself has proven. The mere threat of being investigated has caused him to go out on the airwaves in "defense" of his actions as VP. I'm no lawyer, but it appears to me he has, on several occasions, admitted to criminal activity...publicly and not under any duress.

I have to wonder if cheney sees the irony in this?

he should be worried.

But why am i worried too? Becasue I can't count on my government to protect me from criminals like Dick.

They do a great job on folks caught smoking pot though!

so she and daddy think it's fundamentally wrong to hold accountable leaders who broke the law, went after our own citizens thru illegal wiretapping, denied Katrina victims help and cherry picked info to takes us into a sovereign country for their oil killing hundreds of thousands iraqis and displacing them? Not to mention outing a CIA covert operative. Arrogant? Hubris? She just admitted it wasn't about keeping the country safe but covering daddy's rear end. These people are begging for jail time. Let's give it to them.

Let the atrocity of what he's done begin to sink into his depraved little mind and haunt him every minute of every day. The MFer.

I am absolutely certain there will never be any hint of prosecution of Cheney, Bush, or any of the others.

THAT would have been a novel "suggestion"!

PROSECUTE THESE FUCKING REPUBLICAN WAR CRIMINALS ALREADY!!!

If these WAR CRIMINALS are SO "concerned" about Pelosi - then we'd better be DOUBLY "concerned" about the TORTURERS FIRST!!!

I love it when they all want to "move on" and "don't look back" but are perfectly willing to do so ONLY AT DEMOCRATS!!!

He isn't as delusional as he's appeared for so long, as if nothing can touch him. That arrogant smugness is starting to dissolve.

all it does now is put the bullseye on his forehead.

typical of someone who is guilty, though. He can't keep his mouth shut.

Shakespeare is right everyday.

Nobody wants to hear from you.

Yes, tell us all of daddy's secrets needed for prosecution. Talk him and perhaps yourself into a jail cell.

are we wrong about the true paranoia of the right -- ??

Or is is it a fascade --

Is his daughter seeking sympathy for him --

or are his fears real?

How much pressure has been put on Obama by Cheney and his friends to

save this poor soul from prosecution?

Maybe W can do an imitation of Cheney one day for us showing how he was

being not to be prosecuted!!!

Angry . . .!!

That only works if he knew about it ahead of time by about a month.

he knows that they have hit onto something and that his lies have caught up to him. The man is a bully and a coward. He had 5 deferrments, because he was to AFRAID to to go to war, but he could care less about sending people who are far more brave and courageous then he would ever dream of being.

My husband, who served for 20 years, screamed at the TV last night why isn't that coward in prison.

no CYA in sight for the criminals from the maladministration. If I thought these reptiles could sweat, I'd have bought stock in P&G.

Every day I ask myself, "What could I do, as an individual, to make DICK's life just a little bit worse?" He did, after all, make Jesus (and Mohamed) cry.

Cheney is no chess player. most of his moves seem to be based in stupidity, ignorance of world affairs and the constitution, and wildly overreacting when it's obvious the White House was totally asleep at the switch on 9/11.

Hey, don't you all think the high point of Cheney's whole life was when he got to give the Flight 93 bring 'em down orders that crashed at Shankville. How about that, "The Flight That Fought Back" were all sent to their death on Cheney's orders! Hey, you or I would have killed first, ask questions later too, if we were in Dick's shoes on 9/11, admit it! We'd be just as scared and self assured as needed to decide to make the call ourselves. Don't saddle anybody else with that burden.

All Dick's moves seem to be based on an adventure comic book world view. Dick's playing national war and torture policy to the tune of comic books! I think he is more stupid than evil. He's got the same aptitude for evil as a 12 year old bully. Only a little bit more military industrial congressional complex behind him than the average 12 year old.

-90% Jim

"If they didn't do anything wrong, what would they be afraid of?"

I wish him full knowing.

The fear he may be feeling now, is nowhere near what those who were tortured felt.

May he relive every single terrifying moment of what they endured.

then it is probably because you're guilty of something and know it.

For Jesse Ventura to waterboard him on national tv.

He will start singing the moment Ventura enters the room.

A statement from Hannity;

“One of the things that really impressed me today is I thought your dad was like a prosecuting attorney and just laying out a strong case, piece by piece by piece,” Hannity quipped. “But he very vividly outlined what we have now forgotten, because we’ve been safe for 7 1/2 years, and that is the attacks on 9/11.”




Maybe Hannity you forgot about the attacks on September 11, 2001.

We have not.

That's what Olbermann had to say for Limbaugh on "WTF" the other night.

:D

Cheney is a small scared man.

Not for nothing though he should be scared. He's a fucking war criminal. I hope to all that is holy that he will get his due.

Holder himself signed off on outsourced torture under Clinton... pretty unlikely that torture prosecutions would ever go forward.

Remember we're looking forward not back and he acted with a "sincere" desire to save lives, as obama says. The cryptkeeper has nothing to worry about.

Everyone, including the msm knew this all along. :evilfrown:

to the bush/cheney/rumsfeld/rove/wolfowitz torture program, via an independent prosecutor. i hope President Obama is listening

:mad:

:kick:

...IMO, others would be rightfully disgusted.

and bragging about it. And we thought Bush was the stupid fuck.

Well, I doubt this admin will ever touch you dear Dick, but hopefully your heart will hold out long enough for a country that is actually against torture to nab your ass.

have been feeding him information. no doubt about it.

he wouldn't have to be so scared shitless. Just keep making yourself a target ace. :silly:

Lynn and Liz are somewhere down the list.

Of course he's trying to keep his ass out of prison. He's an old man. He knows he'd die in prison.

And what about her husband?

Hmmm
She is married to Philip Perry, the former General Counsel of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Yeah, that's impressive, making public admissions.

This add up is everyone is reading from the same script, and the fix is in. Propaganda at work, folks!!

this is his terrified fear-based pre-emptive legal defense= says alot about his psyche and motivations.

free of charge

That's bold. very bold.

altruist and patriot.

BTW, when did Darth hear Obama say the US was going to prosecute?

The Dems are such wimps that it'll never happen. Why are we so intimidated by the pathetic republicans?