"Who cares" what Dick Cheney says?
In his recent interview with a pool of reporters, Vice President Joe Biden responded to Cheney's blistering criticism that the Obama Administration is "'dithering' on ordering more troops to Afghanistan, as he plows through an exhaustive review of US strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
"I think that is absolutely wrong," Biden added, checking himself before completely finishing the statement, noting his gaffe-prone speaking history: "Who cares what-- Yeah, yeah, I can see the headline now. I'm getting better, guys. I'm getting a little better, you know what I mean?"
Now I agree with Vice President Biden on Mr. Cheney's relevance: Who cares? I will in fact say what the current Vice President cannot say because it would make way too awesome of a headline coming from him: Dick Cheney needs to shut his mouth.
Former Presidents and Vice Presidents need to back off of engaging in partisan politics and direct critiques of sitting Presidents. It is an unwelcome development and precedent in the history of American politics as far as I'm concerned. I'm getting sick of Dick Cheney's embarrassing and improper displays of remarkable arrogance and no sense of boundaries.
I must also say that however distasteful it is coming from Mr. Cheney (especially given his abysmal record of foreign policy flops), that the critique itself is absolutely right, Joe Biden's denials notwithstanding. Obama is dithering on Afghanistan and our troops are suffering for it.
The Commander-in-Chief has time to involve himself in the Olympic Committee's selection process, hold a "beer summit," attend the First Lady's rigorous schedule of White House ceremonies and parties, and over-use a complicit media to sell an unpopular health reform plan, but doesn't have time to make a decision about Afghanistan while more troops are dying there than ever before?
Get with the program, Mr. President! It's not all fun, games, parties, adulation, and hero-worship. You ran for an office that has very serious responsibilities and it is more than infuriating to see you winning a Nobel Peace Prize while sitting on your hands and letting America's best, brightest, and bravest young men and women die.
