DEFENSE

Cheney Blasts Obama's 'Second Rate' Defense Appointments

Accuses president of risking national security

Feb 10, 2013 by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

Image: AP

In a withering speech to the Wyoming Republican Party, former veep Dick Cheney slammed Obama for appointing "second-rate people" to steer national security.

Cheney said that "good folks" are needed as secretary of state, CIA head, and secretary of defense – as opposed to Obama's nominees John Kerry, John Brennan, and Chuck Hagel. "Frankly, what he has appointed are second-rate people," Cheney said.

"The performance now of Barack Obama as he staffs up the national security team for the second term is dismal."

Cheney added that Hagel was chosen as a fall guy, because Obama "wants to have a Republican that he can use to take the heat for what he plans to do to the Department of Defense."

Fox notes that Wyoming's senators, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, introduced the former veep's speech. They may have felt a little stung by Cheney's criticism of Kerry's appointment, since both men voted to confirm Kerry as Sec. of State.

Via Fox News.

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?	What's your take on Cheney's criticisms of Obama's national security appointments?

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He's right, Obama chose second-raters

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Cheney's mistaken, Obama chose good 'uns

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Cheney's just scoring partisan points

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A bit of all of the above

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All : 134

Comments (view in Forum)

Feb '13

Zazziness

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I thought Emperor Palpatine was killed in the last episode. Don't tell me Disney plans to resurrect him now that they own the franchise.
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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Isn't this guy supposed to die from heart trouble? The obamacare death panels clearly aren't upto the task...
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Feb '13

drpeeper

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@PoliticalSpice Ahhh the tolerance of the left. Beautiful isn't it folks.
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Feb '13

Zazziness

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@drpeeper Oh, I'd say in this case all the tolerance is from the right -- you're tolerating a man who was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths because he lied to Congress about the necessity of war. Very... generous of you.
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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@drpeeper Your confusing left with liberal again. Did Ho Chi Minn tolerate imperialist armies? Did Fidel tolerate Batista? Did the weather underground tolerate the pentagon?
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Feb '13

Zazziness

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@PoliticalSpice In this case, it's more like "Do decent people tolerate the Sith?"
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Feb '13

fridayjones

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Ya really don't want to know what I think of dicvkless and formally heartless cheney! He was a danger to America
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Feb '13

Republican5001

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I think Obama and his teammates of demotards are the danger to Anerican sovereignty, both home and abroad.
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Feb '13

Republican5001

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@Republican5001 *American sovereignty...
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Feb '13

InjusticeSucks

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Their was a reson His Parents named him DICK.
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Feb '13

fridayjones

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@Republican5001 :rolls eyes: some people just continue to mindlessly believe their party's BS. I deal wi8thy way to many on the right who do.
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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@Republican5001 A danger at home? This from the man who wants to fight obama and start a civil war? Can you decide which its gonna be already? Are you taking up arms against us? Or do you want the federal govt to be ready to crush civil war types like a bug?
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Feb '13

texas_cutie75

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I do question why the secretary of defense is a man who hated his time in the service! Can someone explain this to me?
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Feb '13

Cheenoguy

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Given the realities of war wouldn't anyone who enjoyed wartime service be unfit to live free in society let alone lead it?
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Feb '13

martydotcom

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Cheney must study Anatta the concept of no self! My God has the man no shame?
I would suggest Cheney Adam the mantra "I was second rate, shut up Dick, I was second rate, shut up Dick"
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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I wish cheney would take scallia on a hunting trip in texas...
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Feb '13

RoyFloyd

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Cheney never hated his time in military service. Can you explain this to me?
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Feb '13

Denizen_Kate

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Do you mean the nominee for Sec Def, Chuck Hagel? He hated his time in the service? Cite your source,'cause I never heard that about him.
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Feb '13

No_Bama

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Why is this even news?
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Feb '13

armed_liberal

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Evil Dick is trying to make himself relevant again.
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Feb '13

Denizen_Kate

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That's a good question. Why would anyone listen to Dick Cheney? He's done. Where's a fork when you need one?
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Feb '13

NTBFW

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He does have a point. They are second rate.
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Feb '13

Republican5001

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Cheney failed to point out that all democrat, liberals, left leaning independents are second rate people but first rate putz's...
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Feb '13

OhWiseOne

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Even though I'm conservative I've never liked Dick Cheney. He's a war monger just like McCain.
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Feb '13

Jack-Black

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Maybe Obama will invite him to go skeet shooting?
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Feb '13

OhWiseOne

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@Jack-Black LOL! Good one.
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Feb '13

stepped_in_it

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@Jack-Black Ok....that is funny!
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Feb '13

DARSB

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@Jack-Black Might be safer than to go quail hunting with the former VP. http://goo.gl/vsoU8
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Feb '13

Jack-Black

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@DARSB Thanks for the link Captain Obvious. But, with the Obama shoots skeet , Cheney.
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Feb '13

Food4thoughts

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"Cheney Blasts" lol
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Feb '13

Jackie312gm

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As a life long republican i never like dichead cheney. Here is clue....$$$$$$.that's all he wanted. This is the reason why he might die this year from heart problems. Someone should have told him early in life you can not take your money to hell or heaven. He destroyed the presidency of true republican president the honorable George Bush. Jack jackal, U.S.M.C........
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Feb '13

Jackie312gm

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@Jackie312gm according to his medical profile he will be out of here before December 2013. He will go to hell or heaven broke the same way he came here.
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Feb '13

DARSB

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Pot, meet kettle.
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Feb '13

Raptor

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"Obama chose good 'uns",well I see Politix is displaying its usewill bias and now racist remarks.

Cheney along with little bush got us involved is a war with Iraq that needlessly cost American lives with their lies and deceit and he has the gaul to say something about President Obama, they should be charged with war crimes.
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Feb '13

DARSB

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Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, Douglas Feith... yeah, I expect Mr Cheney can spot a second-rater from quite a distance away.
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Feb '13

jessejaymes

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Not to mention Ashcroft, scooter Libby, Susan Ralston, Karl Rove, Jared Carpenter, Mark Zacharas, Robert Coughlin, Lester Crawford, Steven Griles, Roger Stillwell, David Safavian, Scott Bloch and Courtney Stadd. Cheney should be a frigging expert on criminal. I don't know about second class but he certainly knows the bottom of the barrel.
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Feb '13

DARSB

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Now that you've stimulated my memory, I have to add Jon Bolton, Monica Goodling and Harriet Meiers.
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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@DARSB No one mentions scalia?
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Feb '13

DARSB

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@PoliticalSpice Actually I sort of like Justice Scalia on some points. He's the principal author of the Heller decision that not only confirmed the rights of citizens to own firearms but also upheld the right of government to regulate and control firearms.
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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@DARSB He's good on some criminal stuff to, but on balance the country would be better off if he and cheney went on a hunting trip. Also be funny to see what thomas might if he has to think on his own...
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Feb '13

Cheenoguy

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Maybe they are second rate people, but at least they are human beings.
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Feb '13

Hireman

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The only reason Cheney has a sliver of any credibility left is that the current administration ousted his as the most damaging in US history.
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Feb '13

Thunderchicken

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"wants to have a Republican that he can use to take the heat for what he plans to do to the Department of Defense."

Can I vote this up?
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Feb '13

KyleMFb

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Cheney for real??? Your whole time spent as VP was a huge failure
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Feb '13

jessejaymes

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What's going on here? I thought the GOP had Cheney shackled in a basement somewhere with the other werewolves? When did he break out?
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Feb '13

mudpike

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Regardless of Party , how can Cheney be wrong ? We've seen on TV , our so-called president apologizing , bowing & curtseying & kissing hands , rings & arses of the world's tyrants & despots while damn near ignoring the Leaders of our greatest Allies.
The weakling apologized for 'American arrogance'? If he had any American blood he might feel differently - take a look at the American cemeteries in Europe with tens & tens of thousands of White Crosses . Imagine how much American blood drained into the dirt of Europe & many places around the world to fight tyrany & the maniacs barry hussein so arrogantly hopes to emulate. His socialist plan is to weaken America , his 'pimp daddy' George Soros says so . Hold on - wait a minute - there goes those black helicopters again , or maybe it was a drone. Haha -' The Truth is always Politically IN-Correct '.
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Feb '13

Zazziness

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Funny how the president you call a weakling managed to arrange for the death of Bin Laden while Mr. Cheney's administration.... er... I mean Mr. Bush's administration said it wasn't a priority for them.
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Feb '13

Chromalord

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well, hmm lets see: 3 times as many embassy attacks and 13 times the deaths during Bush/Cheney terms, didn't catch Bin Laden, 9/11, got more American soldiers killed in Iraq than citizens on 9/11, over 121,000 Iraqi civilian deaths from 2003-2012, shot his buddy in the face, anthrax, "mission accomplished", WMD....yeah.... I trust Cheney
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Feb '13

drpeeper

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Not "Mission Accomplished!" LOL C'mon, break out "prancing in a flight suit" and "Halliburton" one more time. For old times sake. Love lemmings who say identical BS.
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Feb '13

Chromalord

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Well, Cheney has not been in office for over 4 years, so all I can go on IS the past as both a chronological matter and one to espouse credibility. Just because its in the past doesn't make it any less relevant, especially since HE is using his experience of the past to qualify the actions of the present.
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Feb '13

Zazziness

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@drpeeper You don't like history so you want everyone to forget it. Doesn't work that way.
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Feb '13

Chromalord

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@Zazziness Exactly!
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Feb '13

drpeeper

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@Zazziness Not at all. I love poking at former vice presidents. Lets start with the 35+ years of idiocy of Joe Biden and work our way back, shall we? Didn't think you would like that.
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Feb '13

idiot

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well stop provoking other people
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Feb '13

Thegrif

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Obama plus his friends (administration)
Nothing but 2nd rate used car salesmen.
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Feb '13

PoliticalSpice

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Did you know that before he went into politics Nixon was a used car salesmen. Come to think of it, when he left politics he became a used car salesman again. Sold the country a Ford...
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Feb '13

Thegrif

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@PoliticalSpice well there ya go, Nixon was a sorry A#! Too.
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Feb '13

Chromalord

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Friends?Really? You wanna play that card? I seem to recall some pretty cronie'd in appointees by Bush W for his cabinet.
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Feb '13

Thegrif

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@Chromalord we are more than 4 years past Bush. This is Obama's America now.
So if one President jumps off the bridge, then Obama should jump off the bridge, and we should all just like it?
I just think America deserves better than this Elmer Fudd President and his Looney Tunes administration.
To be honest I pretty much think we need to sweep out the house and senate and start over. I have never seen more people collecting a pay check and doin absolutely nothin.
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Feb '13

Chromalord

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@Thegrif To your 1st 3 sentences, I'd like to direct you to the post I started within this topic. But to add, this is not Obama's America, this is congress's America paid for by big business. Nothing new. But the topic at hand was Cheney's appraisal of defense appointments which on many levels is ludicrous for him to speak on.
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Feb '13

drpeeper

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(Sitting back and watching the bile and filth flow from the tolerant, inclusive hippie, burnout left) Nothing brings out the wackos like Cheney popping up giving a speech.
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Feb '13

Zazziness

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You're living in the last century, I see. Not surprising.
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Politix

What's your take on Cheney's criticisms of Obama's national security appointments?

What's your take on Cheney's criticisms of Obama's national security appointments?