It seems conservatives and the Republican Party have a woefully short memory. Throughout each waking hour of the Bush presidency, every time any well-intentioned American - regardless of party affiliation - dared to question or comment on the president’s defense or national security policies, Bush’s henchmen, hate radio blowhards and conservatives in general would lash out with unprecedented venom. En masse they would hound, harass, belittle, demean and even question the patriotism of anyone who exhibited such unbridled audacity by merely engaging in debate and being inquisitive. The bloodthirsty conservative gang would all but have these people tarred and feathered on the front lawn of the White House… assuming Dubya was on yet another vacation down in Crawford tossing hay for a photo-op of course.
“The White House must stop dithering while America’s armed forces are in danger,” said Dick Cheney at a Neocon coven meeting this week. My, my, how the rules have changed!
It would be trite if I characterized this statement for what is it - the tired, bitter rambling of an angry old man who sullenly sucks his thumb each morning because he must face the fact that he isn’t in power anymore. I too, might come across as a whiny little bitch if I spent eight years pulling the strings of the leader of the free world only to find myself doing nothing but popping up at Neocon quilting bees to snipe and scorn, realizing my words and actions have no bearing on anything other than whatever sound byte Bill O’Reilly chooses to turn into a pep rally chant that evening on his nightly spin hour.
Sadly - but not surprising - Cheney has become the Paris Hilton of politics. He’ll do anything and everything to earn a headline, desperate for attention. I hope he doesn’t start flashing us….
Though there’s nothing novel about former leaders speaking out on various issues - Jimmy Carter being a prime example - what is noteworthy is the way Republicans can argue without blinking that it’s kosher for their office-holders to do so with impunity and with no regard for the negative impact - even when their words may qualify as treason by some - but when a Democrat utters a mere word, it’s grounds for their beheading. Hypocrisy is an ugly characteristic whether you’re wearing a little donkey or an elephant on your lapel.
I’ll leave you by sharing my fervent hope that Dick Cheney will ultimately find something productive and positive to do with his spare time - stamp collecting, gardening, bee-keeping… but definitely not hunting. Because, ironically, every time he opens his mouth it only reminds the American public of what an abysmal failure he and his little buddy Dubya were. He should even take a hint from the AA folks: Dear Dick, the first step is admitting you have a problem….
About the author: Joseph O. Patton is the editor-in-chief and founder of the Capital City Free Press.
Copyright © Capital City Free Press
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