If you did not hear this entire speech, go to this link to watch the video clips in sequence (begin with part 2 since part 1 was above.) Please listen to that entire speech and then come back.
The full text of the speech can be read here.
In the hour prior to Cheney's address, President Obama gave an inspiring speech about ideals. Parts of his speech were like the Atticus Finch closing argument in To Kill a Mockingbird, but other parts of the speech were as Cheney said, "recklessness cloaked in righteousness." Never has a sitting president more unfairly and naively characterized a previous presidency and a congressionally-approved policy. But most Americans did not hear this excellent Cheney rebuttal, perhaps the most important speech of this former vice president's lifetime. They heard only liberal late-night pundits and tangled exchanges like this one when Cheney's daughter tries to untwist the continued spin of Obama and his puppet press:
Notice how many "jump cuts" happen to Liz Cheney. I wish I had her unedited comments. Second, notice how O'Donnel completely manipulates the facts (e.g. Cheney does not want more documents released, he wants the "whole story" of the documents Obama already released. O'Donnel kept saying "There is zero evidence that the three instances of water-boarding were effective..." Duh.... that evidence (the thwarted plans learned of by enhanced interrogation) is the part of the documents Obama refuses to release.) O'Donnel is just one in a media legion eager to say anything to reshape reality in Obama's favor.
Believing that we are at war and knowing that war is an ugly business, we can assume it is never pleasant to know the details. It was not meant to be shown on television, and is not fit for courtroom drama. It is not an abandonment of our ideals when we do not grant the rights of the U.S. Constitution to enemy combatants who hate us because of those rights and that constitution.
Never have two speeches more clearly presented different approaches on matters of national security, but I believe former Vice President Cheney won this debate hands down last Thursday. I say this out of respect for the generation who knows first-hand the ugliness of war and for those who currently serve. I say it because the respect I have for the people who protect us soars high above the feelings I have for the thousands of lawyers who will be steadily employed in defense of known terrorists if Obama get his way.
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Update: Here is just one Pollyannish example of the kind of spin I knew would come from these two contrasting speeches. What the liberal cheerleader fails to note is that one of the worldviews prevented yet-untold attacks on this country; the other one hope people are basically good at heart and that the tens of thousands of militant Muslims who hate America will tap into their spark of divinity and start cheering for the Yankees.
5 comments:
Cheney gave a superb speech. I hope very much that we see more of him.
What made Cheney's speech head and shoulders above Obama's was its clarity and its absence of politics. Cheney showed dignity. He was sincere. Obama's was politically motivated. His speech was about keeping political power and increasing it. One of Obama's mentors (Olinski) taught that it doesn't matter how you get power. In other words lie if you need to. What matters is that you get power. The end justifies the means.
I am so sick of how Obama keeps his chin lifted whenever he is giving a speech. It is pretentious of him.
I am so sick of how Obama keeps his chin lifted whenever he is giving a speech.
Obama is pretty arrogant and his day is on the way.
God has his way of dealing with the haughty.
SQ,
It was clearly a case of hearing a calm explanation of what has kept us from another 9-11 and someone who puts "please all" populatity around the world above homeland.
JG,
I'm surprised that I have not noticed that cock to his head, but now that you mention it, it is almost always there. I mentioned in the previous post that I've seen the things that make him laught but not yet the things that "choke him up." Nor has he yet experienced the kind of humility that will lower that chin so he seems less to be looking down his nose.
Tom and Susie,
I watched Lynn Cheney make several appearances over the last few weeks. It is only when she is rudely interrupted that she is not able to get a clear and concise message across such as was the case in this video. I've always said that a person that has to interrupt as another makes their point is not worthy of debate and cannot remember their own salient thoughts for clear and effective rebuttal.
The best way to rebut someone's point is to repeat it, destroy it and replace it with your own well thought out point. Clearly this is not going on with sound bite heavy TV shows when the opponent feels they must push someone out of the way of the camera as if they were trying to emulate the antics of Sen. Charles Schumer.
Did you see the quotes Lou Dobbs put on the air a few days back of Schumer saying in 2003 that he thinks it was the prudent thing to do some "waterboarding" then a few weeks ago he spoke about how "unthinkable" it was as if he forgot there was such a thing as videotape to prove he speaks bravely in whatever way the wind is blowing.
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