Former Vice President Dick Cheney wouldn’t deny that he was accusing President Obama of committing treason for undermining the nation’s national security interests in Iraq in an effort to take America “down a notch” in the world.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Cheney was asked about his scathing Wall Street Journal op-ed criticizing Obama for withdrawing troops from Iraq and failing to adopt a more muscular foreign policy in response to the crisis in the Middle East.
“In this op-ed, you suggest the president is a fool,” reporter Jon Karl said, “That is the word you used, ‘only a fool would take the approach he’s taking in Iraq right now.’” “It almost seems like you’re accusing the president of treason, that he’s intentionally bringing America ‘down a notch.’”
Without denying that he was questioning Obama’s intentions or dismissing the premise of Karl’s question, Cheney reiterated his criticism of the president for leaving “a big vacuum” in the entire Middle East, failing to recognize the terrorist threat, and limiting “the capability of future presidents to combat crises” by trimming military spending. Cheney ended his answer by stressing that he doesn’t “intend any disrespect for the president.”
June 26, 2014 7:56 AM
