"Dick Cheney: Washington trembles at the return of 'Darth Vader'"

Guardian UK ^ | May 4, 2009 | Ewen Mac

[Covenantor]

Barack Obama, unlike George Bush who wanted to be in bed before 10pm, likes to work late. But even by his standards Wednesday was out of the ordinary, sitting up in a largely empty White House until 2.30am as he edited a speech an adviser later described as one of the most important of his life.

He was still nervous about it when he rose to deliver it eight hours later. Normally Mr Cool, he fluffed his opening, referring to the defence secretary, Robert Gates, as Bill, the Microsoft founder.

Part of the explanation for the bout of jitters is that Obama is struggling to contain an ever-growing row over the future of Guantánamo Bay and the security apparatus created by the Bush administration as part of its "war on terror". But there is another factor: the return of an opponent the Democrats had thought of as politically dead: Dick Cheney. The sinister, reclusive figure at the heart of the Bush administration, who attracted labels such as Darth Vader and Dr Strangelove, has returned to the heart of Washington and is causing havoc.

Obama and Cheney were billed to speak at roughly the same time, though at different Washington venues. The US media described it as the political equivalent of Ali v Frazier

end excerpt

[Yardstick]

Yes, but you see, Obama is a transcendent soul who soars above squaresville conventions like going to bed on time. Getting up early for work is so bourgeois. Our new king is beyond all that.

[alecqss]

They call Obama “cool”, but always seem to describe his opponents using coolest movie characters... Shows you how cool they really think Obama is.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Normally Mr Cool, he fluffed his opening, referring to the defence secretary, Robert Gates, as Bill, the Microsoft founder.

How could he muff the opening when it's right there in front of him on the teleprompter?

[Uri’el-2012]

Normally Mr Cool, he fluffed his opening, referring to the defence secretary, Robert Gates, as Bill, the Microsoft founder.

How could he fluff the line ?

His GIFT is to read the teleprompter.

[scott7278]

Here’s an interesting observation from the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052103922.html?wprss=rss_politics

Note the perjorative descriptions of Dick Cheney. You have the “smiling and cerebral” Obama versus the “prodigious anger” of Cheney.

Do they actually believe the junk they spew?

[ABQHispConservative]

So does this make Joe Biden Jar Jar Binks?

[Charles Martel]

However, since the metaphor is used, and we all know the dem-fascists use projection, let’s be clear.

Darth Vader was elected in 2008.

No, let 'em hang that on Cheney... it fits well enough. What did Vader ultimately do? He destroyed the power of the evil emperor and ushered in the rebirth of the Republic.

[joejm65]

No Ali-Frazier here. More like Tyson-Spinks.

[plain talk]

Ali v Frazier? More like Godzilla meets Bambi from SNL.

[tophat9000]

Better that the world laugh at the arrival of the new VP... Joe “Jar Jar Binks” Biden

[farlander]

Yes - destroyed the Sith and brought balance to the force.

[Jim from C-Town]

I laughed so hard I almost wet myself, nice job.

[combat_boots]

OK.

The idea is that Darth Vader is Luke’s father, and, that he ‘turned’ from righteousness. Neither fits The 0ccupant.

[hsalaw]

Typical lefty Guardian spin. They’re the outfit that asked its readers to write to voters in Ohio urging them to vote for Kerry in 2004, which of course had the unintended consequence of p***ing off just about everybody, and caused the local democrat party leader to urge them to stop. Obviously they want Cheney to go fishing rather than continue to beat up their boy-messiah-leftist-marxist-hero.

[anymouse]

Obama's teleprompter uses Jedi mind trick on the weak-minded one.

[nufsed]

What good is working overtime if half of what you do is wrong and the other half is window dressing?

[hsalaw]

I wonder how Barack will do if his teleprompter ever malfunctions.

We saw that during the campaign. He's a blithering idiot.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Obama is a child, Cheney a man.

[Intolerant in NJ]

...he edited a speech an adviser later described as one of the most important of his life...Dan Henninger of the WSJ nailed this speech on the Editorial Board broadcast this afternoon on Fox as maybe the most "moralistic, self-righteous" he'd heard in years - Obama can't talk about anything he does without belittling and criticizing what Bush and his administration accomplished, and in this speech he gratitously attacked Bush something like twenty-five times - only small-minded, graceless and very insecure people have to resort to such nastiness to try to make themselves look better than they are......

[HereInTheHeartland]

I still have the tape of the Cheney Edwards debate.
It was great.