Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC: Cheney Speech ‘Sleazy,’ ‘An Abomination’

Immediately following a speech by former Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday, MSNBC assembled it’s usual panel of left-wing pundits to tear him down, including political analyst Lawrence O’Donnell, who proclaimed: "Well, he came today to -- obviously to do nothing much other than defend torture, which he calls 'tough questioning.' This was as sleazy a presentation by a vice president as we've had since Spiro Agnew. This was an absolute abomination."

Chris Matthews anchored the coverage and had just asked O’Donnell: "Lawrence, can he get away with this? Giving a speech that's -- well, it was 16 pages long -- and never mention the main foreign policy initiative of the administration just passed, which is the war in Iraq." After O’Donnell denounced Cheney’s sleaziness, he went on this diatribe:

He [Cheney] cannot, ever, frame the other side's position honestly. What you saw with Obama earlier was Obama describes the other side's position fairly. He then goes on to advance his position. Cheney comes out and lies about the other side, it's the only way he can talk. He says that Obama will not use the word 'terrorist,' when Obama does indeed use that word. He pretends that all we did was tough questioning. He says that 9/11 -- he says that 9/11 made everyone take a second look at the threat. That is a lie. Dick Cheney and the President were in possession of memos that said this threat was present, this particular methodology was going to come, that they were going to use airliners. He and the President failed in their first nine months in office to pay any attention to the A.Q. Khan network, who he now wants to take credit for dismantling. What did Cheney do before 9/11? He denies, in this speech, that 9/11 changed him and then describes his very specific activities on 9/11, which were frightening for the Vice President. Then he goes on to say that he thinks about it every day. This guy just has to lie from beginning to end through his setup of his opposition's position in order to advance any of his ideas at all, none of which have any proof to them at all.

I thought Cheney was a refreshing change of pace...listening to someone that takes our security serious. I am so sick of the Obama buffoons blabbering their anti-American bullchit!

OT: It’s funny how all three American Auto companies had to show a written plan before congress before they received money. However, Obama thinks the tax payers should give “HIM” a blank check to close Guantanamo....HILARIOUS.

He and the President failed in their first nine months in office to pay any attention to the A.Q. Khan network, who he now wants to take credit for dismantling.

Bush was delayed from getting his team assembled and in gear before he took office because Algore whined about losing fair and square.

Bush's teams were behind the ball because of this from day one.

Clinton is the one who was asleep at the switch for 8 years partying like it was always 1999. Bush's team was top notch and got the job done. Obama is undoing it and will pay the price.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.