That sounds just like Cheney: concerned for the team and the country, not just for himself. We need many more politicians like Dick Cheney. He’s always been a humble classy guy.
Sounds like Bush’s book is going to be honest and straightforward, just like the man.
If you’ll read the quotes, he’s very complimentary toward Cheney. This was likely one of the easiest decisions of his presidency.
I wouldn't want "political payoffs" giving me advice. I'm looking for wisdom across the table from me. President Bush was running a country not a PTA meeting.
And I miss him and wish him and his family all good things.
I think George and Laura ae gonna make great grandparents someday.
Cheney shoulda dropped Bush.
That’s nothing.
Bush kept defending Def. Sec. Rumsfeld up through the 2006 election, despite Republican requests to toss him, to help the election.
Days after the election, Bush dumped Rumsfeld. Remember the shocked faces in Washington?
That’s Bush, showing his toughness by standing up to his party.
NY Times’s other motive in reporting this is to show voters that O’Fartface will not be the first president in history to have considered dumping his veep before running for a second term.
He hadn’t picked him to be a political asset? The fact the memo was out he lacked gravitas and they needed to shore up conservative base had nothing to do with Cheney being picked in 2000? And removing him and thus depressing that base in 2004 wasn’t to your political gain? Right Mr.President.
It would have also been nice to have dropped GWB from the 2004 ticekt.
The real issue with Dick Cheney has always been his health. He started having heart attacks at the age of 37, and has had five, as well as an assortment of other cardiovascular problems.
Truthfully, I never thought he would make it through his terms in office. For a time, there was a strong suggestion that he would retire, so that Bush could appoint Condoleeza Rice as VP, but that the Democrats in congress adamantly refused to let that happen. And since a replacement VP has to be approved by congress, it couldn’t happen.
But in his role as VP, Cheney was exemplary. He is likely the most effective VP the US has ever had.
Then who would he have had to kick Edward’s ass during their debate?
Advice from Rove, that ba$tard?
Why is it an issue? The suggestion came from Cheney himself. As a president who listened to his confidant, Dubya listened to Cheney, considered it for a while, and decided that it was not a good advise.
I like Cheney and I am glad Bush kept him.
I did have and still have some doubts regarding how much better we all might have been had he selected a viable candidate for 2008 much like Reagan had in Bush 1.
I would much prefer that some conservative VP taken the reins from Bush in 2008 and extended the era another 4-8 years. I think that could have happened with the right choice.
By closing that door, it did allow Bush and Cheney to stick to their guns more fiercely— which I think many Freepers might contest but I really believe. There was no effort by the two to play to the coy middle. They even let McCain and Palin run against them which is incredibly generous given how awesome the two were.
I still believe the Bush presidency may rival Reagan’s
I do wonder if there was any way to hand it off. I would even have gone for Cheney pairing with some young conservative VP. That would have been awesome and the ultimate heart attack for liberals.