The Political Chase

Jimmy Carter Rips Cheney A New One

In an interview with the BBC yesterday, former President Jimmy Carter launched a scathing attack on the Bush administration, and Dick Cheney in particular.  When asked about the conflict between Cheney and Condoleezza Rice over Israel’s attack on Syria, Carter pounced on Cheney’s long-standing militant position, the countless mistakes Cheney has made, draft-dodging, and Cheney’s continuing delusions about Iraq.

Partial Transcript:

BBC:  There was a report in the New York Times today that said there was a division within the administration, once again between Dick Cheney, the Vice president, and Condoleezza Rice, about how Syria should be engaged — this is following the recent Israeli air strike against a Syrian target.

Intelligence reports say that there was some nascent nuclear activity there, perhaps imported from NK, in that particular building. The Syrians deny it. Condoleezza Rice thinks one should continue along diplomatic track. Dick Cheney says its time for preemptive strikes, like the ones that we’ve seen. Where do you stand?

CARTER:  As usual, Dick Cheney is wrong.

He’s a militant who avoided any service of his own in the military and he has been most forceful in the last 10 years or more in fulfilling some of his more ancient commitments that the United States has a right to inject its power through military means in other parts of the world. And, here he’s trying again to promote what might very well be a counterproductive and catastrophic military adventure.

I’m filled with admiration for Condoleezza Rice in standing up to him, which she did even when she was in the White House under President George W. Bush. Now, Secretary of State, her influence is obviously greater than it was then, and I hope she prevails.

BBC:  You don’t mince your words on Dick Cheney do you?

CARTER:  Well, you know he’s been a disaster for our country. I think he’s been overly persuasive on President George Bush and quite often he’s prevailed.

It was one of his main commitments was to go into Iraq under false pretenses, and he still maintains those false pretenses are accurate. He still maintains that somehow Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attack. He still maintains that Iraq somehow or another had weapons of mass destruction - claims that have been disproven [sic] by all reasonable sources.

Give ‘em hell Jimmy.  The video is available here.