Cheney’s disregard for his oath of office
Historians would be hard-pressed to find a better example to characterize Dick Cheney’s contempt and wanton disregard for the Constitution than his comments in a recent interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz.
Raddatz asked Cheney about the deep unpopularity of the Iraq:
Raddatz: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.
Cheney: So?
Raddatz: So? You don’t care what the American people think?
Cheney: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. There has, in fact, been fundamental change and transformation and improvement for the better. That’s a huge accomplishment.
Dick Cheney swore an oath to the Constitution. I recognize I am not a constitutional scholar, but I have little doubt about the inseparability of the people from the Constitution. The first seven words of the Preamble are quite clear: “We the people of the United States…”
Raddatz did not ask Dick Cheney about the accuracy of opinion polls nor did Cheney provide any evidence the polls are grossly and repeatedly inaccurate. She specifically stated “the American people.” Moreover, there is no evidence to suggest the long-standing results of numerous scientific opinion polls are anything but a reasonably accurate and commonly accepted measure of the people’s sentiment.
It would be easy to assume Cheney and his lieutenant, David Addington, made some twisted incredulous determination, as they did with in Cheney’s unitary executive assertion, that Cheney’s oath is not binding since the Constitution does not specifically provide for a vice presidential oath. And of course the fact that vice presidents have sworn an oath to the Constitution since 1789, makes no bearing or provide an inherent or implied legal basis that would apply to Darth Vader.
Unfortunately, once again, Cheney’s affront to the Constitution and democracy will go largely unnoticed and unchallenged.
ABC has a video of the interview.
Cheney cares only about what he cares about and that is power. He has no regard for the American people or the lives lost fighting the wrong war. It is likely his heart will stop beating shortly after he leaves office as it can no longer stand to beat for a man so lacking in human compassion.
I certainly would not wish any harm come to Cheney, but he will have to live with his legacy, assuming he has a conscious.