Monday, July 30, 2007

 

A Blast from the (thankfully) Past

Walter Mondale has a piece in Sunday’s Washington Post which adds little to our understanding of the role of the vice-president – even though it purports to outline the change in status of the VP:

“Almost all of that evolution, under presidents and vice presidents of both parties, has been positive -- until now. Under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, it has gone seriously off track.” Walter F. Mondale - Answering to No One - washingtonpost.com

He explains that the VP attains any power only through delegation by the president. He notes that President Bush has so delegated. Somehow our former vice-president finds this nefarious. Other points are just petulant potshots:

“Nor does he exhibit much respect for public opinion, which amounts to indifference toward being held accountable by the people who elected him.”

Well, the people did RE-elect him…unlike some other VP from 27 years ago. But what I key off on was his parting shot:

“…I remain enormously proud of what we did in those four years, especially that we told the truth, obeyed the law and kept the peace.”

Kept the peace? After four years of Jimmy Carter, the world was enjoying an Iraq-Iran war, a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Sandinistas taking over in Nicarauga. And of course there were our own embassy folks in Tehran who spent the final year of the Carter-Mondale presidency in considerably less–than-peaceful conditions. My lasting memory of those difficult times is not the relative peace on earth “kept” by that administration. It remains an ongoing mystery to me how anyone prominently identified with the Carter presidency can feel anything but self-conscious over criticizing any other administration.

Comments:
You'll change your tune when Hillary's team uses all of Cheney/Bush's brand-new powers.

Would you want a Democrat spying on you? Sending your kids to die? Firing professionals who share your beliefs?

Get ready for it.

Cheney has taken part of the permanent dishonor of America. Now we'll have Dems in power for a very, very long time.

Thanks, Dick. Thanks a lot. Mondale may have been an idiot, but nothing like this guy.

This guy will be legendary; he trashed my country and my party, and still the GOP defends him. Good thinking, everyone.
 
He trashed your party? What did he do to the Dems...besides drive the apoplectic. This Cheney-is-evil meme is just silly - he's the first VP in memory to come in without further ambitions for the top spot and yet no VP has been so villified as so power-hungry. I've welcomed his presence in the administration and would have been inclined to support him had sought to continue in 2008.
 
I'm a Republican. Jesus, read something besides your own posts.

Here it is again: WHEN A DEMOCRAT BECOMES PRESIDENT, HE OR SHE CAN NOW LEGALLY SPY ON YOU. IT IS CHENEY'S FAULT.

The legal overreaching by the current GOP is setting alarming precedent. Sure, this guy is one of ours. And I know that a permanent GOP majority was part of the plan.

But it didn't work.

And don't say I'm not republican, or conservative, because I DARE criticize one of our own. That leads to stagnation, and loss, and November 2006.

But I doubt you see it. Criticism and correction within one's own group is allowed, you know, but only if you want to improve.

Oh well, a GOP power structure was fun while it lasted. We lost it all on our own.

IT IS OKAY TO ADMIT WHEN ONE OF YOUR OWN HAS MADE A MISTAKE. IT'S PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS.

But if you're okay with Hillary hanging on the phone, then by all means ignore this message and continue.
 
Is that you, Pat Buchanan??
 
Look. Buchanan is a thug and a bully and a xenophobe. Other than that he's a swell guy.

I like your page, will leave you alone now. The fever has cooled.
 
thank you OV
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Preview on Feedage: maryland-conservatarian
Add to Windows Live iPing-it