At last night's debate, Vice President Cheney had a clear strategy:
refuse to respond to tough questions, attack Edwards personally and, when
necessary, deceive. Instead of taking responsibility for numerous
errors in judgment over the last four years, Cheney reiterated his faith in
failed policies. Instead of taking responsibility for his own voting
record, Cheney engaged in petty attacks. Instead of coming clean with the
American people, Cheney continued to play fast and loose with the
facts.
CHENEY DECEPTION #1: I'VE NEVER SUGGESTED A LINK BETWEEN AL QAEDA AND
9/11: Near the beginning of the debate, Cheney said, " I have not
suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/05/politics/campaign/06dtext-full.html?pagewanted=print&position=)
." That isn't true. On multiple occasions Cheney has suggested a
connection, specifically emphasizing contacts between Iraqi officials and
Mohammed Atta, one of the 9/11 hijackers. Appearing on Meet the Press on
12/9/01, Cheney said, it's " been pretty well confirmed
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/news-speeches/speeches/vp20011209.html)
, that he [Atta] did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior
official of the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April,
several months before the attack." (The 9/11 Commission looked into this
rumored meeting and found there was no evidence to suggest the meeting
occurred (http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch7.htm) . On
the date of the supposed meeting, Atta's phone was used numerous times
from Florida and there is no evidence Atta ever left the country.)
Appearing again on Meet the Press on 9/14/03, Tim Russert mentioned that 69
percent of the public believed there was a connection between Saddam
Hussein and the 9/11 attacks. Cheney replied, " I think it's not
surprising that people make that connection (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3080244/)
." (The 9/11 Commission, after months of exhaustive study, found no
evidence (http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch2.htm)
"indicating Iraq cooperated with al Qaeda in developing or carrying out any
attacks against the United States.")
CHENEY DECEPTION #2: I'VE NEVER MET EDWARDS BEFORE TONIGHT: Cheney
later said he was going back to the Halliburton issue but instead of
addressing it, delivered a pre-packaged zinger: "I'm up in the Senate most
Tuesdays when they're in session. The first time I ever met you was when
you walked on the stage tonight." One problem: it's not true
(http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-meet6oct06,1,7026204.story?coll=la-home-headlines)
. Check out the photo
(http://www.americanprogressaction.org/atf/cf/%7b65464111-BB20-4C7D-B1C9-0B033DD31B63%7d/CHENEY_EDWARDS.JPG)
, video
(http://www.americanprogressaction.org/atf/cf/%7b65464111-BB20-4C7D-B1C9-0B033DD31B63%7d/PRAYERBFAST.ASX)
and documentary
(http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:S4X7WDzDUcoJ:static.highbeam.com/w/washingtontranscriptservice/february012001/vicepresidentdickcheneyvicepresidentdickcheneydeli/+%22+friends+from+across+America,+and+distinguished+visitors+to+our+country+from+all+over+)
evidence.
CHENEY SAYS WE HAVE DONE "EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING" IN IRAQ: Cheney
continued the administration's refusal that there have been any mistakes
made in Iraq. He said, " What we did in Iraq was exactly the right thing
to do.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/05/politics/campaign/06dtext-full.html?pagewanted=print&position=)
If I had it to recommend all over again, I would recommend exactly the
right same course of action." Cheney's comments came the same day
former Coalition Provisional Authority administrator Paul Bremer said the
U.S. " never had enough troops on the ground
(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/06/MNGTU94EU21.DTL)
."
CHENEY HAS NO RESPONSE TO ERROR IN JUDGMENT AT TORA BORA: Edwards
stated that during the invasion of Afghanistan, " we had Osama bin Laden
cornered at Tora Bora
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/05/politics/campaign/06dtext-full.html?pagewanted=print&position=)
...This is the man who masterminded the greatest mass murder and
terrorist attack in American history. And what did the administration decide
to do? They gave the responsibility of capturing or killing...Osama bin
Laden, to Afghan warlords, who just a few weeks before had been working
with Osama bin Laden." Cheney responded by discussing John Kerry's
congressional voting record in the 1970s.
CHENEY HAS NO RESPONSE TO HALLIBURTON CHARGES: Edwards explained that
he opposed no-bid contracts for Halliburton because, while Cheney was
CEO, Halliburton provided false information
(http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2004/08/04/halliburton/index.html)
to the government (conduct for which the company was later fined
millions), did business with Iran
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/22/60minutes/main595214.shtml)
and is under investigation for having bribed foreign officials in
Nigeria (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4163810/) . Cheney said he didn't have
time to rebut the charge. So-called fact checkers from the New York
Times said that Edwards stretched the truth because there is " no evidence
Mr. Cheney has pulled strings
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/06/politics/campaign/06fact.html) on
Halliburton's behalf since becoming vice president." But Edwards never
made that charge. (Incidentally, there is evidence
(http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/05/30/cheney.halliburton/index.html)
that Cheney has pulled strings for Halliburton while in office.)
CHENEY REFUSES TO DEFEND HIS VOTING RECORD: Cheney, who spends much of
his time on the campaign trail parsing the details of John Kerry's
votes stretching back 30 years, refuses to defend his own record. Edwards
noted, "he was one of 10 to vote against Head Start, one of four to vote
against banning plastic weapons that can pass through metal detectors.
He voted against the Department of Education. He voted against funding
for Meals on Wheels for seniors.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/05/politics/campaign/06dtext-full.html?pagewanted=print&position=)
He voted against a holiday for Martin Luther King. He voted against a
resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa."
Cheney's entire response: "Oh, I think his record speaks for itself and,
frankly, it's not very distinguished."