By Barton Gellman
The Penguin Press
Dick Cheney has been very vocal lately criticizing the policies of the Obama administration. Well, as we all know, Cheney IS smarter than everyone and regardless of the legality of his policies, he did always know what is best for the American people (for those of you from Canada, that is what we Americans like to call sarcasm). Oh, I'm sorry, wasn't it your foreign policy that got us into a BS war in Iraq, sacrificing the lives of many young men and women for your own glory? That was you, right? Jerk. But I digress. Let's get to the task at hand, my review of Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency, one of the best reads I had in 2009.
Angler gave great insight to Cheney's manipulation of the Bush Administration. Cheney's abuse of his office was astounding. He used "creative" interpretation of law to expand the role and the power of the vice-presidency, circumventing the checks and balances that would normally prevent such a thing, all to push his agenda through. Cheney's plan was clear and no dissenter would be allowed to stand in his way. Anyone in the administration not conforming to Cheney's point of view was subject to intimidation or being undercut by Cheney, as the gatekeeper to the President (the story about Christy Todd Whitman was a great example of this). It is unbelievable to me the actions of Cheney were not stopped; which really speaks to his power and control over things.
I will say I was schooled a little bit on my opinion of Cheney when it came to social issues. I have always lumped Cheney in with Bush when it came to the whole Christian Right crazy talk and it never made sense to me. I mean how, for example, could Cheney support anti-Gay rights when his own daughter is a lesbian? In Angler, I came to understand that Cheney did not necessarily support or share those opinions with Bush. Social issues were not a priority for Cheney so any policies/ positions from the White House regarding social issues were Bush's.
My only issue with Angler is the chapter where Gellman put in a letter from Cheney to his grandkids. It humanized Cheney. I am very easily swayed to see the good in people. I did not want to see the loving, caring side of Cheney…I prefer seeing him as the devil. Darn you Gellman!!! Great book, though!
