Bay Buchanan Defends Cheney: We Need Attack Dogs
By Heather Tuesday May 12, 2009 7:00am
Bay Buchanan thinks Dick Cheney being out front and center as the Republican's attack dog is just wonderful and Kevin Madden defends his fear mongering by saying he's a "national security expert". The rest of the panel tries to bring the two back to earth by reminding them just how unpopular Dick Cheney is to no avail.
MARTIN: Now, Bay, the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, recently called the Bush presidency a millstone around our necks. Does having Dick Cheney out on the talk show circuit help Republicans in any way?
BUCHANAN: I think it does for this reason. We are the loyal opposition, Roland. We have to speak out against the president's policy when we disagree with them.
And so on two points Cheney should be out there. Number one, he believes that what Obama is doing is damaging this country's security. So he has a moral obligation to speak out. And secondly he can get through the groupies in the media, the Obama groupies. He can be heard. He can have his voice heard. So, he represents many, many of us who believe that somebody's got to take on these policies of Obama and let Americans know that's not where Republicans would go.
YELLIN: OK. Bay, let's get real. Dick Cheney is one of the least popular figures in the Republican Party, aside from Rush Limbaugh. Now he is aligning himself with Limbaugh, attacking one of the most popular figures, Colin Powell.
So, the question is, why is it good for him to speak out as such an unpopular guy, especially when the former president himself has said it is time to keep our silence and let the new president do his job?
BUCHANAN: You know, Colin Powell is not really -- he's benefited when he -- when it was to his advantage to associate with Republicans, he did so. And when it was to his advantage to abandon us, he did so.
He does not agree with our economic policies. He does not agree with our social policies. He agrees with Obama. And now he says we should embrace this idea that -- go the Obama way. Well, then we eliminate the Republican way. Why do we even need us if we're going to agree with Democrats?
And so to suggest he is some popular figure in the Republican Party is a complete mistake, is an error.





