Darth Vader
"Darth Vader Speaks" should be the title of Dick Cheney's personal and political memoir. The image of Dick Cheney often portrayed is of a sinister and calculating political operative who pulled George W. Bush's strings and would do anything to promote the neo-conservative agenda.
Unfortunately for those conspirators In My Time is not that but rather a candid and personal assessment of Dick Cheney's years in public life. This work is not warm and fuzzy but an intimate memoir.
Surprisingly this hard core conservatives gained inspiration from a Democrat. In late 1963, Cheney listened to a young John F. Kennedy speech in Laramie where he spoke "about the Greek definition of happiness- the full use of one's powers along the lines of excellence- and said that work for the public could provide that kind of satisfaction". Cheney admits that President Kennedy "had inspired us all, and at a time when I was trying to put my life back together, I was particularly grateful for the sense of elevated possibilities he described".
Initially Dick Cheney set out to be a college professor but he was swept into the political world never finishing his dissertation. He worked hard and developed important relationships. One was the prickly Don Rumsfeld who took a liking to him and was instrumental throughout his career. Cheney went from being one of the youngest staffers in the Ford White House to the oldest in the George W. Bush White House. Along the way he was also a congressman, Secretary of Defense, and CEO of Halliburton.
Out of all the recent books on the Georgia W. Bush years, this one is most revealing. The author has had a unique front row seat as the nation shifted from the cold war into a new post 9/11 era. The institution of the presidency has changed and keeping our nation safe from terrorist is an insurmountable task.
Cheney was not simply a "yes" man Vice President, he was "hands on" in the issues of the Bush administration but reiterates that the bottom line it is the President who makes the final decision.
Cheney had disagreements with Bush range from not pardoning Scooter Libby, nominating Harriett Miers to the Supreme Court and is critical of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
Even after all the controversy Cheney supports the need for interrogation techniques and the need for Guantanamo. He cites that Osama bin Laden was captured and killed from information gathered from it.
For the first time this book tells about and open resignation letter from the Vice Presidency, just in case he became incapacitated by a stroke or heart attack. Cheney offered to step aside as Bush was preparing to run for his second term.
Fortunately his weak heart kept ticking during such a crucial time of our nation's history. In the end of the book he is a bit reflective but optimistically reiterates the promise of freedom and opportunity that only the United States of American has to offer.
In this book, Cheney quotes David Broder's observation that "Ford was exactly the kind of person Americans say they want in a president, but didn't know it when they had him." The same can be said about Cheney in his public service career. Cheney should serve as an example of the countless individuals who often take a back seat in order to get the job done.
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