Credit-Only Lane

President Harry S Truman was known to have a placard on his desk that read, "The Buck Stops Here." It's a down-and-dirty assertion, meaning quite simply: no excuses; SOMEONE has to take full responsibility, and it may as well be me, the President of the United Freaking States.

I've always maintained that the last thing the American people want to hear from their leaders in times of need and uncertainty is, "Hey, don't look at ME!", or, "Not MY fault!"

Dick Cheney was the second-best vice president this country has ever had. Of course, everyone else is tied for first, so there you go. Cheney makes Spiro Agnew and Dan Quayle look like Mt. Rushmore candidates.

Cheney, who won't go away, was doing the Sunday morning talk show boogie the other day. Naturally, the economy came up. It tends to do that these days.

Despite eight years of rule in the White House -- and with Cheney I do mean RULE -- the thankfully-ex-veep didn't invoke Truman's placard at all. The buck was passed, though I'm not sure to whom you pass it when you're in charge.

Cheney refused to allow the Bush Administration to take the blame for the current economic mess. He acknowledged that Barack Obama inherited a "difficult situation", financially, but that was as far as he went. He said that "stuff happens" (no joke) and, well, don't look at them!

That's only half of why Cheney is second-best and everyone else is tied for first.

Cheney, so full of hubris he'd burst if you pricked him with a pin, wants to have it both ways. He wants to take credit for the good stuff, and shrug off the blame for the bad.

It's amusing, to me, to hear of politicians discuss the word "safe" as if it's something that's quantifiable.

"We're safer now than ever before!" the Republicans crowed during the second half of George W's reign.

"I think we're less safe now," Cheney opined, speaking of Obama's foreign policy the other day.


Cheney: The second-best VP of all-time**


How is safety measured, anyway?

I felt pretty darn "safe", I suppose, right up until the moment the planes started crashing into the World Trade Center and aiming for the Pentagon.

And yeah, I feel "safe" now, too. Though I don't know what that means, except to say that if another horrific act were to occur on our soil tomorrow, all that previous "safe" feeling would be pretty much out the window.

Cheney wants everyone to laud the Bush Administration for there not being another 9/11 on its watch. He wants praise for keeping the country "safe" -- again, not sure how you gauge that -- because, well, it happened during those eight years they were in office, don't you know.

But mention the economy tanking, and Cheney throws his hands up and says, essentially, "Don't blame US. There are other factors involved, out of our control."

Well, isn't that just convenient?

Dick Cheney is the petulant kid who wants his parents to reward him for mowing the lawn but excuse him for running the mower over mom's marigolds.

Well, it don't work that way -- Dick.

How pleasant to know that our country was being led by folks who were prepared to take all the credit in the world but none of the blame. Boy, that's wonderful leadership, eh?

Of course, it's not just with the economy. This "I want credit but no blame" thing runs rampant with Mr. Cheney and his former boss, on a wide platitude of issues.

The country is suffering -- SUFFERING -- through the worst economic crisis in almost 80 years and all its most recent VP can say is, "Not OUR fault!"?? And..."stuff happens"???

Oh, and as for the country being more, or less, "safe" now that Cheney is no longer vice president?

Let's just say I'll take my chances.

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