Ubiquitous Dick

Dick Cheney is everywhere! When he was in office, he was nowhere, and now, when he has no power except for the power of celebrity, he is spouting off on everything from terrorism to Guantanamo to gay marriage.

While in office his party used gay marriage as a wedge issue that brought out conservative voters by placing eleven anti-same sex initiatives on ballots in 2004. All of them won and Bush was reelected. The strategy won.

Dick Cheney is also self serving. His daughter is gay and a mother, so now he is claiming that he supports gay marriage but considers it a matter for the states to decide. The hypocrisy, of course, is that the Republican Party under the direction of Karl Rove used state ballot initiatives to ban legislatures from considering the issue.

Yesterday during an interview with President Obama on NPR radio, he was asked whether he considers Cheney's speeches an obstacle to America changing course especially in the Muslim world. Always gracious, this is what President Obama said in response to a question by Michelle Norris:

Obama suggested that though he believes Cheney's analysis is flawed, the former vice president has every right to weigh in on important national security issues.

"He also happens to be wrong, right?" Obama said. "Last time, immediately after his last speech, I think there was a fact check on his speech that didn't get a very good grade.

"Does it make it more complicated? No. because I think these are complicated issues, and there's a legitimate debate to be had about national security."

Obama added: "I don't doubt the sincerity of the former vice president or the previous administration in wanting to protect the American people."