The country and the American people have recently witnessed the verbal exchange by Cheney and Powell concerning each ones position on certain issues. Their comments need not be repeated here because that is not the real story although you would never think that by the reporting of the news media, especially television.
The real story is how two grown men both with political experience, one with actual military experience, both who held high government positions who could affect government policies failed their country and its people at critical times. That is the sad story the news media has failed to inform the people.
Dick Cheney has served in congress, was chief of staff to President Gerald Ford, Secretary of Defense under Bush 41 and held that position during the 1991 Gulf War. He was Vice President under Bush 43 for 8 years, yet with all that experience, his lack of character and judgement concerning the war on terror, the war in Iraq, his obsession with secrecy, his lies on his position of torture, his lack of respect for our men and women in uniform and his attitude of using fear to scare the American people is a betrayal of everything America stands for.
Colin Powell, a career military man and general, was chairman of the joint chiefs of staff during the Bush 41 administration, ran the Gulf War of 1991, secretary of state for 4 years under Bush 43. Yet Powell not only supported the unnecessary invasion of Iraq and the war, he gave false testimony to the American people and the world before the United Nations concerning Iraq's WMD and Iraq's military capabilities. He used the cover of the director of the CIA who was sitting behind him during his testimony as justification for his false statements. U.S. senator, Carl Levine put it bluntly when he said Powell was the one person in the Bush administration who could have stopped the war in Iraq and failed to speak up.
Now Cheney and Powell are both at each other. That is a non story compared to the real story of their failure to serve the country and its people at a time of danger. How could two people with such vast experience and background betray their allegiance to the people and the country. Going with the flow is a prescription for disaster and the country and its people have the scars to prove it.
This petty side show of Cheney and Powell and the news media's handling of the situation is indeed a very sad chapter of how experienced people have failed the test to truly recognize what really matters and makes a difference for our country and its people. That is the real story, their tirade against each other is an attempt to dodge the real issue of their failures.
