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The Spectacle Blog
Former Vice President Dick Cheney endorsed Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson today, calling him the “real deal” in the Republican race to succeed retiring Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY). But it was clear that Cheney’s endorsement was as much a statement against Grayson’s primary opponent, Bowling Green eye surgeon Rand Paul.
“The challenges posed by radical Islam and Al Qaeda are real and will be an ongoing threat to our domestic security for years to come,” said Cheney in his endorsement. “We need Senators who truly understand this and who will work to strengthen our commitment to a strong national defense and to whom this is not just a political game.” This is a not too thinly veiled shot at Paul, the son of the antiwar Texas congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.
Grayson has hit Rand Paul on foreign policy and the war on terror throughout the campaign, but national security conservatives were slow to awaken to Paul’s rise in the polls. Now Paul is the frontrunner for the nomination and the Politico reported last week that the alarm is being sounded outside Kentucky. A senior Cheney aide reportedly sent out an email to various high-profile hawks warning, “On foreign policy, [global war on terror], Gitmo, Afghanistan, Rand Paul is NOT one of us.” Paul has responded in part by moderating some of his views, such as on military tribunals and Gitmo. It remains to be seen whether this will impact the May 18 GOP primary, or whether it will have as much influence as Cheney’s endorsement of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) over Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
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More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/24/dick-cheney-endorses-trey-gray
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C Bowen| 3.24.10 @ 6:22PM
Cheney is the draft dodging pro gay marriage guy who thought Iraq was scary, right?
Gene| 3.24.10 @ 7:55PM
Please explained the draft dodging acusation or are you thinking about bill clinton by mistake.
C Bowen| 3.25.10 @ 12:16PM
Both indeed were war mongers who dodged their chance to serve. Cheney got his wife pregnant to avoid the draft.
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 3:14PM
True Cheney avoided war action. He is a chickenhawk as they say.
Nick| 3.25.10 @ 5:23PM
What war were we fighting in the late 50's, Einstein?
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 5:27PM
I will take your Einstein comment as a compliment. He was a pretty smart dude.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05.....gewanted=1
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 5:27PM
I will take your Einstein comment as a compliment. He was a pretty smart dude.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05.....gewanted=1
Nick| 3.25.10 @ 8:37PM
That was sarcasm, brainiac.
What war were we fighting in the late 50's, again?
If you had read your link, genius, you would have seen that Mr. Cheney became eligible for the draft in '59. He got married in '64, right after the Tonkin Gulf incident.
He did what most men of that era did. He did not dodge the draft like Bubba the pervert and Chris Matth-spews did. In other words, he wasn't a coward, like they were/are.
victor| 3.24.10 @ 11:36PM
You Paulettes all have your knickers in a twist over this, don't you.
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 3:15PM
No way, Satan's support for Trey can only be good for Paul.
William R| 3.24.10 @ 6:25PM
The NeoCons are running scared
http://washingtonindependent.c.....ing-scared
Nick| 3.24.10 @ 6:34PM
"[General David Petraeus] also refuted blog reports that claimed he thinks U.S. support for Israel endangers the U.S. mission in the region.
-Philip Klein, AmSpecBlog
William R| 3.24.10 @ 6:51PM
He said Israels actions are hurting the United States and putting our troops at risk.
Nick| 3.24.10 @ 6:54PM
Should I believe William R? I think NOT!
I believe Mr. Klein.
JohnD| 3.24.10 @ 6:57PM
So we are supposed to believe that if the Israelis give away the store, the Islamist terrorists will like us again? I find that hard to believe. Truth is, they will hate us no matter what, so we should support Israel's hard line against the Islamist Terrorists.
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 3:15PM
What if we consider Israel to conduct terrorism against the Palestinians?
victor| 3.24.10 @ 7:03PM
William R:
"He said *&^%$ the @!#@$ and putting *&$#@ at risk."
You keep repeating yourself, but you never cite any sources.
victor| 3.24.10 @ 11:39PM
Hey Will-I-Am,
Aren't you the one who is wetting his drawers?
Nothing wrong with Trey Grayson is there, but Randy is in violation of the law:
http://www.treygrayson.com/new.....o-kentucky
"Paul is illegally coordinating with a Young Americans for Liberty that brought out-of-state volunteers to benefit Paul’s campaign to Kentucky earlier this week. Coordinating independent expenditures with a 501 (c) 4 organization to benefit a federal campaign violates federal law."
victor| 3.25.10 @ 1:09AM
Hey Will-I-Am, Mr Constitution, your boy Randal made several errors, one of which was that "No declaration of war was issued according to the Constitution"
News Flash! There is no such directive. it simply says:
Section 8: The Congress shall have power
To declare war.
That's it.
He also seems to be unnaturally fixated with Halliburton and the Jewish lobby.
William R| 3.24.10 @ 7:00PM
Can you read?? Klein said our support for Israel. Petraeus said Israels actions are hurting. Not our support.
victor| 3.24.10 @ 7:04PM
How is Israel hurting us?
You mean to say that the Jihadis will hate us less if Israel "behaves"?
Nick| 3.24.10 @ 7:35PM
William R,
Can YOU read?
"The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel."
-General David Petraeus
How do you define "U.S. favoritism?" The operative word being "perception", of course.
Nick| 3.25.10 @ 1:21AM
One correction.
I got that quote from Toddard, so I should have been suspicious. I googled it, and it was in other sources.
One problem, Gen, Petraeus didn't say it.
"Actually, that’s not what Petraeus said. Rather, it’s pulled from the 56-page Central Command “Posture Statement” filed by his staff with the Senate Armed Services Committee."
-Max Boot, "Commentary"
My apologies.
William R| 3.24.10 @ 7:24PM
Petreaus breifing
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.c.....hole_story
Margie| 3.24.10 @ 8:10PM
Rand Paul's website is where you can find videos of him talking. He, just like his Daddy, (Ron Paul), speaks of the U.S. Military as "The Military Industrial Complex." And other choice descriptions. See for yourselves. Anyone who speaks like that is not going to be good for our country and should be exposed for their wrong views. You can't hide your spirit, and if he is a typical anti-Israel Paleo-Con or Libertarian, he isn't to be trusted.
William R| 3.24.10 @ 9:59PM
Lets examine what Margie just wrote.
On Jan 17, 1961 in the heat of the cold war, President Eisenhower used his farewell address to the nation to warn the American people about the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtY
The Supreme Allied Command in the European Theater of operations during World War 2 and very popular two term Republican President warning the American people about the military industrial complex.
Rand Paul is the conservative in this race. Cheney is a NeoCon hack who almost destroyed the Republican party.
Margie| 3.24.10 @ 10:59PM
Examine Mr. Paul's thought process here:
http://www.randpaul2010.com/is.....l-defense/
He rambles on about cutting the Military, brings up the old phony "600.00" hammers, etc. being purchased, hits on good old "Haliburton," and blames the U.S. for Iraq. Saying we "inflamed" them, and as if there were no terrorists. And needless to say, he says he would have voted against the Iraq war.
Seems to be cut from the same cloth as his Father.
This may be what the Paleo-Cons call a conservative, but not in my book!
William R| 3.24.10 @ 11:26PM
The military budget should be cut. It is the largest item in the budget. We spend more on Defense than the rest of the world combined.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/.....ending.htm
We are broke. We need to bring the troops home from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We should defend the United States and stop being the worlds policeman.
victor| 3.24.10 @ 11:46PM
Will-I-Am:
"It is the largest item in the budget."
Just barely at 23% followed by Soc Sec at 20% and Medicare/Medicaid at 19%
Soc and Medi together are 39%. Twice Defense.
What did you say needs cutting?
Last I looked Mr. Constitutionality, Defense WAS in the Constitution, Soc /Medi was NOT!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi.....Y_2007.png
And who cares if we spend more than the rest of the world. I thought you Nonnies didn't care what they thought, eh?
Nick| 3.24.10 @ 11:20PM
William R,
Why don't you EXAMINE what you, yourself, wrote?
victor| 3.25.10 @ 1:27AM
Go read Trey Grayson's website and then tell me he's anything but a Conservative.
http://treygrayson.com/
"to warn the American people about the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex"
Yes, yes, but did he renounce the "Eisenhower Doctrine"?
William R| 3.25.10 @ 7:25AM
Well I guess since he was a big supporter of Bill Clinton and voted for him two times methinks the idea that he's a conservative is absurd.
Derek Leaberry| 3.25.10 @ 10:24AM
Does Grayson support Cheney's views on homosexual marriage? Does Grayson support Cheney's views on homosexuals in the military?
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 3:16PM
Actually I would argue that Neocons are not to be trusted.
cory| 3.25.10 @ 11:57PM
Can't be trusted? Why? Because he supports the foreign policy envisioned by our founding fathers? Because he is against Dick Cheney's patriot act? Because he believes in civil liberties? And I suppose Dick Cheney is somebody we can trust? If he is exactly like his father, he is just what the conservative movement needs.
Ron Paul in more than 20 years as a congressman:
-Has never voted for any legislation that violates the constitution.
-Has never voted to raise taxes.
-Has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
Based on this track record, as a conservative, I would trust him with my life.
Old soldier| 3.24.10 @ 8:35PM
The real question is, "Why are the Palestinians refusing to negotiate with Israel or more to the point, why will they not recognize Israel?"
Rand Paul does not understand this issue.
Ben| 3.25.10 @ 5:29PM
They do try to negotiate, but Israel has no intent to make peace as the latest settlement announcement has clearly shown. It just shows that Rand Paul, like his father, completely understands what is going on.
Martin| 3.24.10 @ 8:49PM
Why should I care what Rand Paul thinks about Israel, any more than I care what he thinks about Slovakia? Israel is a country of 4-5 million people with no natural resources. I support it strongly but I resent having our government messed up for 7 years because of fantasy wars in its defense.
Since I agree with Rand Paul on everything else I support him. I support Cheney too (but not GWB), but regard his views on the Middle East as an unfortunate and damaging eccentricity.
Derek Leaberry| 3.25.10 @ 9:34AM
Cheney's endorsement changes about two vctes. Although I am not a voter in Kentucky, Cheney's support for Grayson persuades me to hope that Rand Paul wins. If he accepts Cheney's endorsement, Grayson implicitly endorses homosexual marriage and sodomites in the military.
ghdpick | 3.25.10 @ 9:52AM
http://www.ghdpick.com
http://www.ghdpick.com
dunkpick | 3.25.10 @ 9:53AM
http://www.dunkpick.com
http://www.dunkpick.com
mbtsells | 3.25.10 @ 9:55AM
http://www.mbtsells.com
http://www.mbtsells.com
WM| 3.25.10 @ 10:34AM
Although I respect the former VP, we cannot be distracted by the single-issue activist. Yes, the war against the jihadists is important, but stopping totalitarianism at home is the more urgent issue. Mr. Grayson should be encouraged to run against Mitch McConnell instead, because McConnell has been unresponsive to the citizenry and is a major speed bump on the road to conservative ascendancy.
cory| 3.25.10 @ 11:47PM
Rand Paul is a real deal conservative because he fully understands how the free market works. If he is anything like his father, he is just what the Republican party needs. An endorsement from Dick Cheney is worse than an endorsement from Nancy Palosi. Here is a guy who was the #2 in the administration that brought us a 9 trillion dollar deficit largely in part by his foreign policy. Therefore Cheney is no position to tell us the definition of conservatism. Our military is spread out in over 100 countries thus leading to larger government via the likes of the Dept. of homeland security which poorly performs the task our military was originally supposed to perform in the first place. It is unwise to fight terrorism overseas when we leave our ports and borders wide open here at home. It is fiscally irresponsible to continue to fight these wars overseas, b/c like everything else, we can't afford it.
Pingback| 3.26.10 @ 10:38PM
Cheney Delivers the Kiss of Death to Trey Grayson - US Message Board - Political Dis links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Trey Grayson | 4.12.10 @ 11:21PM
Trey Grayson is the man