“I would advise the administration to think very carefully about the course ahead. All the zeal that has been directed at interrogations is utterly misplaced. And staying on that path will only lead our government further away from its duty to protect the American people.”Despite his unpopularity with the American public, Cheney remains an extremely influential person within the political establishment. He has three decades worth of ties built up, beginning with his promotion to Chief of Staff for President Ford during the 'Halloween Massacre' of 1975. This 'Massacre' was a cabinet shake-up that sought to marginalize Republican moderates, and promoted Donald Rumsfeld to Secretary of Defense and George H.W. Bush to Director of the CIA. It was likely instigated by Rumsfeld, and reflected a position within the ruling class to swing hard to right, following the defeat in Vietnam and the domestic mass movements of the 1960's.
When Cheney speaks in these kind of strident tones, it is likely he does not just speak for himself, but also a significant faction within the military and intelligence apparatus.
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