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Former Deputy Assistant to Dick Cheney Ron Christie on the former vice president’s impact on the Bush Administration.
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Former Vice President Dick Cheney said his new book would cause heads to explode in Washington and so far he's.
Pretty on target with that.
In his sights now is Senator John McCain Cheney writes that He was puzzled when McCain suspended his presidential campaign.
Return to Washington dive into the financial crisis but -- says He -- Added nothing of substance to any of the meetings there and -- to be appealing to McCain's presidential chances were in trouble.
Joining me now is Ron Christie he's a former deputy assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney sir thank you for joining us absolutely tell us a little bit about the man.
Well there's a lot of misconception about Dick Cheney a lot of people thought that He was Bush's brainer He was the guy behind the scenes pulling the levers but from my experience Washington -- -- worked there for twenty years.
I think he's the consummate team player He was a gentleman very soft spoken that's a side of my think a lot of people giving -- a chance to say.
Now in the book or reading or we're hearing from various people would have it on such post book -- from.
Colin Powell who said that he's taking some cheap shots we heard mr.
McCain saying I don't know -- talking about it wish him well.
What about our our it will whose accounts are accurate do you think mr.
Cheney is counts are accurate -- -- -- -- -- listening to these other various people -- taking -- I think ever went to Washington analysts has scored that they wanna settle but I believe Dick Cheney him and I got to work with him very close I was -- -- domestic policy advisor.
He was very candid He was very frank He always -- what was on his mind.
I think what people are gonna be surprised about reading this book is he's gonna get some very candid assessments of the people who worked with.
Not just the McCain's of the world -- Colin Powell but also the Nixon administration.
Bush 41 and of course the opportunity to work hand in hand with Donald Rumsfeld so.
Beyond the current crop -- political folks you're gonna see a little historical plants it to Washington DC and house of all Franco in the last 3040 years how much input to Dick Cheney have in what went on post 9/11.
-- very significant.
I can tell you that the vice president staff we were very integrated with the president's staff our whole mission our whole function.
Was to help President Bush and his team do everything that they needed to do to get the country back going so.
Very much involved in the decision did President Bush -- and mr.
-- is advice that He -- the the be with them off and -- take his advice into the change anything that He may have had an idea about that He changes to.
Tennessee -- -- mr.
changes.
It's hard to say on on the latter point on the former point I can say that they have their intelligence briefings every morning together.
As a domestic policy advisor I can tell you that the vice president sat in on all the president's domestic policy briefings.
Was a vocal participant.
But at the end of the day the vice president recognized his whole function is to assist the president do everything the president asks him to do.
Not the other way around that is if Cheney is telling bush this is what you need to do in -- -- that is clear one of the most important parts up for at least a lot of my Busan and myself.
Why it wasn't war that will there was no declaration of war what whose idea was that was a pushed -- -- dispute with in the White House Booth for that decision.
I would have to directly to my colleagues who were in the national security team as the domestic policy advisor I can certainly tell you from our perspective of what we are working on.
The creation Department of Homeland Security many of the other security steps were taken to safeguard the country.
We were fully integrated with president's team and his staff.
And that's -- let me bring the panel in here.
And we listened to this if there's a lot surrounding and -- -- a lot of questions you know the weapons of mass destruction issue ever wants to know about.
But the bottom line it's on 9/11 01.
Until the -- Bush Administration Cheney left office.
There were no domestic terror.
That strikes on American -- There were no domestic terrorist strikes thanks to the work that the bush administration and Vice President Cheney.
Had done look I am an enormous fan of that administration -- thank you very much for your hard work.
To the extent that that the vice president writes about the McCain campaign.
You know to be perfectly fair to put my analysts -- on for a moment.
You do you do need to remember the poll numbers that bush Cheney had and the fact that the McCain campaign.
You know everything else aside just from a purely strategic perspective wanted to have some semblance of arm's length away from that administration.
So you know and that really makes a lot of sense.
From a strategic standpoint you know it's -- to get the vice president's side of this because He can fill in some of those lines.
Be interested in back in 1976 He was the assistant to the chief of staff to -- for the chief of staff was.
Rumsfeld if you know -- Gerald Ford is gonna bailout New York City that was asking for the first bail out the richest city in the world was.
Apparently ready did declare Chapter Eleven analysts Cheney and Rumsfeld web journal -- that I feel minute I'm good how are the richest city -- more or.
Well I got summer so I stock according I needed does it doctor -- -- -- at some point during one of the recent interviews Dick Cheney said that Donald Rumsfeld was the best boss.
He ever had to document weigh in on that.
Well rumsfeld's rules are well known around the capital He was a -- -- affected person.
Although I will say Eric if you include 9/11 01 there was -- a massive terrorist strike on that date.
And that did happen on George W Bush's watch.
I think that in terms of the campaigning.
And John McCain I would very much agree with up and -- I guess not -- -- I had I had some stock you know there I said post 9/11 knowing you couch in the while in the world.
Could you blame that on George -- as well I think -- already gonna be Iran and I went on Clinton and Clinton and bush it was ninety -- real quickly and it's typical I mean the Democrats it was looked in the rearview mirror and -- blame bush you know it's almost as bush bush bush I blame Clinton as well idling Clinton as well not a well -- -- -- -- -- -- time that we have to say good night to Ron Christie was a united Dan -- Tonight -- to Curtis -- went on the bird.
-- to say united I think Carol Goldman.
