By Colleen O’Connor
Former Rep. Liz Cheney’s new book, Oath and Honor, is just being released, garnering more press and more serious attention since her disciplined, singularly scholarly co-chairmanship of the January 6th Committee.
She has appeared in extensive primetime interviews on the major networks, in dozens of op/eds in the world’s press, and drummed up enough attention to make Taylor Swift envious.
So, it came as no surprise that Rachel Maddow, the Oxford grad of liberal renown, and MSNBC primetime host, wanted to grab Cheney for a one-on-one interview. The odd couple, one seriously liberal, the other equally serious conservative would guaranteed a huge audience share.
How would they debate?
Cheney’s verbal and printed attacks on Trump/Trump-ism and her House colleagues have been devastating. Calling them “cowards” who have “walked away from the constitution,” while sticking by her Republicanism, she digs at the former President, “I have been a Republican longer than Trump has been spray-tanning.”
Add to this:
“When you have a president who’s willing to go to war with the rule of law, to ignore the rulings of the courts if he doesn’t agree with them, that has the potential to unravel everything.”
“Trump will not leave office if elected again.
“The country is “sleepwalking in dictatorship.”
And then, she, the archconservative, adds, “The Republicans cannot win the House in 2024.”
Cheney’s book also contains serious, heretofore untold stories of the “coup” plans that culminated in the assault on the Capital, and re-enforces her belief that “everyone” must face the risk of losing our Republic.
The interview with Maddow was interesting, but more unusual was the deft, candor, and deep sincerity that Cheney displayed in a half hour segment in which she, outclassed the questioner.
Maddow spent the first half-hour in a rather self-absorbed explanation about her reasons for disliking Cheney’s politics, her family, even her stature. Then she proceeded to elaborate, as if she were the event, not Cheney.
In questions and answers, Cheney exuded something rare in politicians, a restraint, a quick legal mind, and some depth of sincerity that has seen her through the loss of her leadership position in the Republican caucus, ultimately her congressional seat in Wyoming and threats to family.
Yet, she persists with a strength that grows stronger with every nasty Trump tweet against her, every sneer or ridicule from former friends and voters, and those still adoring Trump’s cruelty.
Perhaps, it is because she is a mother, perhaps because she has taking more blow than Mohammed Ali, or perhaps because she is just honestly trying to ring the alarm bell.
Her best bet she places with her own legal training. She commends the courts for holding fast to the rule of law. They must prevail, she argues.
Read the book. Watch the interviews and opinion pieces. Judge for yourself.
A class act that spotlights a deep warning.
Cheney book #1 on Amazon..”Sold out” 5 million viewed Maddow/Cheney interview
Oh the irony. Why isn’t her dad and the rest of his fellow war criminals in prison?
Given the state of things these days, that’s a ridiculous question.
Not really. Where are the WMD’s? History sure was glossed over on that one.
Sure, sure, I agree — but there’s been a lot of water under the bridge since. I went to just about every anti-Iraq war protest there was in San Diego. But now we’re in a very different situation. It’s Americans for democracy and the rule of law against those who want and are planning on a fascist country.
I may agree she is not at the far end of the money rope that has been pulling our parties farther and farther to the right. To cherry pick as a reminder of who she… is Cheney voted with Trump 92.9% of the time during his term in office. She is hawkish and supported the Iraq invasion (call it war if you want). She supported the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. She has cosponsored legislation to defund Planned Parenthood. She voted against the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’, which puts billions towards health care and climate initiatives. While supporting a bipartisan gun package, she did say “Nothing in the bill restricts the rights of responsible gun owners. Period. I will always protect the Second Amendment.” However, she voted against the ‘Protecting Our Kids Act’. She voted against the ‘Freedom to Vote Act’. She voted against the ‘Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act’. Just saying.
Frank J – But importantly she stood against the coup and Trump and was the vice-chair of the Congressional committee investigating the coup attempt on Jan 6. That is very significant these days. And it is foremost.
And Pense stood against overturning electors. The only thing he did right either. Lucking out on a different avenue of 1%ers.
Maddow said she’s as left as Chaney is right. Her audience, and show, are left. And they agree about the danger of Trump. Why is it necessary to denigrate the interviewer with “outclassed the questioner” and “as if she were the event”. I call points of the article wall maintenance.
There was a twinge of that in the post, but focus on the main thing: O’Connor is helping us in understanding Cheney’s warning to the rest of us.
Labeling the article opinion instead of source is fine. What use is a common foe when spears are still being lobbed?
I have a lot of respect for Cheney per her role in the Jan 6 hearings. Having said that, its not (ever) enough to actually garner independents who are watching from the fringes, not wanting to see Biden or Trump in office. Her record is what it is, and I agree with none of it. I didn’t watch the interview b/c its just a book flaunt and not the sort of stuff I read. I thank Cheney (a lot) for her service to the anti-Trump effort, but that’s as far as it goes for me.
Cheney still #1 bestseller on NYTimes/Amazon
https://politicalwire.com/2023/12/14/liz-cheneys-book-tops-bestseller-list/
Cheney says it’s ‘worth’ Johnson losing Speakership over passing Ukraine aid bill..” At least, she understands history! Think history. Think Poland/ WWII1
And then “At Coronado Event, Navy Sec. Del Toro Urges Congress Approve Ukraine Aid.” At least, he understands history.
I bought Edward Snowden’s book ‘Permanent Record’ and if you haven’t read it, you need to stop talking about ‘democracy’ and ‘saving the Republic’ until you do.
I bought Daniel Ellsberg’s ‘Doomsday Machine’ that sent shivers up my spine. There’s some reality nobody liked, and we’ve lost him and his knowledge and intelligence.
I even bought George Carlin’s ‘Last Words.’ Another mind we have lost that we sorely need now.
But I will not only NEVER buy her book, I won’t read it even if somebody gave me one. She licked Trump’s feet, and if she’s so smart and ‘noble’ why the hell didn’t she start nine freaking years ago when he was running in 2015?? Give me a break, I KNEW what Trump was so how did she not?
She didn’t of course! But better late than never you say?
Trump, after all, wants to turn THIS country into a dictatorship with death squads like US governments have been sending off to other countries for a hundred years, but this time it’s to kill off all you nasty dems and lefties and communists and union members and librarians and…whomever he feels like which is quite reasonable for a dictator as this country has put in or supported all around the world for freaking ever.
She’s a privileged little white girl raised and educated by money covered, literally dripping, in blood.
One thing we should have noticed by now is that the wealthy do nothing if they can’t profit by it somehow. And sometimes that means taking risks like she’s done at this point against Trump, but you can bet her mind is calculating and betting on the power she could get back and increase with Trump and his MAGATS removed from power. Going to leave a big vacuum there in the top of the GOP I think, yes?
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/02/16/the-spanish-american-war-was-based-on-a-lie/
Doesn’t feel very good to have the target on your own back for a change, does it? I know I sure don’t like it much living here in MAGATS land with machine guns being fired less that about 2 miles away up the hill…
In other words, the Cheneys can all go jump off a cliff and I wouldn’t miss them one little bit.
sealintheSelkirks