Dick Cheney: Is he really
running things?

Some months ago, the AP reported that Secretary of State Colin Powell and White House spokesman Ari Fleischer condemned Israel's missile strike against Hamas military headquarters in the West Bank, which killed two senior Palestinian terrorists and several others. Powell's office said that the attack was "overly aggressive" and "cannot be justified."

Then along comes Vice President (?) Dick Cheney who contradicted that condemnation. He stated, "If you've got an organization that has plotted, or is plotting, some kind of suicide bomber attack . . . and you have hard evidence of where it is and where they're located, I think there's some justification in their trying to protect themselves by pre-empting."

Since 911, Cheney, who is usually under cover for fear the terrorists get to him, has taken control of the White House and reduced the other White House players to mere marionettes. Gibbs asked when this incident first occurred whether the incident was merely confusion in the Bush camp or if it was Cheney's way of projecting his authority and control in the White House? That question has since been answered.

In an article in Gibbs during the presidential campaign, we explored the seeming friction and lack of confidence Barbara Bush has displayed for her son and now our president. Indeed, the Cheney crowd was urged upon the junior Bush by senior Bush. Were they urged on junior Bush because the family knows his insufficiencies?

Gibbs also looked at Colin Powell and his grooming for the Presidency or Vice Presidency in a few years. He is very popular with Republicans and Democrats, both Black and White. But there had been talk that there was friction between White House cabinet members when discussing any issue. Major news media are reporting that a number of hawkish cabinet members--Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc., have taken control of Bush's ear, and other cabinet members who are pragmatic and reasonable have given way to the more extremists, as they have been marginalized.

When Cheney openly contradicted the Secretary of State his action was to do two things: let Powell know that Cheney is really in charge and to humble him; second, to indicate to the nation and to Israel that Cheney is really the one who sets the foreign policy for this nation. These messages have been gotten across to all America and our allies as well.

But if Cheney is asserting himself so dominantly, what happens when his precarious heart decides to stop? Certainly Bush, having allowed Cheney to dictate foreign policy and reduce the prestige of the nation's Secretary of State, cannot function effectively without strong individuals directing him. With most papers looking at the extremists taking over in the White House and some calling for Powell to resign as a protest, an important goes unasked: will Colin Powell want to function in a high profile manner again in this Bush Administration when Cheney's bad heart stops?

The Bush Administration and the Republicans have made a number of blunders--Senator Jeffords, remember him? And J.C. Watts, remember him?

Although Representative Watts never said anything publicly to embarrass the Republicans, there was much talk about racism and bigotry of Republicans as being the real reasons for his getting out of politics. Some say that although he was given chairmanship of certain committees, and he was supposedly the third most powerful Republican in the party, he was marginalized--much like Colin Powell is in the Bush White House. Republicans simply know how to bring out the worst in nonwhite people.

Were Bush or the Republicans wise and not filled with testosterone, they could see that this Bush presidency lacks a national acceptance of its legitimacy. They do not need blunders with Powell; he is the big fish in their little credibility-lacking Bush pond. He has national rock star-like popularity, he can command the Black vote in eight years for the Republican party and can help them tremendously in four years. But in the next eight years, he alone seems destined to possess the ability to take the Republican Party to majority party status. However, if Powell pulls a Senator Jeffords or a J.C. Watts, the Republican Party is in serious trouble.

The problem with the Republicans is that they make one good move then make five backward moves. They seem to trip over their own feet when it comes to Blacks. Yet they are presently doing something interesting with the Black vote: they have finally selected high profile accepted Black leaders. In the past they have sought out the most repugnant Blacks--Clarence Thomas, Shelby Steele, Ward Connerly, etc.--and attempted to elevate them accepted Black leaders. That policy has resulted in Blacks coming to despise the party for the type of "leadership" they have thrown at our community--even after ten years, Clarence Thomas is still unaccepted by Blacks, although there is some miniscule growth in him.

One thing is sure about the Republicans is that they are certain to make needless blunders and spoil all the positive things they do. They simply have too many fringe elements, polemicists, and extremists in their tent to ever become consistent.

Junior Bush, if he has any say in the matter, needs to reign in Dick Cheney, because he is an uncertain factor, and with his heart condition, he could be gone at any time. Usually Vice Presidents wait their term to be president; they do not function outside their capacity or cause confusion among the various ego-sensitive cabinet members. That convention does not seem to be Cheney's style. []
Gibbs staff