Musings on the Cheney Dynasty

Bob Bateman, lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army infantry and veteran blogger, wrote a column for Altercation questioning the credentials of V.P. scion Liz Cheney. Anything about the Cheney clan is of interest to WYO bloggers, as Dick and Lynne (we’re on a first-name basis) both are from Casper, graduated from UW, and Dick served in The State House before going to The U.S. House, and then on to other things.

Liz Cheney wrote an op-ed column for the Washington Post on Jan. 23 (SOTU Day) and it was all about war strategy and national security and a bunch of other subjects is which she apparently has no expertise.

Let’s let Col. Bob take over:

As near as I can tell, Liz Cheney's expertise as either a military strategist or a national security theorist consists of the following: None. So my question is for the Washington Post editorial page editors. To wit: "Why?" What makes Liz Cheney qualified to speak on issues of military theory, warfare, terrorism, and national security strategy?

And then this:

Yet with those weighty national security qualifications of "none," she is given a bully pulpit in one of the most influential newspapers in the country wherein she makes strategic military assertions, and The Washington Post publishes them. I'm sorry, but that is wrong. It is as wrong as listening to Hollywood stars like Sean Penn or that Baldwin guy for incisive intellectual content on military or national security affairs. (Moral issues, sure, anyone can be an "expert" in that, but not military theory.) Frankly, the fact that Ms. Cheney took advantage of biology in order to get into print is just something that turns my stomach.

The Cheney clan comes from humble beginnings. But that changed once Dick became a mover-and-shaker Inside the Beltway and Lynne became head of the National Endowment for the Humanities under Bush the Elder – and then spent the ensuing years as a right-wing crank trying to dismantle federal arts and humanities programs. But the family’s stature really changed when Dick took over the reins of Halliburton and then became V.P. under Bush the Younger. His ties to Halliburton and other war profiteers remain strong.

Apparently the Cheneys have built quite a dynasty and we all look forward to the day when Dick leaves office and the family returns to their gated home on the range in Jackson, Wyo., bringing their blood money with them.

(Thanks to my old college roommate, Bob Page, for the tip on Col. Bob’s column.)