Cheney: Obama Looks Weak

Dick Cheney’s on the warpath again, this time bashing Barack Obama for “agonizing” over his Afghan strategy, and projecting “weakness” to the troops. “Every time he delays, defers, debates, changes his position, it begins to raise questions,” Cheney tells Politico in an interview at his home last night, accusing Obama of “making decisions apparently for what I would describe as small ‘p’ political reasons.” Cheney thinks Obama’s deliberations will also send Afghans into the arms of the Taliban.

“They’re worried the United States isn’t going to be there much longer, and the bad guys are,” Cheney reasons. Asked if he thought the Bush administration had to bear some of the blame for the mess in Afghanistan, he replied, “I basically don’t,” but wouldn’t elaborate. He also blasted Obama’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City. “I think it’s likely to give encouragement—aid and comfort—to the enemy.” (More Dick Cheney stories.)