5/20/2023 0 Comments Peter baker days of fire![]() ![]() Other factors played a part: As secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice proved a wilier infighter than Powell had been, and Rumsfeld’s departure reduced Cheney’s influence at the Pentagon. ![]() Cheney saw his offer as an act of statesmanship, but Baker portrays it as a shrewd play to Bush’s insecurity, manifested as an ever-present need to show that he was boss, even of supposedly the most powerful vice president in history.Ĭheney’s influence declined during the second term - a fact that Cheney chalked up to Bush’s increased confidence. 11 attack, Cheney became the administration’s most muscular advocate for bolstering domestic intelligence gathering and ousting Saddam Hussein - marginalizing Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft along the way.īaker writes that Cheney did only what Bush wanted, but he also shows that Cheney shaped the conversation on what the president wanted.Ĭheney shocked Bush by offering to step aside as his running mate in 2004, and the vice president was unpopular enough that Bush considered replacing him with U.S. The balance worked reasonably well during the first term, although Baker contends that by stocking the cabinet with other sharp-elbowed players, such as Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell, Bush was setting the stage for turf battles.Īfter the Sept. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |