The legacy of a "public servant" who would torture the public

On: Remembering Why Americans Loathe Dick Cheney

By Conor Friedersdorf

As the former vice president releases his memoir, it's useful to recall the many reasons why the vast majority of Americans disapproved of his tenure.

When Vice President Dick Cheney left office, his approval rating stood at a staggeringly low 13 percent. Few political figures in history have been so reviled. As his memoir, In My Time, hits bookstores today, and he does a series of friendly interviews in the press, some Americans with short memories might wonder, "Why is it that so few were willing to endorse his performance in office?"

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And here is why I disapprove:

Mr. Cheney’s zeal in pursuing the enemy abroad could be excused on account of blinding patriotism. He may argue, and some may believe him, that his designs of torture and policies were intended to protect Americans from foreign thugs. But his support for the torture regime he devised becomes treasonous when combined with his role in the illegal monitoring of US citizens.   He has shown a lack of respect for the constitution, for the separation of powers, and for the presumption of innocence—a universal doctrine that is meant to protect the lives and liberties of citizens.

I disapprove of Mr. Cheney for his willful blindness to endangering the lives and liberties of US citizens at home and abroad. Mr. Cheney does not appreciate the constitutional guarantees that are supposed to be honored in all times, especially during times of turmoil, not just in times of convenience.

* Prof. SOUAIAIA teaches at the University of Iowa. Opinions expressed herein are the author’s, speaking as a citizen on matters of public interest; not speaking for the university or any other organization with which he is affiliated.