Bush Presidential Pardons

Dick Cheney Book Covers Politics, Media, and That Quail Shooting Incident

Dick Cheney said his book, "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir," would cause heads to explode all over Washington. This was not an outlandish or arrogant prediction to make. With all of the names he named, there were bound to be a few unhappy campers. Indeed, Cheney makes it easy for readers to know exactly who he did and did not agree with on various issues, from the people he knew during his early days in Washington to those he worked with as vice president. That being said, "In My Time" is not a salacious read. In a straightforward manner that does not overdo it on detail, Cheney goes through his early life, his various political jobs, and other events in his life he finds relevant.

One thing is clear from early on in the book: when Cheney likes someone, he will sing their praises, and when he does not, he will be sure to say exactly why. The same thing happens when it comes to disagreements.

Take Colin Powell, for example. Cheney said Powell seemed more comfortable talking about poll numbers during the conflict in Kuwait than recommending military options.

"Part of it was just Colin, the way he was attuned to public approval, but listening to him also made me think about how Vietnam had shaped the views of America's top generals," Cheney wrote.

Cheney is not particularly critical of former president

Cheney did not hesitate to call out those who resigned from office before anyone had the chance to reprimand them. Cheney said that when he called then-Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill, who "wasn't working out" for several reasons, and asked him to meet with the president, O'Neill canceled the meeting. "He had someone drop off his resignation letter and left town," Cheney wrote.

Governmental figures- both prominent and otherwise- may get the credit or criticism Cheney thinks they deserve, but no one gets it harder than the media. Cheney's relationship with and views of the press are clearly stated in several instances throughout his memoir, and his opinion is rarely positive. The one exception is former CNN news anchor Bernard Shaw, who moderated the vice presidential debate between Cheney and Joe Lieberman. That's just about it. Cheney seemed to relish the fact that he did not budge when Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward tried to "pump" him for information on who would be Bush's running mate. "None of his speculation was focused on me, and I felt no need to broaden his horizons," Cheney wrote.

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