Dick Cheney versus Joe Biden (and George W. Bush)

After more than a year of ignoring Dick Cheney's pointed criticisms of its handling of the War on Terror the Obama Whitehouse, through the person of Joe Biden, is responding. While there is little Biden has to say on the subject that is new, Biden has given emphasis to two of the better arguments against Cheney; namely, that the Bush Whitehouse abandoned waterboarding and other "enhanced" techniques still favored by Cheney by 2006 and that even Richard Reed the "shoebomber" received prompt Miranda warnings approved by the Bush justice department. In giving Miranda warnings to the Christmas Day bomber the current adminstration is following a policy identical to the policy actually followed when Bush was President. Cheney is not merely urging a continuation of anti-terror policies followed by the Bush Whitehouse, Cheney is seeking the re-adoption of policies rejected by the Bush Whitehouse. To follow Cheney's current position to its immediate and logical conclusion, the Bush administration made America "less safe" from 2006 onward by rejecting tactics favored by Dick Cheney.