BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE 
HE'S BEING HYPOCRITICAL. 
>> DICK CHENEY IS A VERY 
PROVOCATIVE GUY.
HE SAYS AT SOME POINT THIS 
COUNTRY WILL FACE A TERRORIST 
ATTACK MUCH WORSE THAN 9/11.
HE SAYS HE BELIEVES BARACK OBAMA
IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN HIS 
LIFETIME.
WHY DOES HE SAY ALL THESE 
THINGS?
WELL, HERE'S HOW HE EXPLAINED IT
TO CNN'S JAKE TAPPER. 
>> I'M 73 YEARS OLD.
EVERY DAY I GET UP AS A GIFT.
I WAS IN END STAGE HEART FAILURE
TWO YEARS AGO, GOT NEW HEART, 
THAT DOES WONDERS FOR YOUR 
ATTITUDE, BUT FROM MY 
PERSPECTIVE I FEEL VERY STRONGLY
THESE THINGS NEED TO BE SAID AND
IF I DON'T SAY THEM I DON'T KNOW
WHO ELSE WILL FROM THE 
STANDPOINT OF THE REPUBLICAN 
PARTY OR SOMEONE WITH MY 
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE OVER 
THE LAST 40 YEARS. 
>> IF HE DOESN'T SAY THEM, NO 
ONE ELSE WILL.
DOES THAT MEAN HE HAS GREAT 
COURAGE, OR DOES IT MEAN THAT 
HE'S A LONELY VOICE?
>> WELL, I THINK HE IS A BIT OF 
A LONELY VOICE THESE DAYS.
YOU KNOW, AT A TIME WHEN SORT OF
THE RAND PAUL POSITION ON 
FOREIGN POLICY HAS GAINED 
INCREASING TRACTION WITHIN 
REPUBLICAN PARTY, THERE ARE 
FEWER VOICES DEFENDING THE 
LEGACY OF THE BUSH 
ADMINISTRATION AND PARTICULARLY 
A LOT OF THE UNPOPULAR FOREIGN 
POLICY POSITIONS THAT DICK 
CHENEY PUSHED VERY AGGRESSIVELY,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE DOES FEEL 
LIKE A MAN LIVING ON BORROWED 
TIME.
HE DOES FEEL LIKE HE HAS A 
RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND THAT 
LEGACY AND, YOU KNOW, TIME WILL 
TELL IF HISTORY AGREES WITH HIM 
ON IT. 
>> HE IS AN INTERESTING POINT.
I HAD A CONVERSATION A COUPLE 
YEARS AGO 9/11 AT THE VICE 
PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE WHERE HE 
ESSENTIALLY CUT A DEAL WITH 
GEORGE W. BUSH, THAT HE WAS 
ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE WORST 
CASE SCENARIO AND HE SAID AS 
TIME PASS AND PEOPLE STARTED TO 
FORGET 9/11 THAT PEOPLE WOULD 
JUST GET MORE RELAXED.
THEY WOULD VIEW THESE THREATS 
LESS SERIOUSLY AND I SAID THAT'S
LIKE THE DARK SIDE.
HE LAUGHED ABOUT THE DARTH VADER
REFERENCE AND HE SAID HE WOULD 
ALWAYS TAKE THAT POSITION 
BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD TO.
IT'S A BIT BIZARRE, BUT -- 
>> AND THE TIMING WORKS PRETTY 
WELL FOR THEM WITH THE VIOLENCE 
THAT'S HAPPENING IN IRAQ AND 
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE 
PRESIDENT HAS DONE IN 
WITHDRAWING FORCES FROM THERE, 
SO THEY SENSE THAT THERE'S AN 
OPENING, AND CLEARLY AFTER THE 
SENATE PRIMARY, WHEN HIS 
DAUGHTER RAN AND HAD A ROQUE BID
AND HAD TO GET OUT OF THAT RACE 
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINSERT 
THEMSELVES INTO THE NATIONAL 
DEBATE AND POTENTIALLY IF LIZ 
WANTS TO RUN FOR ANOTHER OFFICE 
THIS COULD BE A WAY IN.
GET HER BACK ON THE NATIONAL 
STAGE, AND CLEARLY I'M SURE THIS
HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT. 
>> PROVOCATIVE WHETHER YOU LIKE 
HIS POLITICS OR DON'T.
MORE OF THAT INTERVIEW AT 
CNN.COM.
ASKED THE
