Dick Cheney Should Get Knocked Down a Peg on Thursday

The Politico is reporting that on Thursday, a day former Veep Dick Cheney is scheduled to give a speech titled, “Keeping America Safe,” President Barack Obama will give a major speech outlining the “political and intellectual” framework behind his anti-terror stance and all things related to detainee treatment.

Mr. Cheney, meet Mr. Obama – you might want to talk to Mr. McCain about bringin’ the scary hype against the man who seems to have re-invented hope.

I can see it now.  Cheney, talking like Burgess Meredith’s Penguin character from the old Batman TV series, spitting all the worn out Bush era lines about fighting “them” over there so we don’t have to fight “them” here.  Through teeth clenched around a cigarette holder he might even throw in a few nasal, conspiratorial giggles as he derides Democrats as soft.

On the other side of the split screen is the man who is steady, unafraid.  Barack Obama will use his moment to teach, to inspire.  Cheney will undoubtedly use his moment, in front of a partisan crowd at the American Enterprise Institute to stoke the flames that divide us.

America will once again be reminded what a great choice she made in November.

I’ll be the first to say that as an Obama voter, I’m not down with the whole cult of personality thing.  I’ve criticized the Administration’s policies of feeding corporate America while middle America is hungry for work.  I criticized recently the flip-flop on the release of detainee abuse photos.

But of one thing I’m fairly certain.  When President Obama speaks on big issues, he speaks from a carefully considered, thoughtful point of view.  His values – some may label them “Left” – go into his positions, but I do believe that all sides of the issues are considered.  This pragmatism, something entirely missing from U.S. national politics since Bush 41, leads to decisions like that of using military tribunals to adjudicate some of the Guantanamo detainee cases.  When you’re pragmatic and you compromise you rankle the extremes.  Since most of us inhabit the space more near the center, that’s O.K.

I’m looking forward to this speech from President Obama on Thursday like no other public appearance he’s made since the address to the Joint Session of Congress.  I’ll take in the coverage of Cheney also.  I just won’t expect anything of value.