Kamala Harris has sparked a furor after praising former Vice President Dick Cheney while campaigning with her daughter in Wisconsin.
Dick Cheney, a former Wyoming congressman and George W. Bush’s conservative vice president, is often blamed for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
“I also want to thank your father, Vice President Dick Cheney, for his support and what he has done to serve our country,” Harris said Thursday while thanking her daughter, Liz, for supporting her.
While Harris’ embrace of former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney may have been difficult for some Democrats to swallow, it was her praise for her father that seemed to have been a step too far for many politicians and commentators.
The veteran Wyoming congressman and George W. Bush’s conservative vice president is often blamed for the March 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris retires with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney
“Dick Cheney not only committed war crimes and helped kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, but he also caused the deaths of thousands of American soldiers.” wrote journalist Mehdi Hasan.
‘They should send Liz Cheney to Michigan to campaign for Kamala in Dearborn and Detroit. “It may explain why she and her father still support Guantanamo, CIA black sites, torture, rendition, drones and the war in Iraq.” wrote journalist Glenn Greenwald.
“Yes, imagine how much worse off we would be without Dick Cheney’s service.” wrote Right-wing podcaster Saagar Enjeti sarcastically.
President Joe Biden also praised Dick Cheney on Friday after watching him campaign together.
‘I know his dad. … We argued a lot, but I always admired her courage and honesty,” Biden said, adding: “She and her father have character. Damn, character is what we need in this country!’
As a senator, Biden voted to give then-President George W. Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq, even though he changed his mind and opposed the war afterward.
But many left-leaning Americans had different opinions about Cheney and Biden.
“We better win if we have to put up with this shit.” wrote Television writer Ben Siemon.
‘If you had to choose the most evil man of the 21st century, it would be hard to beat Dick Cheney. “People can do what they want, but I will never vote for this.” wrote podcaster Sean Padraig McCarthy
Democratic presidential candidate and United States Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) looks on
US Marines from the 1st Division enter a house to take up positions in western Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004.
Vice President Dick Cheney, Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden pose for photos at the Capitol.
‘(A) world in which George W. Bush had never listened to Dick Cheney would have been a world without the invasion of Iraq and probably would have been a world without extreme NATO expansion, including reckless promises to Ukraine in recent days of the Bush administration, and there probably would have been “There has been a world in which the Obama administration did not continue US regime change policies in the Middle East with the destruction of Libya, Syria and Yemen,” wrote Climate activist Stephen McIntyre.
Others marveled at the sheer madness of the event, suggesting that the ‘Matrix’ was broken or that the ‘simulation’ of reality was ‘out of control’.
“When you’re so desperate to win, you thank Dick Cheney for ‘what he’s done to serve our country,'” The Chain Gamer’s Ali wrote. “The simulation is out of control.”
“Honestly, I didn’t have it on my bingo card that Democrats would go from calling Dick Cheney a war criminal to thanking him for his service to the country.” wrote user Amez808. ‘Incredible timeline.’
“The writers are just screwing us right now.” wrote Young Cathy.
Federalist writer Sean Davis shared a quote from Joe Biden from the 2012 vice presidential debate in which he described Cheney as “probably the most dangerous vice president in American history.”
“So no: Joe Biden has not ‘always admired’ Dick Cheney,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump mocked Liz Cheney as a “low-IQ war hawk” after she campaigned for Harris and praised her character.
‘Liz Cheney lost her congressional seat by the largest margin in congressional history for a sitting representative. Wyoming people are really smart!’ Trump wrote in Truth Social.