Charles,
I easily part with you on your last sentence. I'm fairly certain that both Cheney (and Bush for that matter) & Obama don't want to kill people. But, when any of them decide to engage an "enemy" with lethal targeting they want it done effectively and w/o collateral damage. That unfortunately is the nature of warfare.

However, as I've mentioned to you before I remain greatly apprehensive and abhor Obama lethally targeting US citizens (and others) in drone strikes w/o Congressional oversight (the Obama Admin. has since disclosed some docs to a Senate Select Comm.). As with "waterboarding" during the Bush years, first the secrecy then the "justification" followed.

Last time I checked, both assassination & torture are wrong. I like to cut all Presidents slack regarding National Security. But, with Obama and the drone strikes I find it eerily similar if not the same to Bush and "waterboarding". Check out Greenwald:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/…

I also find the liberal Left's "deafening silence" on this issue deeply troubling. One wonders how they would react if this was a McCain or Romney as President.

@1 The "deafening silence" is a construct of the conservative media.

We are starting to see a groundswell of liberal opposition as more people become better informed about this issue.

Every conservative news site or blog I've read keeps claiming that conservatives are the only ones who are upset. Just because they pull that out of their collective ass doesn't make it true. And conversely, I wonder if they would even be complaining if Romney was doing this? How much of the conservative outrage is legitimately directed toward the policy in place, and how much is just general opposition to anything and everything Obama does?

@2, you mean to say that the groundswell of opposition from the liberals started AFTER Obama was reelected. *ahem*

The time to hold Obama accountable was last year..when he still had to face the electorate..little late now.

@3 Yeah, well now is the time that it's starting to get a lot more media coverage from a broader variety of outlets. Who was outraged about waterboarding before they knew it was happening? No one. Lack of awareness has always been a problem.

I read this a different way. The "man" suggested that if someone makes enough money and makes "difficult" decisions that said man should be allowed to shoot someone in the face. I mean kill them with impunity. It takes 400k a year and making decisions that some people would have a difficult time making to be allowed to kill people at will? Fuck I should have gone to college, professional murderer? The psychopath I'd prefer to never get out in me is dying for the opportunity.

If there's one thing Cheney dislikes, it's the need for checks and balances.

@6, that's how I read it. You have a tough job = you can decide to kill people.

I'm glad Cheney supports Obama's drone program. Family members shouldn't fight.