False Dick Cheney Quote

“It will be necessary for us to be a nation of men, and not laws.”

~ Dick Cheney

False. The quote is paraphrased by Ron Suskind on PBS "Frontline" as to Cheney's intentions for responding to the 9-11 attack
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/etc/script.html

Ratings and Comments


Logan, Memphis, TN

Well, Dick Cheney ain't no John Adams now, is he?

Mike, Norwalk

Logan, you had better be careful, you might be invited on his next hunting expedition. Holding the puppets strings, he has done very well in destroying any last vestige of the Constitutional Republic.

shane eden, imperial beach

I hope & pray the American people will come awake and vote for an independent, Constitutionally-minded President & Administration this November, and completely eliminate both Republican & Democrat parties. Shame on this administration and all those in Washington who are guilty of misprision of felony AND treason for what they have allowed to happen in our country over the past years WITHOUT SAYING ONE THING ABOUT IT!! We must take our country back this year, and prosecute the guilty!

A.Jurgensen, Stuart, FL

I doubt there's one pres. candidate out there who gives a Tinker's damn about the constitution...Cheney's quote is no exception. All of them are full of themselves.

warren, olathe

Lousy quote no doubt taken out of context if said at all. Chaney is great. Love him. Great guy. Wish he was president.

warren, olathe

How we gona get a constitutionally minded President this November when none are running Shane?

warren, olathe

If you read the article the quote was lifted from, and you are an informed rational person, you wouldn't believe a thing printed in it.

E Archer, NYC

Cheney's choice of words demonstrates he absolutely knew what he was saying. warren, we know you are a die-hard Bush-Cheney fan, but give us a break. This duo has done more harm to your personal freedoms than the last 5 presidents combined. Don't be a fool. Money and power are all these guys care about -- Cheney is personally responsible for making his companies BILLIONS in government 'defense' contracts. Bush is just a puppet. Ron Paul is the only constitutionally-minded candidate -- and he is still running.

warren, olathe

Cheney didnt say it. Cheney doesn't have any companies. Ron Paul is a buffoon. Wake up. The crap in here is getting moronic

E Archer, NYC

Hey, warren, ever hear of Halliburton? Cheney was CEO. He still has a seat on the board -- and on the boards of many other companies (Enron, etc.). When his term is over, he will make a fortune as an insider negotiating more federal contracts. Wake up, man -- do you not know anything about real politics? The quote is sourced and referenced. The guy is a power-monger and has made a fortune off of defense contracts to the federal government.

warren, olathe

So what he worked there. Big deal. You are a moron if you think that Halliburton has a damn thing to do with any thing. The quote is not real. The ass that wrote it is nothing but a hack. The president or vice president does not sit on any boards by law while in office. Read the source. I did and it is nothing but lies. And I am not a Bush fan. But I do like Cheney. And as I said those are not his choice of words E. Archer. If you guys can't see an obvious smear job by a hack you must be so blinded by hate you will believe anything. Any quote from any current source must be carefully considered today. The press is as much a group of politicians as any other political party out there and the majority of them are from the left. They LIE.

Mark, Rockford

I don't think that this quote can be found at the cited source. The transcript is available on line at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/etc/script.html After all this time and no fact checkers. Just like lemmings.

Editor, Liberty Quotes

Thanks for the link, Mark. In the transcript, Ron Suskind says, "What Cheney does at that moment is say that we will probably have to be a country ruled by men rather than laws in this period." We will dig further to see if this is a direct quote, paraphrase, or opinion.

Jim
  • Reply
    Jim    2/16/09

    Thanks Mark for pointing out the Lemmings. Keep up the good work.

    John, Madison, MS

    If Cheney said this - ass backwards. Ex vp needs to catch up on his reading. a republic John Adams Date: March 6, 1775 They define a republic to be a government of laws, and not of men.

    J. B. Wulff, Bristol, CT

    A curious selection of quotes which have an interesting tack. Cheney echoes the Roman. When we are attacked we must be men first and defeat the enemy. War is never pretty and rules are observed at your mortal peril. Korea and Viet Nam should have taught us that but did not. Iraq remains an expensive, bloody, experiment in progress. Afghanistan is echoing the path of Korean War errors. To those who dislike Bush, begone! After 9/11 he drew the line in the sand and said to the world, you are with us or against us! Remember the Alamo, Crossing the Rubicon, etc. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. The third quote ties up the nasty package of war with the reality of the foot soldier. The ever noble young who fight and die as the diabolical games are played. Semantics is not a manly art any more than war is pretty. During peace you may debate, during war it is ever, "My country, right or wrong, my country!"

    J Carlton, Calgary

    Goes to Cheney's complete lack of respect for the law. He and Bush, like many other's in DC are treating Americans as a commodity to be disposed of...by executive order. Time to put some integrity back in the White House.

    Elaine, Oakwood

    I not only like Cheney but I respect him & I think he respects the American people that use their brains & do not try to depend on the government to support them.

    hankrearden, burr ridge il

    Cheney is a patriot - the proof of his effetiveness as a leader is crystal clear given the viciousness and longevity of the media attacks upon him. Look at what was done to Scooter Libby, a life ruined in order to depose Cheney. Cheney is exactly right - when laws become perverted so that they make honest men into criminals - EPA ? - when charlatans and traitors twist and abuse laws meant to protect the weak instead to shelter the evil among us who would destroy our society, encouraging our enemies -ACLU??? - then a man must think for himself and his family , his nation wth a clear mind and common sense, sorely lacking in the hals of our Congress. Who can respect our taxing body when Tim Geitner, tax cheat, is the treasury secretary and Charlie Rangel, tax cheat ,sits as head of the Ways and Means Committee. Just as we have had a breakdown of our financial system, with values of everything from real estate to stocks to gold to college educations still in the process of being revalued, when we are desperate enough for energy, the preponderance of laws constricting the energy producers will be ignore or abolished. If the police can no longer provide protection, the gun contriol laws will not matter. Etc.

    ElizaBeth, Northeast, TX

    A perfect example of a progressive "conservative". Teddy would be so proud.

    Ryder
    • Reply
      Ryder    6/28/14

      Tried to verify this quote. No luck. It's probably bogus.

      Bob, Charlotte, VT

      There MUST be an "If" in the beginning of the quote. Not to say that anybody ( particularly a politician ) can't MISquote.
      My education was neither in History nor English, but I recall the nation of laws, not men ... and ... the sentence isn't a complete sentence, is it ?
      Interesting times, eh what ? Imagine what President Obama's book of "quotations" will look like !
      I hope it isn't a correct quote, or, he's making a point by using the accurate words in an inaccurate way. Not a Cheney "fan," but not anxious to smear anyone -- even Obama, who's put his foot in it many times -- I chalk up HIS errors to the need to get votes ... Cheney wouldn't need that excuse, right ?

      Bob, Charlotte, VT

      P.S. I hope this isn't one of those campaigns to besmirch our country and/or re-write history. We also find plenty of people who treat poorly some religions and their central tenets and champions. Politically I tend to lean right ... and I plead guilty to considering PBS as leaning left ( though I doubt THEY'D self-analyze that way -- see how "open" I am ?? ).

      For me -- "the jury's still out" on Cheney, and the appearance of an "odd" 8-year old quote makes me wonder "why now?"

      empty pockets, NO, La

      Proving yet again, though we scarcely need more evidence, that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Pursuing "interests" instead of "principles"...is the road to hell.

      Walter Clark, Fullerton CA

      I think the Editor should consider removing this quote or putting in asterisks or something, because I cannot find it anywhere EXCEPT his listing of quotes.

      jc, Waukon, IA

      Looking forward to reading that man's obituary!
      Evil incarnate, IMO.

      Editor, Liberty Quotes

      Thanks to all regarding the confirmation of the quote's source. After reading the transcript and finding no other backup source, the quote is deemed to be from Ron Suskind who is paraphrasing Cheney:

      "What Cheney does at that moment is say that we will probably have to be a country ruled by men rather than laws in this period." - Ron Suskind
      http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/etc/script.html

      We are marking the quote as 'False.'

      Thanks again for helping us keep Liberty Quotes as accurate as possible.

      Ronw13, Yachats Or

      Cheney, as others, think the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are nothing more than a piece of paper. they are more than just words. Their contempt is sick. THEY HAVE NO FAITH AT ALL, and put their trust in man. Obvious, except for Waffler. Slandering, Just law, natural Law. Their intent Big business. others are content to be slaves.

      bruski, naples FL

      Says it ALL about "Dick", a 5 time draft dodger who loves war as long as he doesn't serve in combat or is at risk in any way.

      "Dick" represents much of what's wrong with our precious country. Both parties and much of congress.

      @

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