The long march of Dick Cheney by Sidney Blumenthal

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"For his entire career, he sought untrammeled power. The Bush presidency and 9/11 finally gave it to him -- and he's not about to give it up."

Blumenthal paints a frightening picture of unrestrained power as manifest in the person of Dick Cheney. He takes us from Cheney's early days of sewing the seeds of ruthlessness with Donald Rumsfeld in the Nixon White House, where his designs for an unchecked imperial presidency were spoiled by Nixon's resignation, to his service in the Ford administration where he and Rumsfeld "quickly gained control of the White House staff, edging out Ford's old aides," to present day. All in all, it's not a pretty picture (of Cheney or Rumsfeld) and it should make you more than a little furious. You may want to hold your nose while you read it, but read it just the same and pass it on to anyone who thinks either one of these guys could possibly be good for America.

A few excerpts:

"The hallmark of the Dick Cheney administration is its illegitimacy. Its essential method is bypassing established lines of authority; its goal is the concentration of unaccountable presidential power. When it matters, the regular operations of the CIA, Defense Department and State Department have been sidelined....

...Even though experts and pundits contradict his talking points, Cheney presents them with characteristic assurance. His rhetoric is like a paving truck that will flatten obstacles. Cheney remains undeterred; he has no recourse. He will not run for president in 2008. He is defending more than the Bush record; he is defending the culmination of his career. Cheney's alliances, ideas, antagonisms and tactics have accumulated for decades."

PHOTO: Dick Cheney: Have you ever seen anyone who LOOKS more evil than this man? Photo by AP Photo/John Bazemor

SEE ALSO: t r u t h o u t - Robert Scheer | Cheney's Trouble with the Truth