The politics of ‘search’ in the US

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Long before Jay Leno said: ”Politics is show business for ugly people,” I had viewed it as an absorbing form of entertainment. So when US Congresswoman was relieved of her position by her Republican caucus it piqued my interest. Reports said that she had disagreed with President Trump’s search for further votes following last November’s US election. What intrigued me was that word ‘search’, as the Congresswoman was Liz Cheney.

Political dogma is in this woman’s DNA, being the spawn of Republican glitterati Lynne and Dick Cheney. Her mother was the right-wing half of fierce debates on CNN’s ‘Crossfire’. Lynne Cheney was there to lead the search for truth, with punchlines that often landed below the belt. Dick Cheney became vice-president (VP) to George W. Bush. In that VP role, he and his boss became very connected to that word ‘search’ more than once.

In 1999, he was tasked to search for a suitable VP to run on the ticket with George W. Bush, and after interviewing various candidates Mr Cheney chose himself, believe it or not. The subsequent 2000 election was too close to call due to a recount held in Florida. Much entertaining drama ensued for weeks as CNN educated us all about “hanging and pregnant chads, undervotes and overvotes” in the search for legitimate votes to achieve Electoral College victory. With Supreme Court involvement, George W Bush was declared the 43rd president.

Things soon got serious with the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and not too long afterwards George W. Bush and his VP embarked on a ‘search’ for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq. That search began in 2003, and WMDs have never been found.

Remarkably, when George .W Bush appeared on a late-night talk show recently to showcase a book of his paintings from photographs of world leaders, he was treated as a revered elder statesman. Some people easily forget the global chaos caused by him and Dick Cheney, and what their ‘search’ entailed.

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada