Pre-Ramble: An article in yesterday’s New York Times describes former vice president, Dick Cheney’s daily routine thusly:

On the mornings he is in town, Dick Cheney wakes up at 6, climbs into his black sport utility vehicle and drives himself to a Starbucks near his McLean, VA, home. He returns with a pair of grande skim lattes — decaf for him, regular for his wife, Lynn — and settles back into work in the sun-drenched office above his garage, penning his memoir in longhand on yellow legal pads.

Apparently, in between drafts, he trots over to Fox News to defend his legacy and fan the smoldering embers of the conservative agenda. Okay, this is fair. Any guy who played a key role in what is being characterized as one of the least successful administrations in recent history, has been linked to some questionable military contracts, and accidently shot someone in the face, has some personal damage control to attend to. And clearly, the Republican Party could use a tourniquet … shot in the arm … some leadership as well.

In his interviews, Cheney continues to reprimand the new administration’s actions, wife Lynn explains, in an effort to remind us that, “particularly related to national security issues, it is important that we don’t abandon [established] policies and that we remember that we are at war.”

The thing is, while national security is a really important thing (I want to be secure and I want our country to be a safe place), I don’t want to be at war. I have to think that there are other ways to address the challenges we face. I have to think that there is room in our arsenal for diplomatic strategies and room at the table for new voices. Far from “telegraphing weakness,” a president who is out there mixing it up with foreign leaders – of all ilk – is a sign of strength, integrity, and bold leadership, actually.

The Take-Away: I don’t know Mr. Cheney personally, but I can see that he is having a hard time grasping the concept that the American people (at least 51% of them) are not interested in maintaining the hawkish stance of the last eight years. In his defense, as a career military guy, Dick Cheney and his buddies at Halliburton see the world through a set of cross-hairs. It’s their default mode. Hopefully, it is an outdated mode.

In an effort to be a fair and balanced citizen, I’m looking forward to reading Mr. Cheney’s memoir and getting a better understanding of his perspective. In the meanwhile, all health conditions aside, he might want to dump out that decaf and move into the next eight years with something with a little more zip.

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