Dick Cheney People Quotations

We were trying to get all of the planes down out of the sky. And we watched as the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed - something no one expected and anticipated. And you could sit there and see and be aware that thousands of people were at that moment being killed as a result of the terrorist attacks that struck the United States.

From our perspective, trying to deal with this continuing campaign of terror, if you will, the war on terror that we're engaged in, this is a continuing enterprise. The people that were involved in some of those activities before 9/11 are still out there.

I worked for George Bush. I'm proud to have worked for him. I think that a lot of the most controversial things we did, that people didn't like and - and criticized us for, things like the terror surveillance program or the enhanced interrogation techniques, were things that allowed us to save lives.

I had a reputation of being somewhat moderate, partly, I think, because I wasn't a 'bomb thrower' like some of my conservative colleagues, and partly because I got along with people all across the political spectrum.

I mean, it's not just one day you get up, bang, and you got Osama bin Laden. It's the kind of thing where an awful lot of people over a long period of time - thousands have worked this case and these issues and followed on the leads and captured bad guys and interrogated them and so-forth.

You got to have people at the top who respond to and are selected by presidents.

As I think about the future, I'm back where most people live their lives. Which is, death is not imminent, and that's different.

It used to be you needed to have a very large sophisticated state before you could even have a nuclear weapon... Now the technology is widespread enough. It doesn't take very many people to be able to cobble together a devastating attack, and all it takes is one.

And the fact of the matter is there were thousands of people that went through those training camps in Afghanistan. We know they are seeking deadlier weapons - chemical, biological and nuclear weapons if they can get it.

I'm one of those people who believes that part of the greatness of the United States is our private sector. It's what we do as private citizens for ourselves and our companies. And our economy is essentially the wonder of the world because, in fact, it's produced so much for us over the years. That's not government that does that.

We urge all democratic nations and the United Nations to answer the Iraqi Governing Council's call for support for the people of Iraq in making the transition to democracy.

If they can keep the people who actually are carrying out the attack in the dark, then obviously the extent to which you can get access to find out the details of the operation is very limited and it's very hard, ... Fox News Sunday.

The American people have always cherished the fundamental values of freedom, justice and equity,

While you're there, you become much more brusque with people. I always thought of myself as a calm, pleasant, warm, lovable sort, but after the '76 convention, some people in the press began calling me the Grand Teton. I can remember being short with people and, in the eyes of some, abrasive. But that's all I had time for.

We don't get to choose, and shouldn't be able to choose, and say you get to live free but you don't. People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into. That matter is regulated by the states.

We must support those around the world who are taking risks to advance freedom, justice and democracy -- just as President Reagan did. American policy must be clear and consistent in its purposes, ... And American leaders -- above all the commander in chief -- must be confident in our nation's cause and unwavering until the danger to our people is fully and finally removed.

Obviously, it's a big problem how do we provide quality care to the maximum number of people. And it's not an easy problem to solve.

It’s clearly established in terms of training, provision of bomb-making experts, training of people with respect to chemical and biological warfare capabilities, that al-Qaeda sent personnel to Iraq for training and so forth.

I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.

To bring the worst of the worst terrorists inside the United States would be cause for great danger... It is recklessness cloaked in righteousness and would make the American people less safe... The terrorists see just what they were hoping for: our unity gone, our resolve shaken, our leaders distracted. In short, they see weakness and opportunity.

The days of looking the other way while despotic regimes trample human rights, rob their nations' wealth, and then excuse their failings by feeding their people a steady diet of anti-Western hatred are over.

The important thing here to understand is that the people that are at Guantanamo are bad people. I mean, these are terrorists for the most part.

With respect to the question of relationships, my general view is that freedom means freedom for everyone. People...ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.

My own personal view is that people ought to have the right to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into. With respect to how that's affected or regulated by the State, those are State decisions. Different States are likely to make different decisions based upon their own wishes and desire of the people of the State, and that's perfectly acceptable.

We still have, I think, a society where we haven't done enough yet to live up to that standard that we'd all like to live up to, I think, in terms of equality of opportunity, that we judge people as individuals. As Martin Luther King said, we ought to judge people on the content of their character instead of the color of their skin. I would hope that we can continue to make progress in that regard in the years ahead.

We clearly understand that in terms of what government can do addressing the waste question is key, ... If we can address the waste question and deal with that, I think that will give people -- potential investors and utilities who have to decide what form of power to use in the future -- confidence that nuclear power is a viable option.

What is not legitimate -- and what I will again say is dishonest and reprehensible -- is the suggestion by some U.S. senators that the president of the United States or any member of his administration purposely misled the American people on prewar intelligence,

What is not legitimate ? and I will again say is dishonest and reprehensible ? is the suggestion by some U.S. senators that the president of the United States or any member of his administration purposely misled the American people on prewar intelligence,

We talked about expediting the funds for ... the people whose homes burned and their businesses burned.

Folks from Louisiana are enormously grateful in terms of what's happened here. And a lot of that is due to the tremendous effort of the people of Austin and Texas and what they've done to step forward and make these folks feel at home,

The saddest part is that our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out,

These days of transition are of great importance, ... The transition has a direct bearing on the quality of people who are going to serve, it affects the quality of planning, and the building of relationships between the president and the Congress. It affects the capacity of the new administration to develop and execute a legislative program.

People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to. Should these relationships be treated the way traditional marriage is? That is a tougher problem. I try to be open minded as much as I can.

Al Gore clearly wants to take most of the surplus and spend it on bigger government. We have an interest in supporting programs that will give people more choices, control of their own lives, and can give some of the surplus back to them.

There's a temptation, I think, because there's not an active bombing campaign under way on any particular day for people who want to run out and say, 'Well, it's over with.' It's not,

It's good to know that far into the future people will come to this place and learn of Howard's career and his deep belief in the nobility of public service,

It's something you think about, but again, it's not so much a personal consideration at that point. It may have been for people who didn't have anything to do,

They can do whatever they want to do. I know what I want to do. What I want to do is have a conversation with the American people. I would like to have people who watch the debate come away with an understanding of what our proposals are.

After the Florida recount process, there is going to be great interest in complete election reform, ... People are going to want to sit down and look at the whole spectrum of how we pick our president.

The choice the American people will make on November 2 is whether we will continue with the tough, aggressive and effective policies of this administration or revert back to the pre-9/11 mind-set by electing someone whose views on these issues are marked by indecision, confusion and contradiction.

I'm one of those people who thinks that Clinton is an embarrassment for the most part.

You've got to have people at the top who respond to and are selected by presidents, and you pick the best people you can to do the jobs that need to be done,