Geraldo Rivera, on Fox News' Geraldo At Large on Sunday, essentially accused Dick Cheney of treason for criticizing the Obama administration over the weekend, as he asked panelist Ann Coulter if the former VP was "giving aid and comfort to the enemy." For her part the conservative author slammed back: "To be hearing that from liberals after eight years of relentless attacks on George Bush, when he was waging the war on terror, is comical." [audio available here]
The following back and forth between Rivera and Coulter was aired during the February 14 edition of Geraldo At Large:
GERALDO RIVERA: It may be Valentine's Day but there is obviously no love lost between the old and new vice presidents. And it is equally clear that Joe Biden has finally been unleashed to beat down Dick Cheney, following the former VP's harsh critiques that even some prominent fellow Republicans say cross the line.
But what does Ann Coulter say? The best-selling author joins me in New York. I know she's been cheating on me with Sean Hannity. I guess that was a repeat. So what about, you know Dick Cheney is unlike the vast majority of former vice presidents and presidents who go fly fishing and they write their memoirs. He, instead, has taken off the gloves and has been extremely critical. Even Richard Lugar, prominent Republican Senator says, "Hey wait a second, former Vice President. Ease off."
ANN COULTER: Yeah that Richard Lugar may be changing his first name to "Even" because that is how he is most often cited. "Why even Richard Lugar." Um, no I mean I think he's doing exactly-
RIVERA: Ha, ha, ha! I get it, it took me a while though...
COULTER: He's doing exactly the right thing. I mean this is continuing debate and a continuing war. And this has been the problem since 9-11, 2001 that liberals want to act like this was a one-time thing, as Dick Cheney
said when Biden is saying "We are not gonna have another 9-11." Is that one of the facts that Cheney got wrong?
RIVERA: But don't you think when the former Vice President says America is weaker than it has been that you are giving aid and comfort to the enemy, that you are encouraging another attack?
COULTER: To be hearing that from liberals after eight years of relentless attacks on George Bush, when he was waging the war on terror, is comical. And no, not if it gets, if it gets Obama to behave more like George Bush did, which he is doing by the way. I mean one of the crazy things Biden also said, and I hope it isn't that crazy, is "Oh yeah we might not be trying Khalid Shaikh Mohammed at a civilian trial after all. We may just keep him in Guantanamo."
I mean Obama keeps starting to do what his left wing instincts and advisers encourage him to do, which is to treat this like a criminal offense. Like it's Martha Stewart facing an insider trading charge. And then America blows up and he goes right back to whatever Bush was doing. When he does that, he's doing a good job.
