Editor's Note: Obviously, the VP doesn't know the definition of the word "fluctuation". The American people have not fluctuated at all about the Iraq war! There has been a steady increase in dissatisfaction since the war began!
By Mike Nizza / NY Times
The Vice President Cheney, already a lightning rod for critics of the Iraq war, seemed likely to ruffle more feathers today with remarks he made to a TV interviewer as the nation marked five years of war in Iraq.
Martha Raddatz, chief White House correspondent for ABC News, sat down with Mr. Cheney in Amman, Jordan, one of several stops on a Middle East tour that includes Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Oman, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
After Ms. Raddatz asked about the economy — which he said was in “a rough patch,” not a recession — the subject turned to the deep unpopularity of the Iraq war. Here’s a transcript of the exchange, released by the network:
Raddatz: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.
Cheney: So?
Raddatz: So? You don’t care what the American people think?
Cheney: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. There has, in fact, been fundamental change and transformation and improvement for the better. That’s a huge accomplishment.
The network has posted video of the exchange online.
Though President Bush and Mr. Cheney have often said their decisions regarding the war were not driven by opinion polls, their public remarks have rarely been so tersely dismissive of the strongly held views of many Americans about the conflict.