Politics

Dick Cheney praises Hillary Clinton

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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Former Vice President Dick Cheney had some kind words for one of his former rivals — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” host Chris Wallace asked Cheney, who was on the show promoting his new book “In My Time: A Person and Political Memoir,” if Clinton would have been a better president than President Obama. While Cheney didn’t outright say so, he suggested that Clinton might have been easier to work with.

“Boy, I am not sure I would have ever said that,” Cheney said. “Perhaps she might have been easier for some of us who are critics of the president to work with.” (RELATED: Cheney dubious on Palin’s political prospects)

And according to Cheney, President Obama’s decision to place her at the head of the State Department was one of his better personnel moves.

“I have a sense that she is one of the more competent members of the current administration and it would be interesting to speculate about how she might perform were she to be president,” he said.

As for her possibly mounting a primary challenge to Obama in 2012, Cheney said he wouldn’t go as far as supporting her and potentially ruin her chances.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to discourage a good primary contest on their side, but I don’t want to be in a position where I’m endorsing Hillary Clinton,” Cheney continued. “That might be the kiss of death for her. The fact is I will be supporting the Republican nominee and I think we’ve got some good candidates that are going to mount effective campaigns against the Obama administration. I don’t have any reason to believe that Hillary Clinton is interested in running, but maybe she is.”

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