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Uncut: Dick and Liz Cheney, Pt. 2

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    Former vice president and daughter discuss his health, legacy, controversy in new book and more

  • Duration 17:04
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This transcript is automatically generated

It's tough find you.

And the family -- -- to have if we worry about your father.

When He was vice president.

The time that I think we will worry about him the most was last summer when He went to his heart surgery.

And -- ducks in the book about how serious it was.

And going into the hospital on July 6 points out 2010.

And -- in the surgery was coming a couple days and then having the doctors say.

No we're gonna do this right now it's an emergency mean that that those weeks when when you're in the hospital those -- the times -- I think we were clearly most worried about them.

Pessimist if you don't realize that you we see in a very public fashion volume -- you have regular.

Human family American experience -- like the icu and into a family together I -- the respirators if -- -- if you did it -- -- think of famous people that way that they have to go through these horrible experience as well.

Turn up you're for I mean I don't be -- they practically.

Dad -- One I -- -- -- -- -- how long you you're induced coma.

As I was.

I had five heart attacks over the course of nearly thirty years first and when I was 37.

And the last storm in February last year it doesn't.

And by spring I was entering and -- -- my heart wasn't pump enough blood servicemen vital organs.

-- -- -- And that's what ultimately led to the surgery -- -- the heart pump -- -- Now blessed with great technology and -- -- -- -- for thirteen months Halloween in a -- but I was out of it for about five weeks.

The -- combination of the surgery plus and I contract at the moment.

And so I was on a respirator for a very long period of time heavily sedate and so altogether.

The total amount of time.

Was probably close to five weeks.

You that -- -- mentioned the book I would dream or some women that that we make it's that they would do Adrian they -- in Italy actually went and I.

When I came out of it.

Lose interest in my family courts have been very concerned about him very worried.

Is.

Her sister Marion Lynn had taken shifts if somebody was always present 24 hours -- and the what I remembered of that period was.

-- and Italy.

The village north of Rome and nice nice -- -- -- -- Beautiful little community eating great food.

Very little attack -- want in life was good.

Family wanted to know if -- with me and I said -- that made him and north part of history but.

I had a I talk to doctors.

This experience.

And as well you know frankly we don't know what happens when somebody enters office as you under and and a we can't really count -- Doctors.

Surgery.

Was named -- Tony good Italian name.

I just read.

Mystery novel my -- part of which was -- Italy.

I like Italy and a lot we've spent a lot of time there over the years but for all those reasons when I remembered this.

In a fairly unpleasant experience was.

Time I guess Spain and Italy and of course what they remembered as -- hours.

Concern they had lived through while I was on I was.

To individualists into the respirators it was what you had -- -- Italy at ticket we would have much rather evidently in aesthetic.

Out just talk about one of -- we've taken on the record number of times to north Koreans and fascination with -- fascination of ours.

You write in the book about the inability.

The Bush Administration to keep nuclear weapons from North Korea what happened -- -- if you could this get a do over what would you do.

Well.

One of our major concerns was the issue of proliferation of nuclear weapons technology.

And we dealt with -- effectively obviously you're only ever to Saddam Hussein.

-- Muammar -- so what we've done this that I how many surrendered -- -- is nuclear materials and and bomb making equipment.

That we took down the AQ Khan network that it supplied.

Qaddafi.

And and also dealt with the north Koreans we some of those -- all success stories the -- we did not succeed to really when was Iran.

The other was North Korea.

North Korea.

Especially difficult.

Simon was.

Clinton administration.

You're probably is as well for the Obama people but it.

What they did on our watch was tested their first nuclear device.

06.

Built nuclear reactor plutonium reactor.

We're producing.

Reprocess its -- Same kind of react they haven't North Korea they built one for the -- and Syria.

And that was destroyed eventually by the Israelis took it out.

But.

They.

Also.

Acquired uranium enrichment capability.

Different kind of technology that it's the same and when they swore at them and and I think the when I lay out in the -- -- some rules and I think need to be followed when we try to deal with situations there have to be.

Meaningful consequences if you're gonna lay down a marker and say.

Don't proliferate.

Nuclear weapons technology to terror sponsoring state.

You got it mean.

You an idea how you went up the sector that you gave in that sector is state Condoleezza Rice a little -- the book.

I felt the the advice that the State Department was providing was -- disagree.

I thought that we -- Effective diplomacy but effective diplomacy.

Depend upon.

Your adversary believing that.

If they didn't in fact do -- you're asking them to do that there would be consequences.

And there were never consequences would always happen.

With respect to to North Korea was we kept making more concessions lifting them off.

The designation as a terrorist sponsored states for example.

One of the words He used with the secretary of state Kelly's residents -- code word for women this tearful.

And think you know the and they she takes issue of that and some do because used to describe it as careful what you might just sort of we do we -- Any do over -- -- that -- back we stand by that well I stand by him this was a description of that particular -- in my office.

Hey -- she's weakened just curious enough about.

And as a woman I I certainly don't think -- that's a code word I think it you know it it certainly.

Was a description of what happened but I wouldn't take this any kind of -- code word.

And I I would.

Add if I apply to this North Korean story you know this point that my dad made at the end which you see the State Department do repeatedly and I saw when I was in the State Department.

When you're dealing with -- a dictator you're dealing with somebody who is uncooperative.

Too -- the state department's responses let's make another concession.

We just you know give them one more benefit -- -- -- their behavioral change is and I think that that North Korea story shows.

Especially when you look at what's happened sentence which might -- also talks about the the damage that the danger that kind of approach assessment of the natural tension -- historically witnesses for the Defense Department always has with the State Department a little bit and perhaps.

You know that that's gone on for decades the.

Very different but it's it's in the case of North Korea it's not like this is the first.

-- -- they repeatedly.

Repeatedly.

-- He took him so make commitments.

Enter into agreements collect whatever pennies there are coming their way fuel oil or whatever it might be.

And then when it suits their purpose they violet.

And they for years collected.

Under the Clinton administration for example it -- the Bush Administration.

Nearly is.

Agreements that have been.

Put together during the Clinton administration.

And dependent upon them not having.

Uranium enrichment program but in fact uranium enrichment program -- and they subsequently since the Obama administration.

They set off a second nuclear weapon.

And they.

Shown the group of Americans the 2000.

Centrifuges that are now operating to enrich uranium all of which they put together.

During the period of time on this war and they were doing.

So we're really go from here on that because that is every other thorny issue and there's been very little.

Progress and -- and very little progress and I think -- you know so rulings of the did write in this regard -- when the president decided that we were approaching Obama.

-- multinational basis that is to say we were gonna get the Chinese and the Japanese and the South Koreans and erections together with the US.

To work this problem.

Part of it is that there isn't much that.

They have that they get from us we were given everything.

They the Chinese -- main source of sustenance and support for them and -- you need the Chinese in this part of the solution.

Why -- actually Chinese mid Atlantic Chinese -- -- because the Chinese don't want Japan to go nuclear.

And that Japan aren't happy with the situation North Korea -- that the Chinese their fear refugees coming across the border with -- but.

Why.

I would think that the Chinese would have an interest to really get involved in this and be more forceful.

Well we started down that path it in the beginning.

Early days of the bush administration and remember the president talking to.

Under the -- town when He first came -- -- visit.

As.

President China and but we ended up in the final analysis.

On what we've made the right call in the right strategic decisions and win -- from the situation.

-- the State Department basically started meeting unilaterally one on one with the north Koreans.

And our friends in South Korea who had major issues with the north and in Japan.

Got get out of the action and I think the Chinese felt the same way.

Why should they stick their necks out if we were gonna maintain that commitment that supposedly which started on when we're gonna functions as a group.

And you know we -- -- State Department -- wait.

Beginning of bilateral deals with -- -- one on ones with north Koreans.

When -- -- You talk about an unimpeded of course on the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but we're what acknowledged -- students -- left me hanging Serena.

As a -- -- use direct that.

I -- you don't like the fact the apology issue but.

As well they said the -- that the policies the administration would have been different.

Had headed the -- -- had you known that there were weapons of mass destruction I didn't understand what that meant I don't know there some of that -- of actually looks at the president's.

The -- but we advocate because it.

Here's -- says the intelligence that Saddam had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction is wrong.

And this intelligence failure would have had an impact on policy -- in subsequent years for administration did that it impacted.

-- -- -- -- It dealt with well for example the discovery of the North Korean reactor Syria.

One of the arguments that came -- we were debating whether or not we should take out that reactor.

-- -- -- -- advocated.

That we should go in and and destroy the react militarily.

One of the arguments that was used against.

That kind of policy him within the government circles was well we couldn't trust.

The intelligence community and WMD in Iraq how can we know we can trust him and base policy on.

Question reactor.

North Korean reactor in Syria.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- Yet -- I think that's that the point.

Which is an interesting point I don't -- -- what else is made it is to look at yes there was a mistake on on stockpiles of WD.

But the implications of that mistake at the way -- played out throughout the rest the administration -- in the last -- -- Oracle's first members and the amount of trust or lack of trust.

Of what the intelligence community was telling us.

That runs this -- Rumsfeld got moved up.

After the efforts administration essentially.

But never understood how.

Tenant who would I understand that he's He was accepted from the Clinton a reappointment Clinton this -- because president.

Bush's father had been in the CIA and and the continuity issue of stain on but I -- there are so many intelligence failures that predated.

Bush 43 administration and the bombings and in.

West Africa of the embassies you had the USS Cole He was -- kept and we have the weapons of mass destruction probably.

How He survived so many intelligence failures.

Feud with I think that was a decision the president made that.

He felt.

Was the right way to go I didn't argue and -- disagree.

That as we put the administration together that you'd like to have some continuity.

And them.

We had we also went and worked actively for democratic.

Members.

I remember talking with a former democratic governor in -- About possibly becoming interior secretary didn't work.

We went -- norm Mineta and democratic congressman from California that did work.

But even shouldn't affect putting a Democrat I mean there were actually -- -- serious intelligence failures while He was head of the CIA which predated -- the bush administration and went into the Bush Administration.

And if you -- secretary Rumsfeld got moved out the I would think that in on what the standard -- you'd think that the guy who is -- head of collected intelligence -- Steelers He would've got moved out quite quickly.

Well.

President made the decision and just -- I supported that.

We.

We would keep them we have continuity of that job.

I think part of went back to the experiences.

Carter administration.

And when.

Carter came as president they did not continue the CIA director at that time -- -- -- 41 obviously George H.

W.

Bush.

Who I think -- done a good job.

Under those circumstances I think part of this was a response to that.

In the end George quit his own volition which didn't like about you wrote about the -- -- -- -- He left it -- opportune moment.

At election time real election and and when one.

You know He started to build.

On him.

In particular.

And that period.

And this was before.

-- -- Stayed to get the benefit of the continued into the next administration but then when things -- -- dishonorable man.

I wrote it that way.

-- -- -- -- No -- didn't use that word of but did them and that's what I read into it that you weren't happy -- -- -- irresponsible what people reunions.

-- gag great parent after -- -- I have one last question -- the job.

I enjoyed it very much -- related.

And but -- on the other hand.

-- -- -- analysts what would've stayed forty years business.

Every get to get him -- the White House and whether it was the Defense Department toward White House.

Remarkable opportunities.

On the other hand seventy years old now and some health problems.

A lot of fun writing the book.

I always joked about.

Book writing that the reason -- -- the job I did now is because I didn't write about the last.

-- have obviously.

Now written about all of them and I'm enjoying very much.

Much better -- and I had a year or so ago that back out on the river with fly around.

Writing books -- promoting the -- spent time with family.

And seven grandchildren and life's good and so I don't have any burning desire to get back into the arena party.

Thank you -- special thank you think's --

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