Vice President Cheney memorialized the 40th President, Ronald Reagan, today on Capital Hill with kind words. But, those words stand in stark contrast to Cheney's sharp criticisms of Reagan while he was President and Cheney was a leading Republican in Congress.

Last week, Cheney said, "during the decisive years of the Cold War, I saw the conviction and the moral courage of Ronald Reagan". Yet it was Cheney who, as a top leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, said Reagan was "tolerating a decision-making process in the upper reaches of the Administration that lacked integrity and accountability"[National Journal, 8/08/87].

Congressman Cheney also harshly criticized Reagan's defense policies - the very same policies that conservatives now proclaim as Reagan's enduring legacy. At the height of the Cold War Cheney said that if Reagan "doesn't really cut defense, he becomes the No. 1 special pleader in town." Cheney urged Reagan to cut defense spending, saying, "the president has to reach out and take a whack at everything to be credible," and told the White House that "you've got to hit defense"[Washington Post, 12/16/84].

Later, as Secretary of Defense under Bush 41, Cheney walked the walk by changing the same Reagan policies that he now touts. In 1990, he bragged to Congress that as Defense Secretary he "cut almost $65 billion out of the five-year defense program" and that subsequent proposals would "take another $167 billion out." He highlighted, "we're recommending base closures," "we're talking about force structure cuts" and "we've got a military construction freeze"[Congressional Testimony, 2/1/90].

Props to Misleader.org for having compiled the quotes.