Rachel Maddow's interview with Tom Ridge, former Bush Administration's Homeland Security Secretary (Video)

Very good interview, especially with the book coming out by Ridge and his criticism of the Bush Administration.

Part One

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Former Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge disagrees with Dick Cheney (Video)

Call it what you want. Dick Cheney does not, in the end, help the Republican Party's argument. The GOP has always been the party of National Security, but under the Bush Administration and their disastrous handling of both wars it became apparent that many were just incompetent and we had a leader that listened to NO ONE. This killed the GOP in the end at the ballot boxes.

As people have listened to both speeches, read transcripts, it is clearly obvious that Dick Cheney wishes this administration to fail. Hopes that another terrorist attack will prevail. Even though all of his arguments have massive holes in them, or just down right lies. I am with Lawrence O'Donnell on this one, if you are using former CIA Director George Tenet as evidence and backup to your claims, the one who manufactured the Iraq evidence, your whole argument has major problems. A must read is from McClatchy Newspapers which dissects and destroys Cheney's argument, definitely worth a read.

From Tom Ridge:

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told CNN Thursday that former Vice President Dick Cheney's repeated charge the Obama administration has made the country less safe is wrong.

"Yeah, I disagree with Dick Cheney," the Pennsylvania Republican and former Bush administration official told CNN's John King, adding he "does not" think the country is more vulnerable to an attack under President Obama.

Ridge appears to agree with a majority of Americans, according to a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. In that survey, taken last month, 72 percent of registered voters said they did not think the country was less safe under President Obama.

Ridge's comments came the same day both Obama and Cheney gave dueling speeches on national security, during which the president sharply condemned Bush administration interrogation practices while Cheney vigorously defended them.

In the interview with CNN, set to air in full on State of The Union with John King Sunday, Ridge said he disagrees with "the approach both men are taking."

"It's just the whole notion of a Republican vice president giving a speech after the incumbent Democratic president," he said. "It's gotta go beyond the politics of either party."

And from Keith Olbermann's guest, former Colin Powell aide, Ret. Lt. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson:

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Former Governor Tom Ridge (R) will not run for the senate seat in Pennsylvania, from Hardball (Video)

This is a break for Senator Arlen Specter, as Ridge a pro-choice Republican and well liked, respected in the state would have given him a run for his money. This leaves the Democratic Primary and Congressman Joe Sestak is ready to go.

Ridge: "We Have To Be Less Judgmental"

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Specter knows where his bread is buttered

Specter is no dummy but a savvy politician. Yes, his leaping to the Democratic side is only to save his moderate hide, but polling numbers usually don't lie.

The new Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvania finds that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) is in fairly decent shape going into his 2010 election campaign post-party switch, but there could be some vulnerabilities for Republicans to exploit if they play their cards right.

Against Pat Toomey, the conservative former Congressman whose primary challenge spurred Specter's switch, Specter leads in the general election by a whopping 53% to 33%. Specter's calculation appears to be correct, that he would have lost a Republican primary to Toomey but would also win big in a general election.

If the GOP wants to pick up this seat, stash the right winger Toomey in a closet and get behind former Governor Tom Ridge. The real question is this, can Republicans stomach the pro-choice Ridge? For me, he should have been the VP for McCain, but again the Republicans were too afraid to make the leap. After losing so badly in November 2008, can the Republicans make the break and starting in Pennsylvania?

However, it's a different story when put up against moderate former GOP Gov. Tom Ridge. Here Specter leads by only 46% to 43%. The question appears to be whether the Republicans can successfully nominate a moderate who would be a stronger candidate, or whether Toomey is guaranteed a win based on heavy conservative support.

The checks-and-balances argument could potentially have some cache for the GOP, based on this question: "With Arlen Specter switching to the Democratic Party, the Democrats could have enough votes in the Senate to block any filibusters by the Republicans. Do you think that is a good thing or a bad thing?" Only 41% said this was a good thing, and 49% said it was a bad thing. This is despite President Obama's 66%-29% approval rating, too.

On the other hand, two other questions show that Specter is in good shape. First, his approval rating is 56%-36%. Second, check out the response on this question: "Some people say that by switching to the Democratic party Senator Specter is being disloyal to the Republican Party. Do you agree or disagree?" An answer of agreement on this question is basically a tautology -- and yet only 39% said so, to 57% who disagreed.

Arlen Specter does not bring nothing to the Democratic Caucus. He made this leap to save his political career and is depending deeply on the Obama machine or magic, but can he survive against Ridge? If the Republicans were smart, Ridge would be the perfect test for that party to break with the far right wing and stand with a pro-choice moderate.

And any Specter challenge? Congressman Sestak is meeting with SEIU President Andy Stern, today.

Interesting.

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Tom Ridge States, "John Bush is his own man"

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