>>>
former
vice president dick cheney
is out with his memoir, and it settles some scores. or at least it leaves behind his version of events for history. he's sharply critical of a number of top
bush administration
figures including former secretary of state
colin powell
. here's how that sat with
general powell
.
>>
mr. cheney's had a long and distinguished career. i hope in his book that's what he will focus on. not these cheap shots that he's taking at me, and these other members of the administration who served with
president bush
.
>>
jamie kendall has conducted an exclusive interview with
dick cheney
. she's with us tonight.
>> reporter:
dick cheney
is blunt, unapologetic, but perhaps the biggest surprise, he goes public with revelations about his old boss, including private conversations which conflict with accounts mr. bush has given. listen to the striking difference in how the two men describe the eve of the
iraq war
.
president bush
writes, i turned to the team gathered in the
oval office
and said, let's go. you write, the president kicked everyone else out of the
oval office
, looked at me and said, dick, what do you think we ought to do?
>>
that's the way i recall it. and i was giving advice, i wasn't making the decision. he was making the decision.
>>
do you think these revelations will embarrass
president bush
?
>>
i don't know why.
>>
he's saying, let's go, i'm the leader.
>>
well, he was.
>>
but you're revealing that it didn't happen that way. he cleared out the office and said, dick, what do you think we should do?
>>
right.
>>
that's a very different picture.
>>
right. but then he made the decision. it wasn't my decision.
>>
don't you think it will embarrass him? that you point out the difference?
>>
i didn't set out to embarrass the president or not embarrass the president.
>>
that said, brian, this book is likely to reignite questions about just how much the decider in chief was relying on his adviser in chief along with more controversy about
dick cheney
.
>>
boy, is this going to get interesting. jamie gangell, thanks. we're all curious to see the exclusive interview in its entirety on "dateline" tonight at
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