Vice President Joseph Biden on Tuesday forcefully rejected the argument, made most notably by his predecessor Dick Cheney, that the United States is less safe under President Obama's leadership.
Asked by CNN's Gloria Borger whether Cheney's comments were "out of line," Biden said no, "but he is dead wrong."
"[T]he last administration left us in a weaker posture than we've been any time since World War II," Biden argued. "Less regarded in the world, stretched more thinly than we ever have been in the past, two wars under way, virtually no respect in entire parts of the world."
The Vice President then went a step further, stating that the country is actually safer now than it was during the Bush presidency. "I guarantee you we are safer today, our interests are more secure today than they were any time during the eight years... We are more safe. We are more secure. Our interests are more secure, not just at home, but around the world. We are rebuilding America's ability to lead."
Later, Biden recalled a point he had made to George W. Bush about his administration's foreign policy errors. "I remember President Bush saying to me one time in the Oval Office, and he was a great guy, enjoyed being with him. He said to me, he said, well, Joe, he said, I'm a leader. And I said, Mr. President, turn around and look behind you. No one's following. People are beginning to follow the United States again as a consequence of our administration."