Where is Britain’s Liz Cheney?

I was very sad to hear of the defeat of Congresswoman Liz Cheney in her bid to be re-selected as the Republican candidate for Wyoming to the US House of Representatives.

I had got to know her quite well on a personal basis when I worked for her from early 2003 to mid-2004 in the US State Department, where I happened to be assigned on secondment from the Foreign Office. She was a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Middle East Bureau, where I was embedded for one year, as an advisor in the section promoting democracy in the Middle East.

She turned out to be quite different in person from the hawkish caricature painted by her detractors, particularly those who strongly disliked her father, Vice President Dick Cheney. I didn’t necessarily agree with her brand of conservative politics, but I found her to be a good person to work for. She was hard-working and professional, and always kind and supportive to me. 

Above all, I found her to be a good listener – particularly when she was engaging with civil society activists and human rights defenders in the Middle East. She listened intently and patiently to their remarks, and conveyed real sympathy for the challenges they faced. She was also surprisingly humble in her manner (again, given the more brash reputation of her father), and ready to acknowledge the limitations of US power and occasional failings.     

When I ran into her again last year at a think tank event, despite being the guest of honour, she made time to come over and chat to me and reminisce about our work together. She remained warm and friendly, but there was a new steeliness and determination in her manner, no doubt forged by her experiences over the past two years.

Cheney seems to represent a dying breed of politicians willing to put principle and loyalty to their constitution and country before their own personal interests or party….

Alexandra Hall Hall for the Byline Times.