By now, nearly everyone has heard all about Dick Cheney’s colorful choice of words on the Senate floor this week. But just in case you haven’t:
A brief argument between Vice President Cheney and a senior Democratic senator led Cheney to utter a big-time obscenity on the Senate floor this week.
On Tuesday, Cheney, serving in his role as president of the Senate, appeared in the chamber for a photo session. A chance meeting with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, became an argument about Cheney’s ties to Halliburton Co., an international energy services corporation, and President Bush’s judicial nominees. The exchange ended when Cheney offered some crass advice.
“F— yourself,” said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency.
A Cheney spokesman later acknowledged that that the VP and Leahy had “a frank exchange of views.” Is that what the kids are calling it these days…
This has to be one of the more entertaining stories in months. Let’s see, there’s the irony angle:
As it happens, the exchange occurred on the same day the Senate passed legislation described as the “Defense of Decency Act” by 99 to 1.
And multiple hypocrisy angles:
“I look forward to working with you, Governor, to change the tone in Washington, to restore a spirit of civility and respect and cooperation.” – Dick Cheney, 7/25/00
Looking back over the last couple of years, in fact, offers us almost too many opportunities to mock Cheney’s language.
* In the 2000 campaign, when Al Gore told Bush it was time to “put up or shut up” about a prescription drug plan for seniors, Bush said Gore’s language was “not very statesmanlike.”
* When Gore accused Bush of ducking a debate, Bush insisted he could “change the tone of the discourse,” and insisted that “politics doesn’t have to be ugly and mean.”
* When John Kerry used the f-word in an interview with Rolling Stone, White House Chief of Staff Andy Card criticized Kerry, saying “I’m very disappointed that [Kerry] would use that kind of language.”
* Then there’s Bush’s “major-league a–hole” remark at a public school and his profanity-laced interview with Tucker Carlson for Talk magazine in 1999.
* My friend Phil reminded me that conservative Dennis Prager argued earlier this year that Kerry’s use of the f-word in the Rolling Stone interview suggested that Kerry “has a different understanding of what preserves our civilization.” Will Prager offer a similar reaction to Cheney’s choice of words?
This may seem like a trivial, if not semantic, point, but Cheney’s use of the word strikes me as more offensive than Kerry’s. When Kerry used the word, he was describing the policy in Iraq as being “f—ed up.” When Cheney used it against Leahy, it was a more direct, personal attack against a respected lawmaker on the Senate floor.
I should note, however, there are still some people in Washington with class.
“I think he was just having a bad day,” said Leahy.