Dick Cheney's Absence

[OKDem08]

Monday :: September 12, 2005
Explaining Dick Cheney's Absence

Like many of us, Nora Ephron at Huffington Post has been puzzled by Dick Cheney's absence during Katrina and doesn't buy that it's because he was on vacation. She wonders whether the President and Cheney have had a falling out.

Could Cheney – and not just his aides -- possibly be involved in the Valerie Plame episode? Is Cheney not speaking to Karl Rove? Does the airplane/bicycle incident figure into this in any way? And how is it possible that the President is off on vacation and the Vice President is too? Not that it matters particularly if the President is on vacation; on some level, the President is always on vacation. But where was Cheney?

A few months ago, I heard of a lunch conversation that Cheney had with a political type in Wyoming. I have no idea if it's true or not, but it makes some sense. Here's the tale:

Cheney has been getting tired of being called upon to fix Bush's mistakes. Cheney said Bush is almost incapable of making any decision. He waffles and waffles. Then, once he makes a decision, he refuses to change it. Because of his born-again faith, he says "It's in the hands of G-d now" and washes his hands of it. Then Cheney is called in to repair the damage.

If this story is even remotely true, this may have been the final straw for Cheney, and he decided to let Bush try to wiggle his way out of his Katrina inaction on his own. Cheney's re-emergence this week may be the result of his fellow Republicans begging him to return to save Bush for the sake of the party.

But I also don't discount that Cheney may be in deep doo-doo of his own over RoveGate. Now, that would be something.

[Sydnie]

1. the airplane/bicycle incident? Enlighten me please

I obviously missed something along the way.

I think they could have had a falling out. Uncle Dick keeps waiting for him to grow up, but he never does. Gets tiring after a while.

[goclark]

3. They remind me of my 1st grade class nt

[Stephanie]

4. I'd also like to know what this refers to

[OKDem08]

6. violation of airspace

A few months ago, there was a violation of White House airspace which prompted evacuation of the White House & other federal buildings. Vice President Dick Cheney was in the West Wing of the White House when the alert sounded and he was hustled to a secure location away from Pennsylvania Avenue. At the time, the president was taking a bike ride with a security detail near Waldorf, Maryland. It was later reported that the president was not advised of the incident until about 30 minutes later. Think of it, the security level was raised to red @ the WH & the pres. was not even told.

[Sydnie]

9. I don't believe that was the first time that had happened, either. n/t

[Sanity Claws]

2. This just doesn't ring true for me

If Bush goes down, so does Cheney. Cheney is not in any way helped by Bush's idiotic failings.
I think it's more likely that Cheney is distracted by Rovegate or else seriously ill.

[Angry Girl]

5. With a little luck he got one of those bum pacemakers

that was in the news recently. Not that the man has a heart to begin with....

Nightweed's Hurricane Katrina Aid Organizations

[Poiuyt]

8. The first thing I thought of was that he was in a hospital somewhere

[Angry Girl]

11. I think you're right

It's not a time the VP should be out of the limelight. He needs to be seen in some photo ops, so he must be fairly sick. Aaaaaaaw.

Unlike, Rove, who can run the puppet show from bed (and may he suffer from the largest and most numerous of kidney stones in renal history).

Nightweed's Hurricane Katrina Aid Organizations

[peacetalksforall]

7. I don't believe this. Cheney is President. He knows it's his job to

let George pretend that he is. Bush is incapable of strategizing. Cheney pulls his strings. Sure, Cheney could reach his limit because of the games and charades.

But, funny, when I heard the stories about his absence - the first think I thought about was the Plame problem. There could be a problem between the lawyers because of what Rove or Libby said under oath or what Cheney or Bush said in their sit down with Fitzgerald (if I remember correctly, they were not under oath) and they may have tried to make a deal that isn't working. They are in doo-doo - thicker and smellier than the government ignored mess in NO.

[Brother Buzz]

10. I am of the opinion the we don't see more of Cheney because...

of health reasons. The dude is sick, maybe even dying, and his one and only foray into the Gulf state region taxed his health to the max. He is still in control but he will be spending more time with Mr. Big, the real power behind the curtain.