So not prepared for this sort of language before my first cup of coffee!
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.That's not good coworker team-building. You kiss Chalabi with that mouth?"Fuck yourself," said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency.
UPDATE: Howard Kurtz on the WaPo's decision to print the ol' F-bomb:
But The Washington Post actually printed the word today for the first time since publishing the Starr report in 1998. And that set the town buzzing.Sure, Dana Milbank cowrote the piece, so no doubt he's going to want the word printed. But point-scoring aside I think there's a case to be made for printing the word. Certainly a face-to-face verbal exchange on the Senate floor is a league apart from an under the breath comment picked up by a mic or an interview with Rolling Stone or anyone else. And as far as degrees of profanity go, "fuck yourself" is far more severe than "asshole" or even "fuck it up." I'd call the former fighting words."When the vice president of the United States says it to a senator in the way in which he said it on the Senate floor," says Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr., "readers need to judge for themselves what the word is because we don't play games at The Washington Post and use dashes."
Oddly, the same article recalled that in 2000 President Bush made an off-mike comment about Adam Clymer, then a New York Times reporter, calling him a "major-league [expletive]." Cheney responded, "big time." Downie said the paper used the derogatory term for backside at the time and that he saw no reason to repeat it in today's newspaper.
The Post did not report when John Kerry used the F-word in a Rolling Stone interview, saying he did not "expect George Bush to [blank] it up as badly as he did." Downie said there was no need to report that language, given that the music magazine is a very different publication from The Post.
The only other time the word appeared in The Post was in a 1992 story about a death row inmate, according to a database search.
A few dozen readers have called to complain, some saying the word was inappropriate in family newspaper read by children.
But more to the point, people really think kids read the Post? Where did they print it, in Garfield? And how come parents can't just sit their tots down and explain the use/mention distinction?
Posted by Kriston at June 25, 2004 10:23 AMIt's great to have honor and dignity back in the White House.
Posted by: Dimmy Karras at June 25, 2004 10:57 AMOut of curiousity, what prompted you to post this? Do you think what he said was inappropriate? Do you just find it odd that he said it?
Posted by: Megan at June 25, 2004 1:14 PMPlease, Dimmy. Even an honorable and dignified man has to say "Fuck you" now and then, especially when confronted by the likes of a true hate monger like Leahy. I applaud the vice-president. --s
Posted by: j.scott barnard at June 25, 2004 1:24 PMConsidering the "f-bomb" was buried in the middle of the A section while the lead front page story was about 100 civilians dying in Iraq, I don't see what the big fuss is about.
Posted by: Erik Kosa at June 25, 2004 1:26 PMMegan: Hmm, good question. I think that, whereas I really disapprove of Bush, I really actually hate Cheney as much as it is possible to hate someone you've never met. So I'm more or less going to tack up anything that portrays what a scumbag he is. Plus, the story's kind of gossipy, sort of crass and funny—I'm not ashamed of my schoolyard mentality.
I don't care about profanity (as I illustrate nearly daily); I doubt even really dubious language like Cheney's can do much to mire the office. We've certainly had executive figures commit more dubious offenses. There is an argument to be made that the frustrating and incessant Republican self-promotion as the party of "character" just stands to emphasize natural human tendencies or contradictions as bright glaring hypocrisies. . . but, you know, mostly I just hate Dick Cheney.
Posted by: Kriston at June 25, 2004 2:43 PMScott: A hate-monger like Leahy? By all accounts Leahy just said hi to Cheney. They were taking a class picture. I wasn't there, but it doesn't sound like it was much warranted.
Posted by: Kriston at June 25, 2004 2:48 PMBy all accounts Leahy just said hi to Cheney. They were taking a class picture.
You don't know Leahy, then.
Posted by: j.scott barnard at June 25, 2004 3:36 PM? The reports say he said hi. Was he giving him the finger when he said it? But who cares. But really, these guys can't smile for a picture together on the Senate floor with 99 other people? No—who cares.
Posted by: Kriston at June 25, 2004 3:49 PMi think kevin drum's assertion that cheney is particularly testy this week due to the fact that the shit might be about the hit the fan in the plame case is probably dead on. poor cheney. i'd tell someone who was criticizing me to fuck himself, too.
Posted by: catherine at June 25, 2004 3:52 PMSurely a Vice-Pres with the skills and background of Cheney knows how to control himself? Words were exchanged, but he was the one who let loose with the profanity. Perhaps it says less about Cheney himself and more about how worried and stressed he is about the situation.
And considering the Iraq situation is actually moving forward, perhaps he's more worried about possible upcoming revelations from the various inquiries and investigations that are ongoing.
Posted by: Justin at June 26, 2004 8:06 AMThanks for answering my question, Kriston. May I ask why it is that you hate Dick Cheney? Is it because of his professional endeavors or his personal habits?
Posted by: Megan at June 26, 2004 11:12 AMLeahy has been pounding the table in hearings and press conferences all week calling Cheney a crook and a stooge for Halliburton and then walks up to him with a shit-eating grin on this face and says "hi" to Cheney. You bet I'd tell him to fuck off. --s
Posted by: j.scott barnard at June 26, 2004 11:49 AMMegan: Because I think Dick Cheney is Lady MacBeth.
Posted by: Kriston at June 26, 2004 4:13 PMHe's sleeping with W. (MacBeth) and having hallucinations due to guilt? I'm joking here, I get what you're saying, although I don't agree.
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