Posted on 06/27/2004 9:44:32 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Majority Leader Bill Frist refused on Sunday to criticize Vice President Dick Cheney for cursing on the floor of the Senate in a confrontation with a Democratic senator.The Tennessee Republican indicated that Cheney's outburst at Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., can be attributed to political passions aroused by the election year. As vice president, Cheney acts as president of the Senate, although the majority leader has more authority over the body's operations.
On Tuesday, as Cheney and the senators gathered in the chamber for a photograph, Leahy struck up a conversation. Cheney challenged the senator about his frequent criticism of Halliburton Co., which Cheney formerly headed. In response, Leahy attacked the White House for not interceding when Leahy and other Democrats were portrayed as prejudiced against Roman Catholics for opposing one of President Bush's judicial nominees.
Cheney shot back an obscenity. He later confirmed to Fox News his use of the obscenity and said he felt better after saying it.
"It's a political season right now, where partisan feelings and emotions have come to the surface itself," Frist said when asked on CNN's "Late Edition" about the comment.
Despite that, he said, the Senate is doing its work well, avoiding gridlock that could result from a lineup of 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and an independent. "We're delivering for the American people," Frist said.
"With regard to the vice president's comments, I did not hear the comments, did not witness the comments, but clearly they reflect a lot of that emotion," he said. "Without taking one side or the other, a lot of personal feelings are being expressed, and that emotion came out by the vice president, and I'll let the American people judge as to whether or not it was warranted."
Pressed whether he condones the use of such language in the Senate, Frist pointed out that the chamber was not in session at the time, "so I am not going to condone, I am not going to overly criticize the language that people in the -- the language that people use to express themselves."
On Saturday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said President Bush had no problem with his vice president's language. "It's not an issue with the president," McClellan said.
Good.
The media has really latched on to this. I wonder why they didn't ask Dem leaders what they thought of Kerry using the F bomb for PUBLUC consumption.
You gotta love that GWB. I just ordered a cap, yard sign and some bumper stickers from www.georgewbush.com.
"F" is for $50.
Send a $50 donation to a republican of your choice and explain that Dick Cheney earned it.
I imagine Lott would be licking the boots of Leahy and the press about now.
Cheney should be congratulated for his restraint in responding to extreme provocation. (I mean this seriously)
I friggin LOVE Dick Cheney. And that's a great idea. I think I'll take you up on it.
How odd that the media has so many stories about this Cheney statement when they didn't cover Kerry or Hillary or Bill... NOT /s
I got the idea listening to Hugh Hewitt. Spread the word.
The wife and I decided that our $50 donations would go to local candidates this time.
""The Tennessee Republican indicated that Cheney's outburst at Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., can be attributed to political passions aroused by the election year.""
This is why I don't contribute to the NRSC, Hugh.
Why can't Frist come out and call Leahy what he is? I will give to specific campaigns until I see some backbone, from other than the Vice President in Washington.
Next time (after the election) maybe he can throw a punch at Leahy.
This remark was made during a private conversation. If you want to blame someone for "corrupting" the children, blame it on Leahy for whining about it and media for reporting it as world shattering news. BTW, if you've ever heard a conversation between kids, this word is already part of their vocabulary. Furthermore, clinton didn't just make the use of the words Oral Sex acceptable, but the practice of it.
Let me see if I understand this. Leahy can publicly accuse Cheney of sacrificing the lives of American men and women in order to make a buck for his old company Halliburton. Yet, it's somehow obscene for Cheney to f-him off in a private conversation?
Cheney was at work as an elected official when this occurred. It is an untenable argument that children already say it thus our leaders should get a free pass when they use expletives. The idea is to set a good example. I'm sure Cheney, with his wealth of experience and knowledge, could have expressed himself better than he did.
Does leaky even remember where he got his nickname?
How bizarre that it's considered newsworthy that a 63-year-old man used a curse word in a private conversation.
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