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.
"Cheney said that? Really? Well, that old f***er is just alright.
Wrong, they were NOT IN SESSION.
It was a private conversation.
If Leahy hadn't ran (and there are reports that, LITERALLY, he was scurrying to a reporter to relay the incident) and did the cry-baby, tattle-tale about a converstion between 2 grown men (...well, um, at least 1 grown man), then no one would know about it.
Second, I can't really that you are equating a expletive-laced phrase with what Clinton did. Are you series? Come on.
I understand that you are trying to be fair in your assessment of this situation and I appreciate that. But, it isn't the case that the VP was on TV at the time and started cursing at the camera. Nor is it the case that he was speaking in a magazine interview (like, say, I don't know, Rolling Stone) and let the F-bombs fly.
So, with all due respect, I think you are being a wee bit Puritan in your assessment.
We wouldnt even know about it if leaky hadn't been in a rush to expose it. Of course it wouldn't be the first time he's exposed things better kept quiet.
I agree with you...
Obscene? Yes. Curse? No.
That's a good idea. My congressman is up for re-election this year:
http://www.house.gov/garrett/bio.shtml
LOL! Very good!!!
cripplecreek, I'll ask:
Where DID "Leaky" get his nickname?
This was a GREAT post the other day from a newbie:
To: ConservativeMan55
Okay, I am new here. Y'all go ahead and get the initiation hazing out of the way, but please be gentle with that paddle.
I am a bit confused as to what f' word it was that the Vice President used that so upset the democrats. Was it fiscal or fiduciary followed by responsibility? Those are offensive terms to democrats, and Mr. Cheney, of all people, should know that. Oh my God, it just occurred to me that the word may have been freedom. Now that one would really offend them.
There are only two f' words I can think of that the democrats do not consider cuss words. Those are federal and fellatio.
80 posted on 06/25/2004 4:34:01 PM EDT by HorsePlayer (Give me a $100 trifecta on Bush-Kerry-Nader)
And, you are right, our leaders should set a good example. But, Cheney is like most of the rest of us.
I challenge you...if you, AUH2OY2K, had been openly accused of letting the young men and women of this country for the sole benefit of lining your own and your buddy's pockets, how generous would you be with your patience? How would you react if you were, EVERY DAY, lied upon and about? How would you react when the ONLY thing that people haven't accused VP Cheney of doing is killing puppies and eating them (though, actually, I'm sure you can find that somewhere on DU)?
Stop, please.
You aren't familiar with having to deal with this type of criticism and I am sure that you might not react how you are describing either.
Please, dismount the high horse.
Because they THINK the Christian Right and our cadre of "moralistic enforcers" disapprove and may be turned against this administration if they could only be made to see, some kind of moral failure on Cheney's part.
It isn't working.
Most of us "Christians" approve of Cheney, and got a grin out of him saying what many of us (who happen to be human) have been thinking about leahy and the demoncrats... for a long time... Just like when bush and cheny agreed in public that adam clymer was an asshooole.
Furthermore it gives us permission to feel that way towards democrats in general... when it comes time to pull the lever.... "f off tommy clymer dasshole!" or something proximal.
The more they push it. The more I LIKE Cheney. The more determined I am to get somebody elected who will STAND UP TO and if need be, beat the oral crap out of the enemies of the state... democcrat/socialists, like Leahy, Daschle, Kennedy the swimmer.
Go Cheney Go.
Faster, Harder....
Great tagline for a newbie, too.
Pathetic.
And, given that the original story was publish an hour or so after the incident happened, I think it is more than fair to say that Leahy was scurrying about (you know, like a cockaroche) for a reporter.
He never admitted to using an obscenity. I saw the entire Cavutto interview Cheney on FNC.
The liberal media - at it again.
I agree with AUH2OY2K on this one.
It would have been more politically courageous to have called Leahy a traitor, or to have called Barney Frank a moral degenerate, or to have called Ted Kennedy an adulterous, lying, manslaughtering low-life. But we would hear our leaders say those (truthful) things. We will merely hear some occasional cursing.
What Cheney did was understandable, but it wasn't right. It doesn't attack the real issues and it adds to the coarsening of our culture. It's wrong, whether it comes from Republican or Democrat. Cathartic as it may have been, it's sad to see the Republican Party stooping to support what have traditionally been Democrat morals.
Big Time.
Seminar poster.
Democratic talking point.
We apparently need a whole lot more of the F word in this nation. What a bunch of pu$$ie$ we are!!!
Oh! the humanity, my child heard somebody say "damn!"
Maybe parents should take responsibility for raising their own children and not leave it to TV, celebrities, politicians, talk show hosts, cartoons, etc. If you think your gullible children might use the VP's example as an excuse to tell people off, then talk to them and tell them it is not acceptable language to use toward anyone.
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