Free Republic

DENVER - A judge denied a request to subpoena Dick Cheney in a lawsuit filed by a man who claims he was wrongfully arrested for comments he made to the vice president about the Iraq war. Steve Howards' attorney, David Lane, had argued that Secret Service agents involved in Howards' arrest in Beaver Creek in June 2006 told different versions of the incident and that only Cheney could clear up what happened. In denying Lane's motion Tuesday to have U.S. marshals serve Cheney with a subpoena, U.S. Magistrate Judge Craig Shaffer said Lane had "not made a sufficient showing to...

DENVER -- No one can agree on what exactly happened the day a Colorado man spotted Dick Cheney strolling the streets of a ski resort town and decided to give the vice president a piece of his mind. Steve Howards, 55, says he walked up to Cheney and delivered his message -- "Your policies in Iraq are disgusting" -- then lightly touched the vice president's shoulder. The White House photographer says he saw Howards slap Cheney on the back. Cheney's personal aide remembers Howards placing his hand on Cheney's arm and shaking his hand. As for the Secret Service agents...

FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Steve Howards, 54, and his wife were walking their son to piano practice in Beaver Creek, Colo., and were surprised to see Vice President Dick Cheney on the street chatting with citizens. "Many of us fantasize what would we do if we had the opportunity to really tell Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney how we feel," Howards said, so as he passed by he told Cheney, "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible." After dropping off his son, a Secret Service agent approached Howards and asked, "Did you assault the vice president?" Howards said no, and...

[... snip ...] Attorney David Lane said that on June 16, Steve Howards was walking his 7-year-old son to a piano practice, when he saw Cheney surrounded by a group of people in an outdoor mall area, shaking hands and posing for pictures with several people. According to the lawsuit filed at U.S. District Court in Denver, Howards and his son walked to about two-to-three feet from where Cheney was standing, and said to the vice president, "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible," or words to that effect, then walked on. Ten minutes later, according to Howards' lawsuit,...