Cheney's Grab-and-Go Rubs Some the Wrong Way

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON — Vice President Cheney is collecting millions in campaign contributions as he headlines fundraisers for the Bush-Cheney re-election bid and other Republican candidates.

But his cool, all-business approach to the task, with little attention to the communities he visits, risks reinforcing an image Democrats are pushing of an administration insensitive to the concerns of ordinary people.

As he travels, Cheney does not hold news conferences. His meetings with business and community leaders are private. He rarely makes time to meet voters outside the fundraisers, which often results in news reports and commentary that suggest he's indifferent to the people and problems of the cities he visits.

Protesters often get equal coverage. Traffic tie-ups caused by his motorcade and extra police costs bring complaints that sometimes overshadow the visit.

(snip)

A high-ranking Cheney aide who spoke on condition of anonymity dismisses the idea that negative news stories are obscuring the vice president's message of staying the course in Iraq, pressing the war on terrorism, defending tax cuts and passing an energy bill. The aide says newspaper coverage is often more negative than radio and TV reports but the overall message is positive.

more…
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2003-12-02-cheney-fundraising_x.htm

[Punkingal]

1. He is indifferent....

to the people and the problems of the cities he visits. I'm glad people are noticing.

[cliss]

2. Let's see....Old Dick is guilty of

'take the money & run', or hit-and-run Dick is at it again. His critics feel he's not displaying enough sensitivity to care enough about the communities he's "visiting".

Why do I not feel that caring about the communities is on his list? Or that it's not on the community's list? I've read about some of these fundraisers, and it's almost insulting what they serve: Kool-Aid with celery sticks & peanut butter. Even cold dishes. And yet, the communities keep shoveling the cash in the direction of Old Crash Cart.

This is more like money for the mafia. All George and Dick have to do is show up, and the money materializes before their eyes.

Why do cities all over the US do it? Because Dick makes them feel good? Hardly. They have a lot riding on the hope that the Rat-publicans win next November. They mistakenly believe The Dynamic Duo will save them from paying higher taxes.

Little do they know these two are about to sink the ship for us all.

[Jester_11218]

3. That's the least of it...

Cheney is possibly the biggest criminal to ever hold office. Nobody pays attention.

I do!!!

http://cheney.tvnewslies.org

[Fleshdancer]

4. well of course he grabs and goes!

What the hell do the idiots who spend $2000 a plate think Cheney will do? Do they expect $2000 to actually by time with the guy? Please. :eyes:

Cheney responds to money. Sure, 150 idiots throwing away 2 grand adds up to a good enough amount for Cheney to roll out of his bunker and make a half-assed appearance, but to pander to the individual with just $2000??? That is clearly NOT his style.

Just goes to show...money can't buy common sense.

[UpInArms]

12. isn't this a similar way of

referring to shoplifters?

"grab and run"

very fitting - calling a thief and thief :D

[DeepModem Mom]

5. "insulated, isolated and somewhat arrogant"....

Cheney is emblematic of whole gang in so many ways --

[LizW]

6. Oh, those poor Bush/Cheney donors

Bah. Remember the tax cuts for millionares? The people who donate to Bush/Cheney understand exactly what they're getting, and what they stand to get in the future if the criminals stay in office. They aren't phased by the fact that Bush/Cheney don't give a damn about their communities, because they don't either. If the rich donors were bothered by anything about Bush/Cheney, they would stop shoveling money at them, and that isn't going to happen.

The regular people don't even know when Bush/Cheney comes to town, except for the traffic tie-ups and the obligatory adoring local news story at 6. This administration operates on a level far removed from the people, unless they want us for a photo op.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. Good article. When Cheney came to my town, it was the same story.

No press at all. I'm wondering if he's been told not to speak to the press. I can't imagine a politician passing on attention on his own.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. I don't honestly believe that the NeoCons know what he's going to say...

...in public and/or on television. Even the other NeoCons make SOME minor effort to avoid major controversial statements. Cheney doesn't appear to care what he says, much less whether or not it's parroting Rove's "talking points".

Cheney's just one of those guys that we've all met at least once in our lifetime that knows he has the upper hand and he's going to make that point every chance he can.

[Racenut20]

8. Should work to totally tie up traffic when he shows up. Make a local

news spectable of it.
A little Civil Disobedience can be a good thing.

[dusty64]

9. Thats exactly

what he did when he came to my town, shoveled the money in his pocket and ran. Its obvious where this big cash is coming from, the very same and FEW who are benefitting from this regimes outrageous giveaways to the superwealthy and big business. The attendees at his fundraiser here was a who's who of the biggest and greediest fat porkers in the area. Where is the media outcry over all this? The ONLY thing chimp/crashcart seem to be doing anymore is raising $$$$. Man, wait till a Democrat gets back in the WH and see how fast everything changes.

[truthisfreedom]

11. and this is the way he is protecting America? remaining in an undisclosed

location except when it's handy for him to empty the pockets of businessmen interested only in perpetuating the tax cut for the rich?

since when does fundraising for bushco come before the security of the US of A?

always. always did, always will.

[mbperrin]

13. rubs SOME the wrong way?

Rubs ME all the wrong way!

Proof that simply being evil, uncaring, disconnected, greedy, murderous and a general shitass has no real effect on your lifespan!

[Philostopher]

19. And more than that,

Apparently, it has no real effect on your electability, either. I think they're being smart -- who wants to look at his sneering mug over their morning coffee? Some of those aging owners of the corporations who throw money at him as he waltzes through their cities might keel over if they had to look at that Grinchy sneer first thing in the a.m.

I'm starting to think the reason you don't see pictures of him much is because he looks like the pure manifestation of Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch pre-conversion. The guy looks evil, there's no way to cover that up without throwing a pillowcase over his head.

Even the most blind worm of a voter couldn't possibly feel good about any photo of Cheney that's ever run in my newspaper. They know his face is a liability. They can, at least, make Dim Son look halfway decent in front of a selected crowd for a photo-op. There's no makeup or camera angle that can take that sneer off Cheney's face, though.

[54anickel]

14. Cheney is a 4 letter word at our house. SO works for Dresser

where he also took the money (and the Kellogg engineers) and ran.
2 years to the day (as stipulated by the gov't) he sold off all manufacturing divisions. That last year was the most profitable for Dresser Engines and Wayne Pumps, but all manufacturing divisions were cut out of profit sharing and given no raises (since they were not going to be part of "Hell-a-burnin" much longer). That was after these workers made concessions the previous year!
He also drew a fine sum of $$$ from Dresser while he had it.

[havocmom]

15. Cheney also grabbing money from local governments

that are already cash short, or starved. His $$ making (for him) fly bys cost local govenment due to the need to provide extra police duty to control traffic and support security in areas Cheney visits.

Can't have just any ol Americans in the same part of town as the Big Oil Chicken Hawk. So the cities have to use precious resources to keep the people out of sight. If I recall, the extra cost for his trip to Billings a few months ago was over $800,000. The Chief of Police was less than amused from what I read in the Billings Gazette after that hold-up. That is a fair sized contribution the citizens were forced to pay for hisself to spend a couple hours grabbing cash from a select few.

The serfs have to pay tribute for the priviledge of the high lord coming to take their bread.

[KoKo]

16. When he came to NC and I protested the Black Hawk Helicopter was hovering

over our heads. That's the only way we knew he was there. All the guests were coming into the entrance where we were barricaded, so they saw our signs. We never saw Cheney but knew he had come into some hidden entrance because the "Black Hawk" flew circles until he was safely in and then it left. Quite creepy, but the way they operate.

He never gave any interviews and no one would have known he was in town at all except for the "Black Hawk,"blocked street and barricades for the protestors.

[htuttle]

17. He won't come here anymore!

Cheney was going to make an appearance in front of Madison's Chamber of Commerce. Our City Council got peeved that the city would have to pick up a HUGE security bill for what was obviously a campaign event (for 2002), so they passed a measure that he'd have to pay for his own security.

He cancelled, and probably won't try to come back.

Try it in your own cities -- it's a big tax savings!

[ewagner]

18. Hoooray for Madison

I've always liked the courage of the people of Madison.

Good on ya!

[Kolesar]

20. Time to contact some City Council members

The Cleveland City budget is horrible. They are terminating hundreds of fire and police staff, they discontinued recycling.

Cheney's visit costs were mentioned in the newspaper.