CNN: Cheney used the F word when talking to Leahy in Senate floor

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[GraniteStateConservative]

I doubt that Leahy would say Cheney was attacking him for being a Catholic. That makes no sense. He was saying Republicans were attacking him (is he a Catholic?) and other liberals like Kerry as a bad Catholic, which makes sense-- even if it isn't a true allegation. The reports indicate that it was Cheney who started the argument. I haven't seen anything to indicate otherwise.

[cyncooper]

I'm just saying that was the original story and now it's a generic "Republicans accused Democrats of being anti-Catholic" (see the excerpt you posted).

Neither version makes sense as a segue from the Leahy version that Dick Cheney complained about Halliburton and this led to Leahy bringing up anti-Catholic "attacks" from "Republicans" (in one version), from "Dick Cheney" (in the original), which in turn led to the lobbing of the F-bomb. This is all according to Leahy "aides".

I'm saying Leahy is more than likely misrepresenting the entire exchange, which buttresses my original presumption that it was Leahy who did the provoking.

[Mr. Silverback]

Go Leahy yourself.

Go become a traitor who leaks classified data? Huh? ;-)

[cyncooper]

Here's the link to post 13 where the original story was.

Yup, I heard it. VP Cheney used the F-bomb after Leahy asked him something about VP Cheney describing Leahy as a bad Catholic. In response, according to CNN, VP Cheney used the F word. This happened when all the senators were present for their class picture.

Now the Reuters version from your post:

According to congressional aides, Leahy said hello to Cheney following the taking of the Senate group photo on the floor of the chamber.

Cheney, who is president of the Senate, then ripped into Leahy for the Democratic senator's criticism this week of alleged war profiteering in Iraq by Halliburton, the oil services company that Cheney once ran. Leahy and other Democrats have called for congressional hearings into whether the vice president helped the firm win lucrative contracts in Iraq after the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein. During their exchange, Leahy noted that Republicans had accused Democrats of being anti-Catholic because they are opposed to some of President Bush's anti-abortion judges, the aides said. That's when Cheney unloaded with the "F-bomb," aides said.

I am confident Leahy is misrepresenting the exchange, and Cheney more than likely gave him a cool yet hardedged reply. I wouldn't call that pushing his buttons. I'd call it Cheney shutting Leahy down. Leahy, who evidently thought he'd be able to push the VP around.

[GraniteStateConservative]

I think Leahy's use of anti-Catholic is equivalent to liberal Senate Catholics are bad Catholics (from the context of "are opposed to some of President Bush's anti-abortion judges") and thus anti-Catholic for not supporting Catholic dogma. I don't think there's any confusion here. Like I said, Cheney spouted off that he didn't appreciate being tied to Halliburton, Leahy spouted off that he didn't appreciate being called a bad Catholic, and then Cheney told him to F himself. It was Cheney who should not have told Leahy that talking about Halliburton gets under Cheney's skin. Leahy probably had a great laugh that he was able to push Cheney's buttons the way he did. Cheney's mindset going there should have been "who gives a 'F' if they keep bringing up my name and Halliburton's in the same sentence. I've got bigger fish to fry." What's next, Cheney telling a little piss-ant like Moore to F himself? Leahy is a piss-ant. No one knows who he is. Cheney made him a bigger player than he really is.

[Mat_Helm]

Leahy is a piss-ant. No one knows who he is. Cheney made him a bigger player than he really is.

I disagree. Cheney gave Leahy and the democrats a shot across the bow. Gore has been absolutely insane and a loose canon firing everywhere across the deck. The democrats in the senate have been obstructing every way they can. Cheney is a cool customer and this was the White House first salvo of the start of the election campaign delivered to the democrats that business will not be as ussual anymore. The rats have called down the thunder and now thye have it coming. That one phrase and its impact speaks for itself that the gloves are coming off.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Telling someone to go F themselves isn't a shot across the bow. That's something desperate people on their last legs do. If someone told me that, I'd know right then that I had beaten them.

As far as actual action, I won't hold my breath.

[af_vet_rr]

But regardless, the first rule of a debate is that the first person to lose his cool has lost the argument. Poor choice of words, and on the very day the SCOTUS handed him a great victory. The Dems hated him for winning, and they clearly baited him into this. He should have known better.

Just about everybody gets heated and says something they regret at some point, but your absolutely right, Cheney should have known better. It's not like he's a stranger to these people. The fact that he has known them for decades probably helped them make him lose his cool, but nevertheless he lost it.

I've seen it here and on usenet and to an extent, letters to the editor in various publications. The moment somebody resorts to profanity or personal attacks in a discussion/debate, they've lost. I'll even admit to it happening a few times to me over the years.

I find it a bit disturbing that some are applauding him for saying this, yet were bashing Kerry's interview where he said it. It's either wrong for public officials to say something like that publicly, or it's not. It's not conditional and dependent upon which party the person saying it happened to belong to. Granted, they are in the minority and probably think uttering the f-word in such a situation is macho or something....

[af_vet_rr]

I am confident Leahy is misrepresenting the exchange, and Cheney more than likely gave him a cool yet hardedged reply. I wouldn't call that pushing his buttons. I'd call it Cheney shutting Leahy down. Leahy, who evidently thought he'd be able to push the VP around.

The f-word in such a situation between adults (especially elected officials in some of the highest offices of this nation), is not a "cool, yet hardeged reply", it's somebody losing their temper. It's also somebody a few steps away from ranting and raving like Gore.

However, I believe that you are right about Leahy misrepresenting the exchange.

I don't see Dick Cheney as the type of person to be lobbing any criticisms over somebody's religious beliefs, or how they conduct themselves in regards to their religious beliefs. I could see him making a generic statement for or against a certain position that members of a religion might hold, but the way Leahy presented it, you would have thought Cheney told him specifically, to his face, that he was a bad Catholic.

I also dont' see Cheney as the type to be stirring up trouble, which is probably why he lost his cool and said what he said - somebody was trying to stir up trouble with him.

[Mat_Helm]

No, thats politics and has nothing to do with desperation. The actions of most democratic senators on the floor is far from gentlemenly or courteous. If what you said was true than the socalled beaten and desperate democrats would not be able to stall any legislation and would be owned by the Republicans. The democrats have been in the dirt for too long and supported by the media and have been winning, contrary to your view. Its politics and as Cheney said to today in an interview with Neil Cavuto, it was long overdue and Republican colleges agreed. The media gave Hillary a cover when she called someone a "fargin Jew bastard" and the post would not print the fargin "f-word", but did print the fargin word today with Cheney. Double standard covered and aided by the media. So, a word meant to be heard by seantors only is a shot across the bow to them that we are lo longer just going to sit and take it anymore.

Just like the commanding officer said to the Germans surrounding Bastonge at the the Battle of the Bulge when asked for a reply to a request for American surrender; "Nuts",was the reply to the germans-which basicly means "go f*ck yourself!"

[aCookieMomster]

Cheney did get it out, and to the right person! Oh how many times I wanted to say something nasty during the 30 Hour Debate or any time Leahy opened his mouth.

I agree with Hugh Hewitt and I've made a "Well done" donation to the NRSC at www.nrsc.org in honor of Cheney!

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Begala on Crossfire just said that it was "Go F--k yourself". 33 posted on 06/24/2004 1:39:37 PM PDT by I_killed_kenny

No doubt some of the liberals would know how to do this.

[Alissa]

Yes, you wouldn't expect such speech on the Senate floor as Byrd (D-WV) referring to "ni%%ers." Now go finish your Kool-aid. Cheney worked for Haliburton exactly 3 years and served his country in past and present administrations many more than that. Haliburton employees have lost their lives in Iraq and they are under much more scrutiny with this administration than any prior administration. You explain how Enron grew powerful under the Clinton administration and it supported Clinton and look what they did to their employees and stockholders? The Dot Coms were nothing but paper castles under Clinton's great economy. What a farce that was! So many Americans lost their retirements and even homes with the DotCom fiasco.

And let's not forget Kerry used the "F" word a few months ago in an interview with a national magazine. I'd say an interview in a national magazine seen by millions, is worse than a personal aside to a moron such as Leahy. I wish I could tell Leahy to f-himself! He's an SOB and deserved it!

I pay plenty of taxes thank you. I assume you still pay your union dues?