Cheney in a July 12, 2008 file photo. He is one of the nation's most prominent Republicans, but there are doubts about whether he will attend the GOP convention. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, File)
by Mark Silva
The Republican Party's nominee for president, John McCain, will address the Republican National Convention at the close of its ceremonies in early September.
The party's candidate for vice president - fill in the blank - will address the convention the night before.
The party's retiring president, George W. Bush, will address the convention in the Twin Cities of Minnesota on the opening night.
The party's retiring vice president, Dick Cheney, is still working on his schedule.
What? The most ardent of all leading conservative voices in the party has not been signed up for a night at the podium? The vice president's office was telling the press yesterday that Cheney's schedule during the Republican convention had not been firmed up yet, as our colleague, Don Frederick, at the Top of the Ticket notes.
Is it possible he won't attend?
"No comment,'' said Mark Salter, one of McCain's closest confidants and the author of his books, told the L.A. Times' Bob Drogin, when asked if Cheney has fallen off the mailing list of the RNC's "Save the Date'' refrigerator magnets (OK, Salter didn't talk about any magnets. We just imagined them here in the Swamp)/
The idea that Cheney might go fishing that week, the first week of September, could have something to do with his own ranking in the opinion polls - with an 18 percent approval rating in the latest Harris Poll. The Democratic National Committee also is going out of its way to raise Cheney's profile in the weeks leading to its own convention in Denver, billing McCain's running mate as "TheNextCheney.''
The president's own standing isn't a lot stronger, but he is the president. And McCain did get up and say extremely nice things about him at the Republican National Convention that nominated Bush in 2000, after the two went to war in the primaries.
But the sign on Cheney's desk may just read, Gone Fishin.'
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Comments
Welcome to another episode of "Republicans Eating Their Own" - a documentary.
Posted by: Zook | August 6, 2008 7:31 AM
The leader of "compassionate conservatism" would say. SO?
Posted by: His own words | August 6, 2008 7:51 AM
Heck, he's been missing from the White House and the nation, for the last 8 years, what's a convention ? He's been too busy making deals with the Oil Corps and their 600 BILLION DOLLAR, IN PROFITS. The Corps were able to rake in all that moola while President Bush and Vice-President Cheney were busy stacking our courts with their Ideologues or cutting deals for Haliburton. In either case, they didn't care about America's real needs and now they haunt us !!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | August 6, 2008 9:48 AM
So, prehaps VP Draft Dodger
Cheney is secretly advising
his relative Democrat Liberal
Presidential Candidate Loser
Barack Hussein Obama on how to explain why Obama never enlisted in our US Military and how to explain the
Draft Dodger Cheney excuse
that "Obama had other prioriites" just like Cheney!
NOBAMA in 2008!
Posted by: Ralphinphnx | August 6, 2008 11:05 AM
Ralphinphnx--You know Cheney got 5 deferments from the DRAFT. The draft was discontinued in 1973 when "Nobama" was 11 years old, give or take.
Posted by: the rise and fall of the American Empire | August 6, 2008 2:53 PM