Cheney Makes Incest Joke About West Virginians

***UPDATE*** Akers reports that Cheney has now apologized for his West Virginia incest joke:

Vice President Dick Cheney has apologized through his spokeswoman for making an offhand joke during a speech at the National Press Club Monday stereotyping West Virginia as a state prone to incest.

Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride tells us, "The Vice President's offhand comment was not meant to hurt anyone. On reflection, he concluded that it was an inappropriate attempt at humor that he should not have made. The Vice President apologizes to the people of West Virginia for the inappropriate remark."

Mary Ann Akers of the Washington Post asks if West Virginia was just handed to the Democrats when Dick Cheney made an incest joke at West Virginians' expense:

Cheney was at the Press Club to congratulate this year's winners of the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency. During a question-and-answer session toward the end of the luncheon, someone asked the vice president about his wife Lynne Cheney's revelation on MSNBC last year that "Dick and Barack Obama are eighth cousins."

The questioner jokingly asked the vice president if he and Obama were going to have a family reunion, to which Cheney replied he would "have no objections" though he said he doubted Obama would want one - "certainly not before November."

Then came the offensive punch line. Cheney explained that during the course of researching his family lineage for Lynne's memoir "Blue Skies, No Fences" last year, he learned there were Cheneys on both his father's and his mother's side of the family. There was a Richard Cheney on his mother's side, the vice president said.

"So I had Cheneys on both sides of the family and we don't even live in West Virginia," Cheney quipped.

Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia was not amused:

"That a man who has ascended to the seat of Vice President of the United States would openly display such contempt and astounding ignorance toward his own countrymen is an insult to all Americans. Now that he or the Administration he represents no longer needs their vote, Mr. Cheney apparently feels that he is now free to mock and belittle the people of West Virginia. With his trademark arrogance, the Vice President even added 'You can say those things when you're not running for re-election.'"

"This pitiful comment is not entirely surprising when you consider the source. Vice President Cheney's words reflect the attitude of an administration and a party that says what they must to get elected and then turns their backs on those they promised to represent."

Comments

[Witchitalineman]

I'd like to see that little smirk of his from behind jail bars.

[Wood]

ditto!

[who38]

And Lynne's too. That picture is the epitome of smugness.

[FrankenPC]

McClellan may be this centuries answer to Watergate. I PRAY that I will see Rove, Bush and that psychopath Cheney either behind bars or at the very lease have all of their families reputations ruined for life.

If Obama or Clinton win...this should be their FIRST assignment.

[FirstShirt]

Cheney took an opportunity and wasted it. There is no worse indictment of a human being than to have been given so many blessings and then wasted them.

I'm republican and I'm disgusted by him and those like him. Citizens are disgusted and what makes it worse is that new voters will paint moderate to liberal republicans with the same brush. Democrats went through it with Bill and it just makes you sick.

[doug108]

I didn't know there were any moderate to liberal Republicans left. Your party has been highjacked by some of the most extreme and dangerous people on the planet. If they actually ran on what they intended to do, no one in this country would ever vote for them. That's why they need nonsense like lapel pins and Obama's middle name and Dunkin Donuts, to keep their followers mystified.

The thing about this country is that pretty much everyone in it wants the same kinds of things: decent work for decent pay, a way to get our kids a good education, and to just live our lives as we see fit. We have to repair our national political debate so that we can address real issues facing our country, not flag burning and gay marriage and all the other junk the rightwing keeps pumping out on the airwaves and in print.

This is what a country looks like after the Republicans have free reign to impose their policies. They have shown what they're really made of and the country doesn't want anymore of it. Good bye Republicans. May you all fall into a very deep hole and never be seen again.

[hippieforlife]

You might want to check to see who is really pushing the gay marriage angle. It was not the Republicans the last time I looked.

We are all Americans. I for one would certainly be unhappy to see half of our country just go away. I have many friends of both points of view. I would not want to lose any of them.

Politics should have nothing to do with who you "like".

[newworldman777]

Unfortunately, our problems are becoming so intense that neither political party may be able to solve them. After one or two terms of a Democratic administration, and our problems are still there, then the electorate will be wanting to "tro da bums out" and try the Republicans again. What we need are draconian changes in our society, and I don't see either party suggesting them. But then again, if they were to do suggest such changes, which would result in a diminished lifestyle for our citizens (in the short run, at least), then they would never get elected. That is one of the flaws of our democratic system.

[AurigaRa]

good comments

suggestion: you might reconsider your party affiliation. I would be embarrassed to admit I had any
connections to these criminals. And remember, your reps around the country and in congress, other than maybe Chafee and Hagel, have not spoken out against them. I'd even hesitate to register as a democrat today - and I am a democrat for 40 yrs. I support Obama though.

[FrankenPC]

I was a Republican before Bush Jr. I changed parties because I was disgusted by what that party has become. Republicans USED to stand for the American dream and state controlled power. There is nothing left of that original party. They should be sued to remove the Republican name.

[exflatlander]

I know a number of Republicans who have switched parties, some for the kinds of motives we've come to expect from Republicans. To wit, to vote against Hillary Clinton. However, I'd like to think there are more who switched parties because they are tired of being affiliated with one of three constituencies: the uber-wealthy with no conscience, let alone sense of patriotism, or 2) the uber dumb religious fanatics who see gay marriage as the most serious threat the country faces and will support a crocodile if he opposes it, and 3) the bigots who hate anybody who isn't white, living in a suburb, living for Saturday at the races, and assuming that educated means effeminate and powerless.

What may be left of moderate Republicans need to do one of two obvious things: actively take back their party, even if it means losing some of those groups above, or 2) create a viable third party which embodies the traditional Republican values of fiscal conservatism, patriotism, and strict adherence to our much-battered Constitution. What will you do, moderate Republicans? (HINT: if you plan to vote for McCain you have to turn in your "moderate" buttons.)

[CEDobson]

I think the more pressing issue is that many of these white-collar government officials most likely sit in their luxurious offices telling jokes like this amongst themselves regularly. Cheney is not the first to nonchalantly let a faux pas like this slip. A lot of them seem to have a "holier than thou" attitude, better known as the "us and them" affliction.

In my opinion, it is time for some seriously deep spring cleaning.

[newworldman777]

According to Mike Barnicle, the fact that Cheney was not indicted in the outing of Valerie Plame was remarkable, since "his fingerprints were all over it." That said, the man is guilty of treasonous behavior and should be in prison, even as I write this. Therefore, if this were a just country (which it obviously is not) that dispenses punishment appropriately for criminal behavior, irrespective of the criminal's "social standing," we (us) could gleefully categorize him as being one of "them": a convicted criminal behind bars getting his just rewards. Unfortunately, getting away with criminal behavior has reinforced his arrogant mindset, and he now undoubtedly believes that not only is he better than most everyone else, but he is above the law as well. Typical neocon garbage. The faster that we vote the Republicans out of office, the better.

[HypocrisyAlarm]

You bet your bottom dollar it is, CEDobson. I heard the same things from the executive types (like Cheney) of a large corporation with a good reputation while they thought I was just of European descent, male, and raised in the South. That all stopped when they discovered I was actually a minority. I suppose that such remarks are unacceptable in public is a start to excising bigotry from society, but there's a loooooooooooong way left to go.

[CEDobson]

As my mother always said, true colors always shine through. Lately, they seem to shine more brightly at the top of the pillar. It will not be in my lifetime that racism/prejudice disappears, but hopefully my children or their children will see it.

Luckily, I was part of the desegregation "experiment" in the 60's and 70's. I went to school with a cornucopia of people. My parents did not know the word prejudice and therefore my siblings and I were never aware it existed; your worth was based on your character and how you treated others.

Unfortunately, my career brought me to the south, where not a day goes by that I do not hear the "n" word, people talking about "white-trash," or some derogatory comment about the Hispanic population. I see Dixee flags flying everywhere. So, when you say there is a long way to go, it is certainly an understatement. However, I am a firm believer in the trickle-down affect and until it is gone at "the top," we don't have a chance in h*** of eradicating prejudice.

[PAposter]

How do you apology through someone else? WTF is that?

[Boboday555]

Americans soldiers are dying every day in Iraq and Afghanistan SO, can someone please tell AWOL Bush and WAR DEFERMENTS Cheney to wipe those idiotic grins off their smug un-American and cowardly faces!

[elbzee]

I guess he figures there's no point in pretending any more. Yes, he hates ALL Americans. He's demonstrated that consistently over the past 8 years.

[Boboday555]

Can someone explain how Vicew President WAR DEFERMENTS can Outsource his apology to some low level toady and expect the people of West Virginia to accept it?

These foul neo-cons are so un-American it's scary!
I hope that now that he's stuffed his pockets with tax payer money, gotten enough young Americans killed fighting for Halliburton's bottom line and pissed all over my Constitution that WAR DEFERMENTS Cheney will mercifully slither away when his term is up and leave America to regain her former glory!

[who38]

Let's hope West Virginia remembers this in November.

[Raymondf]

I want everyone on this site, that hasn't to trace their family tree on both sides of the family it's easy and it only took me 1 year to go back, to the year 1714. It's very interesting what you can find out.

[booker52]

Please just tell us the good stuff or rather the bad stuff.

[astockton]

What else would you expect from someone who attended the Auschwitz memorial service attired as if he'd arrived by dogsled?

[jashu51]

Yeah, wasn't he wearing a Halliburton ski cap? Talk about being the ugly American. All bundled up. But he didn't seem to mind the weather in Washington at the second inauguration of GWB. Just had a wool top coat. It was just as cold then.

[Earl]

When you talk about the mating habits of West Virginians, it's a joke. When you read the paper about the mating habits of certain polygamists in Texas, it's for real.

[exflatlander]

But their religions is child molesting, so that makes it okay.

[Harrygton]

"This pitiful comment is not entirely surprising when you consider the source. Vice President Cheney's words reflect the attitude of an administration and a party that says what they must to get elected and then turns their backs on those they promised to represent.­"

Sounds right to me... and judging by how the Clintons ran their campaign this is not limited to the Republican Party!!!!

[Mygirl]

Too bad he can't take his wealth with him when he bites the dust.

[Mygirl]

The man is Heartless and cruel.

[vschicago]

Cheney makes this comment and everyone at that conference agrees by laughing at it. And he doesn't apologize; he goes through the motions of a routine that he always does for political expediency.

Hillary told Bill at one time to "screw them" in regards to the hard-working white Americans located in the Southern part of the country. Bill was worried about the strong dislike and opposition these men and women had for him when he was in the WH around 1995.

These so-called blue collar white working class people KNOW that people like Hillary and Dick are exploiting them. It's called "white sacrificing". Dr. Neely Fuller talks about this in more detail. Google "white sacrificing" and get educated. It's pathetic and sad that there are large populations of white folks that will allow other white folks to tell them that they can't amount to anything for the sake of some false bigger cause on behalf of all white people. But this is what western civilization has generated to. And given my nature, I plan to resist this concept with great enthusiasm.

[sl26]

eventually this becomes conventional wisdom. EX: unions caused most of the jobs losses in this country (not "free trade agreements").

[who38]

This is a concept used by all civilizations. Without it, there would be no wars.

[dadadata]

Ahhh.

Dick apologizes. Through a spokesperson. Some apology, hey.

Not even man enough to make his apology in person.

[who38]

Did he use the term--'regret'?