Cheney Country

I landed in Jackson Hole with my kids last week for a visit with some friends. There on the tarmac -- Air Force Two. Oh yeah I thought, I'm in Cheney Country. Immediately sent a pic of the plane through my phone to my friend Terry who responded by asking me if the spot on my forehead hurt knowing the Dark Lord was near.

Given the heat that the Veep is getting for the mess our country is in, does Cheney Country still exist? I was curious.

Sure I was on vacation, but I couldn't help engaging in some serious investigative journalism over the next few days. Okay, it was going to be unattributed anecdotal transcribing. But I vowed to be honest. I'd write the good and bad. Wyoming does have a Democratic Governor, but both houses of the legislature are controlled by Republicans and the Congressional delegation is completely Republican and has been since longer than 28 years ago when Dick Cheney was a Member of Congress. I was pretty sure I was going to be in enemy territory -- or at least have some uncomfortable conversations. So for the last few days of our trip and on our drive down to Colorado, I began my work.

-- In the leather shop in downtown Jackson, in walks a couple with polo shirts monogrammed with the VP seal and "Vice President Cheney Summer 2007" (or something like that) embroidered in gold. They pull out a big silver belt buckle with the VP seal on it as well and tell the woman that they are in from California for a big donor party at the Cheney's. They wanted to know if she could make them a belt for their shiny new buckle. Gee "that's cool, I say... how was the party?" "Well it was just a great time, the Cheneys are wonderful hosts and they made us each feel so special." "Did anyone talk about the war or the trouble with the economy that is emerging or the upcoming clash the White House is gong to have with Republicans in the Senate?" "No way", they say, "why would we talk about that when there is nothing good to say about it?"

-- A gas station in Dubois. I talk to a dad in a pickup truck as we are both filling our tanks and watching our kids fight. "I guess you guys in this part of the state are pretty proud of Dick Cheney" I say. "Why would you think that?" he says. "This guy is bringing our country down. I have one cousin in Iraq and we can't keep any jobs around here"

-- The Wind River Indian Reservation. Stop at a scruffy cafe for some cold drinks. A lovely native American woman is at the counter smiling. "Has Dick Cheney ever been through here?" I ask. "He used to come regularly," she says "but he hasn't for a few years. He hasn't shown up on the reservation since so many of our boys went off to Iraq. I suppose it is best for him not to come at this point since I doubt there would be any open arms."

-- At breakfast at the Best Western in Rawlins. Two elderly women at the next table. They are talking to my kids, so I am talking to them. "What do you two think of Dick Cheney?" They laugh. "Not much". "No seriously", I say, "the man has been a Wyoming institution for so many years, surely there must be some pride in his being the vice president?" "Well young lady (love them) we made a mistake. I don't think people should be rewarded for their past. When they are in government, they are supposed to want to help people. That isn't what this crowd is doing."

I had this same conversation a total of eleven or twelve times. Did I mention that all of these people identified themselves to me as Republicans (except the native American woman who told me she was a Democrat but voted for Bush because of Cheney)?

After awhile, this game just wasn't that fun anymore.

Cheney Country no longer exists. And Wyoming is so beautiful.

Follow Hilary Rosen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hilaryr

Comments

[ClizBiz]

I had the exact same experience when I was in Wyoming last year. One of the locals told me about the time Cheney requested a table at Jackson Hole's best restaurant and the owner refused to seat him. He'd told Cheney's people, "Tell him we might see something open up for him in 2009." Apparently, he's not very popular in the Hole.

Even more intense, I accidentally ended up at a party in Jackson Hole that included at least five secret service agents assigned to Cheney. I sure learned a lot that night.

[joanna43]

This game sounds like a lot of fun. I'm going to Jackson Hole Sept. 12, and I think I'll play. It seems the goal of the game is to put "truth" and "Cheney" in the same environment. Are we sure this is possible?

Are there any other rules I should follow?
Joanna

[darker]

Cheney country is as BARREN as Bush country.
Both should be held accountable for their actions and decisions.

Whiner Bush can whine all he wants. That should NOT save THE DECIDER from accountability.

Bush-Cheney's "JUSTICE" DEPT. OF CHAOS under Gonzales must be investigated.

Bush-Cheney's entire chaotic administration must be investigated.
THERE MUST BE ACCOUNTABILITY.

ACCOUNTABILITY is the requirement of a Democracy. Bush-Cheney-Gonzales served up a chaos of "smoke & mirrors" while behaving like CRIMINALS.

All of them must be investigated and held accountable.

[epmahc]

A wise man said a long time ago A true patriot must be willing defend his country even against the government.

[ikkytito]

yes ma'am I love Wyoming too. I'm 50 miles from Cheyenne. More traffic on I80 in a day than populace in the entire state. But don't kid yourself-folks in Wyo are damn conservative-maybe the last bastion of true conservative-Western style. I think we outta put a fence around Wyo as a national preservative. My god you can go for miles without seeing another person. God Bless Wyoming

[tbadger]

i just got back from North Carolina where i was on vacation. the whole time i wore my ImpeachBush.orgg" basball cap and the positive comments i got for my hat ran about 7 approving to 1 against it. North Carolina was a red state too, but i think the democrats in Congress better start doing something or they will lose this profound advantage.

[janmB]

Relieved to hear that some republicans don't LOVE the "party" more than this country and aren't afraid of the truth.
Wonder if GWB has room on that ranch in Paraguay for the Cheneys too.
Wyoming is one of our beautiful states and do not deserve to have someone with the likes of Dick around to remind them of the worst times in our history.

[jqcitizen]

The Constitution is a document that the President promised to "Protect and defend". Nowhere in that sworn oath on Jan. 20,2001 or Jan 20,2005 did I hear that it was the duty of the President of the United States to protect me, or anyone else, from bad people. Leave that up to law enforcment or maybe the military.

All the boasting about killing the "Evil Ones" while allowing those wonderful lawyers (Monica Goodling, Alberto Gonzales, etc.) to use the resourses of this nation to destroy the Constitution is unforgivable.

Good try, Bush-Cheney administration. But guess what? The Bill of Rights and the entire Constitution is still in the good hands of the 302 million citizens of this nation and not the Attorney General.

[Wishingforchange]

How about this for a youtube moment: ask people on camera what they think of Dick Cheney or what they think should be done to him. Was there ever a veep more hated?

[stlrfan]

I think Cheney has outdone Spiro Agnew for most hated V.P., Thank God we have term limits!!

[realitytrumpsbull]

I don't like Dick Cheney, for the simple reason that I believe that he's a walking, talking conflict of interest. Harkening back to pre-Y2K, Cheney was CEO of a company called Halliburton, yes, the one and the same that's currently in Iraq making a mint. Dick Cheney supported starting a war that his company profited by prior to 9/11, about which there are still Unanswered Questions and No Small Amount Of Public Doubt, and that goes beyond the tinfoil-hat squad.

Bush himself is an oilman, or was, and it's no coincidence that Iraq has A Lot Of Oil.

Wyoming or Mars, people don't support this administration anymore, and with Cheney in charge of our national energy policy, I don't blame em. People trashed on Jimmy Carter 'back in the day', but he had a pretty good handle on the energy issue, and no conflicts of interest that I've ever read about, and the same unfortunately cannot be said for Cheney.

There you have it, an oil war, and people that support it, and people that don't. Check your tires and don't tailgate, drive smart, and don't waste gas...

[sunshineejc]

Hillary,

Good to hear! Maybe we might have an awakening to his self serving inner circle crowd pleasing designs! Maybe hope will eclipse his dark cloud of lies and manipulation.

I find it interesting to hear the comment they deserve no reward for the past because when in government they are supposed to want to help people, but that isn't what this crowd is doing. Notice she said crowd with the inference Cheney is the ring leader.

Let's hope there is hope!

[Archie1955]

Well doesn't it seem strange that most ordinary people in Wyoming can connect the dots but the couple invited to the Cheney's can't.

[gvincent]

Gotta love it though, when someone turns an 8-year VP stint into a very profitable business venture.

http://www.crookedinc.com

[oafishcad]

He did the same thing before, He just moved up to a bigger office.(VP) Cheney Warbucks was what I called him BEFORE he became VP.

[lizr]

So tell me again why this dude cannot be impeached?
I live in Hawaii, was at a big D fundraiser last night and all the HOST (when speaking publically to the crowd - and half the guests, including Moi- could talk about was IMPEACH CHENEY. Yesterday.

We bombarded our Dem reps with it continually all night long. I'm sure they were happy to escape. Inouye was sympathetic but non committal, Neil Abercrombie (useless twerp) made a bunch of stupid excuses about child health insurance. LIKE THEY CAN"T DO BOTH! like we have to choose between insuring children and impeaching this bastard.
Do they think we are stupid?
I guess they must.

[oafishcad]

They seem to think they're playing it safe. What they're really doing is making everyone POed at THEM for not taking action against the Constitution haters in the executive branch. Impeachment is off the table so they can put some other agenda on the table. GET A BIGGER TABLE!

[JackMonroe]

Cheney Country no longer exists? Sure it does, but it ain't in Wyoming. It's in a place called Crazy Country and the only way to get there is by grabbing a poodle-shooter and, well, by going...