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[MIMIC]

Cheney claimed in tonight's debate that this was the first time he met Edwards:

Addressing the National Prayer Breakast, Cheney said: "Thank you. Thank you very much. Congressman Watts, Senator Edwards, friends from across America and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world, Lynne and I honored to be with you all this morning." [FDCH Political Transcripts, Cheney Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, 2/1/01]

More:

 

[MrAngryFace]

saying thanks is meeting?

 

[MIMIC]

saying thanks is meeting?

Have you ever personally addressed someone in a speech that was present that you DIDN'T meet?

Although I haven't found concrete evidence of this, it's safe to infer just as much.

 

[Ill Saint]

I think only the most partisan of people will be taking Cheney's statement at face value.

 

[MIMIC]

OK, now I have proof of them actually conversing.

I'm trying to authenticate the source.

 

[Manabanana]

He actually met Edwards before? Fuck, I'm voting Kerry.

 

[Drensch]

Cheney also kept lying about his Iraq Al queda claims.

I can pretty much guarantee that Kerry/Edwards are gonna make an ad with it.

 

[videogamer]

I stared at your avatar for the first time today mimic. OMG it's hypnotic.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I think only the most partisan of people will be taking Cheney's statement at face value.

The other candidates have been saying this for months.

 

[Makura]

This thread isn't about lie(s) it's about one thing Cheney said.

There is another possiblity - Cheney may have simply forgotten about meeting him before. He should correct himself if that is the case.

 

[ErasureAcer]

I think Cheney knew full well that he had met Edwards before...he wanted to A. Spread out a lie to those without the internet to check these "facts" up...thus giving the impression that Edwards is lazy/not serious. Also B. Divert the attention of what was said in the debate to this silly topic. Instead of people now talking about the issues of the debate...Bush/Cheney's failure to capture Osama, the failure to fund education, rising healthcare costs, 3 trillion surplus into a 2 trillion deficit...a 5 trillion swing.

Cheney knew what he was doing and everyone is biting on it hard. Forget this issue and lets talk about the issues of the debate. We already know Cheney is a liar...we don't need to call him out on another lie. Let's talk issues people...ISSUES!!! DEFICIT. EDUCATION. HEALTHCARE. SOCIAL SECURITY. ETC....

In that case...Edwards won on all those accounts.

 

[MIMIC]

This thread isn't about lie(s) it's about one thing Cheney said.

Actually, I purposely titled this thread that way so it wouldn't just focus on what Cheney said (if somebody wants to point out anything).

 

[MIMIC]

Ahhh!

Yahoo news is on this!

CLEVELAND - Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) said Tuesday that the debate against Democratic Sen. John Edwards (news - web sites) marked the first time the two had met. In fact, the two had met twice previously.

"Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight," Cheney told Edwards during the debate.

In February 2001, the vice president thanked Edwards by name at a Senate prayer breakfast. Edwards aides also said the two met when the first-term North Carolina senator accompanied, Elizabeth Dole (news - web sites), to her swearing-in by Cheney in January 2003.

Edwards didn't forget. The Democratic vice presidential nominee noted the discrepency at a post-debate rally in a Cleveland park and used it as an example of Cheney "still not being stratight with the American people."

"The vice president said that the first time I met Senator Edawrds was tonight when we walked on the stage. I guess he forgot the time we sat next to each other for a couple hours about three years ago. I guess he forgot the time we met at the swearing in of another senator. So, my wife Elizabeth reminded him on the stage," Edwards said as the crowd roared.

According to Edwards staff, Cheney replied, "Oh, yeah."

"She reminded him about the truth," Edwards told the crowd, "and come November, we're going to remind him that the American people do not want four more years of George W. Bush."

Cheney made the remark in accused Edwards of frequent absences from Senate votes.

Yahoo! News

 

[MetatronM]

I'm going to play devil's adovocate now that we've caught Cheney in a lie.

What does it say that in response to Cheney's point, Edwards can only say "yeah, I met him once...THREE YEARS AGO?" It by no means undermine's Cheney's more general point that he has never seen him in the context of the US Senate, which Cheney is the presiding officer of.

That said, it also shows that the Bush administration is not above lying directly to the face of the American people about even the most pointless and insignificant things. So it's egg on everybody's face.

 

[MIMIC]

I'm going to play devil's adovocate now that we've caught Cheney in a lie.

What does it say that in response to Cheney's point, Edwards can only say "yeah, I met him once...THREE YEARS AGO?" It by no means undermine's Cheney's more general point that he has never seen him in the context of the US Senate, which Cheney is the presiding officer of.

That said, it also shows that the Bush administration is not above lying directly to the face of the American people about even the most pointless and insignificant things. So it's egg on everybody's face.

Cheney's remark was intended to be cutting, suggesting that he had never before met Edwards. If his point was to address Edward's inattendance, then suggesting that he had never before met Edwards prior to the debate was overreaching and an outrageous lie.

If it's so insignificant, Cheney wouldn't have said it in the way he did...and as a matter of fact, he wouldn't have even mentioned it. Cheney took the initiative to highlight it; now, it can be highlighted that it was a lie.

 

[MIMIC]

More

Cheney and Edwards Have Met Before

WASHINGTON — It was perhaps the most surprising tidbit of new information during the debate — that Vice President Dick Cheney had never met Sen. John Edwards until Tuesday night.

Except it wasn't true.

"I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session," Cheney said to Edwards. "The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight."

It seems, however, the vice president's memory was a little off. Or maybe Edwards didn't leave much of an impression.

Less than two hours after the debate ended, aides to Edwards and Sen. John F. Kerry distributed a photograph from the Feb. 1, 2001, National Prayer Breakfast showing Edwards and Cheney standing side by side.

"Congressman Watts, Sen. Edwards, friends from across America and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world, Lynne and I are honored to be with you all this morning," Cheney said, according to a transcript.

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt described the prayer breakfast photo as evidence of an "inconsequential meeting."

Kerry-Edwards aides also pointed to news articles from January 2003, when Edwards escorted the newly elected senator from North Carolina, Elizabeth Hanford Dole, onto the Senate floor for her swearing-in by Cheney.

Although Cheney is the Senate's presiding officer, he actually sits in the chamber only on rare occasions, such as to break a tie vote and to swear in new senators.

He does attend the GOP senators' weekly luncheons to discuss party strategy. But only Republicans attend, and Cheney usually breezes into the building, goes to the meeting, then leaves without hobnobbing with Democrats.

In fact, Cheney was teased by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) for only associating with Republicans when, in an encounter on the Senate floor, Cheney cursed at Leahy.

A Cheney aide said after the debate that the vice president simply didn't remember meeting Edwards prior to Tuesday night — and that he certainly had never seen the North Carolinian on the Senate floor.

L.A. Times

 

[teiresias]

It by no means undermine's Cheney's more general point that he has never seen him in the context of the US Senate, which Cheney is the presiding officer of.

It would help if Cheney ever met any large amount of democrats in the senate. Most of the time he's in the senate mingling (as opposed to sitting at his chair) is when he's at a Republican senate breakfast, something I doubt Edwards would make a point to attend.

Edwards has been absent a large number of times, however there were just far better ways for Cheney to articulate the point rather than try and make some highly stylized personal example out of it.

 

[DarienA]

Edwards has been absent a large number of times, however there were just far better ways for Cheney to articulate the point rather than try and make some highly stylized personal example out of it.

Exactly the fact that he dramatically attempted to make it a major point is what is now coming back on him as pretty much ever news website I've seen has an article commenting on that. It should be a trivia point, something mentioned in passing... but he made it a major point, and now news outlets are.

 

[hiryu]

I also saw a Democratic Senator that said Cheney may be there most Tuesdays but he only meets with Republicans in a private room.

 

[Nerevar]

nvm - didn't realize he made a major point about it.

 

[MIMIC]

For those still caught-up in the lie:

CLEVELAND (AP) — Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday night that the debate with Democratic Sen. John Edwards marked the first time they had met. In fact, the two had met at least three times previously.

[...]

On Feb. 1, 2001, the vice president thanked Edwards by name at a Senate prayer breakfast and sat beside him during the event.

On April 8, 2001, Cheney and Edwards shook hands when they met off-camera during a taping of NBC's Meet the Press, moderator Tim Russert said Wednesday on Today.

On Jan. 8, 2003, the two met when the first-term North Carolina senator accompanied Elizabeth Dole to her swearing-in by Cheney as a North Carolina senator, Edwards aides also said.

Edwards didn't forget their prayer-breakfast meeting. The Democratic vice presidential candidate noted the discrepancy at a post-debate rally in a Cleveland park, calling it an example of Cheney "still not being straight with the American people."

USA Today

 

[Xenon]

He's getting old give the dude a break. The point of his statement still stands, Edwards had a bad attendance record. But your right, Cheney recollection of a couple out of a thousand events in 01 is what is important here.

Wtf you people really need to find something better to do.. sheesh

 

[olimario]

Wow... This is reaching.
There are people I've met before that I've completely forgotten about and had to be reintroduced to.

 

[MIMIC]

He's getting old give the dude a break. The point of his statement still stands, Edwards had a bad attendance record. But your right, Cheney recollection of a couple out of a thousand events in 01 is what is important here.

Wtf you people really need to find something better to do.. sheesh

You might as well give the same tired ass excuse for not being able to find any WMD.

"He's getting old give the dude a break."

Wow... This is reaching.
There are people I've met before that I've completely forgotten about and had to be reintroduced to.

Seriously, who cares. Cheney's point was entirely different than what you've been involved in.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Wtf you people really need to find something better to do.. sheesh

Like what? Finding out what Kerry had in his pocket?

 

[DarienA]

Wow... This is reaching.
There are people I've met before that I've completely forgotten about and had to be reintroduced to.

Cheney shouldn't have made it a dramatic point during the debate. All you folks thrashing it did you SEE that portion of the debate?

He set himself up for failure here.

 

[Xenon]

You might as well give the same tired ass excuse for not being able to find any WMD.

Oh I saw that coming.... =P

 

[Baron Aloha]

Yeah, Cheney lying about meeting Edwards was an outrageous lie but it was nowhere near as outrageous as when he stated that he never said that Iraq had links to Al Queda and 9/11. Meanwhile they have tapes of him doing precisely that! If people want to make a big deal about Cheney lying they need to focus more on that IMO since its a lie that more directly affects the public.

I scored this debate for Cheney but when all is said and done Edwards might come out on top in the eyes of the public if the dems can successfully label Dick Cheney as a liar (and that shouldn't be too difficult).

I can't wait for the new commercials:

Voice over:"Dick Cheney is a liar. Here is the Vice President during the debate...
Cheney: "I never said that Iraq had links to 9/11 or Al Queda."
Voice over: "and here's Dick Cheney on NBC's Meet the Press in March 2003"...
Cheney: "We went into Iraq because of 9/11 and Al Queda."
Voice over: "Dick Cheney at the debate..."
Cheney: "Well Senator the first time I ever met you was tonight..."
Voice over: "Dick Cheney at a prayer meeting in 2001 and the inauguration of Elizabeth Dole in 2003... (shows clips of Dick Cheney at the prayer breakfast and inauguration)
Voice over: "How can Dick Cheney help lead the war in Iraq and the war on terror if he can't be straight with the american people? Dick Cheney. Bad for America..."

 

[Zaptruder]

If it is found somehow that this was an intentional lie...

the questions would be; why lie about such a small thing? To create a wrongful impression?

Then the followup would be, what else has he lied about or is willing to lie about? Does he lie to the president? Wouldn't that be compromising not only the position of Vice President, but compromise GW's presidency as well?

Is the guy a pathological liar, willing to bend any small detail, if he thinks he can get away with it, for his personal gain?

 

[Razoric]

Edwards is so insignificant I'd forget meeting him too.

 

[Baron Aloha]

If it is found somehow that this was an intentional lie...

the questions would be; why lie about such a small thing? To create a wrongful impression?

Then the followup would be, what else has he lied about or is willing to lie about? Does he lie to the president? Wouldn't that be compromising not only the position of Vice President, but compromise GW's presidency as well?

Is the guy a pathological liar, willing to bend any small detail, if he thinks he can get away with it, for his personal gain?

You ever consider working for the Kerry campaign? They could sure use the help.

Edwards is so insignificant I'd forget meeting him too.

Touche!!

 

[Zaptruder]

You ever consider working for the Kerry campaign? They could sure use the help.

Just playing devil's advocate here.

 

[Ripclawe]

On Feb. 1, 2001, the vice president thanked Edwards by name at a Senate prayer breakfast and sat beside him during the event.

On April 8, 2001, Cheney and Edwards shook hands when they met off-camera during a taping of NBC's Meet the Press, moderator Tim Russert said Wednesday on Today.

On Jan. 8, 2003, the two met when the first-term North Carolina senator accompanied Elizabeth Dole to her swearing-in by Cheney as a North Carolina senator, Edwards aides also said.

That's a meeting? the snarky way to look at it that Edwards never made that much of an impression for him to remember and the realistic way is that Cheney never met him in the senate as it points out the context here

Cheney made the remark in accused Edwards of frequent absences from Senate votes.

Which is why he was called Senator Gone.

 

[Dilbert]

That's a meeting? the snarky way to look at it that Edwards never made that much of an impression for him to remember and the realistic way is that Cheney never met him in the senate as it points out the context here.

No, the "snarky" way to look at it is that Cheney made an overly dramatized deliberate misstatement because he wanted to leave the audience with a certain (wrong) impression.

"I've never met you before tonight" is a pretty clear declarative.

 

[CrimsonSkies]

Maybe he meant met as in actually meeting the man and talking. More than just a hi. *shrugs*

Edwards sucked in that debate.

 

[SteveMeister]

No, the "snarky" way to look at it is that Cheney made an overly dramatized deliberate misstatement because he wanted to leave the audience with a certain (wrong) impression.

That is EXACTLY why he said it.

 

[Manabanana]

So...if Edwards has only shown up to about half of the senate meetings but last night was the first time the met...what does that say about Cheney's attendance record?

 

[MIMIC]

That's a meeting?

Absolutely pathetic attempt to make his words fit your fantasy:

Cheney's statement: "The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight."

That is a proven lie.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Edwards is so insignificant I'd forget meeting him too.

Best post in this entire thread. :lol

 

[levious]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I do not plan on being senile when I'm merely 63. At least, that's how old I think Cheney is.

 

[MIMIC]

BTW, some of you need to look up the word "meet."

So far, I have yet to see it defined as "exchanging personal stories and phone numbers to play golf the next day."

 

[Baron Aloha]

At least, that's how old I think Cheney is.

Are you implying that he lies about his age too?

 

[bionic77]

That's a meeting? the snarky way to look at it that Edwards never made that much of an impression for him to remember and the realistic way is that Cheney never met him in the senate as it points out the context here.

Wow, and I thought console fanboys had a tenuous grip on reality.......

 

[DarienA]

Wow, and I thought console fanboys had a tenuous grip on reality.......

I think some of Rip's political stuff goes further than we ever thought possible on the gaming side.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

Y'know, the Bush team should consider spinning this into an anti- Kerry/Edwards commercial.

"In the Vice Presidential debate, Vice President Dick Cheney said that he had never met Senator John Edwards before that night."

[cue clip of Cheney at debate saying he'd never met Edwards before]

"But the disturbing truth is that they have met before, on several occassions and at various functions."

[cue clips of Cheney and Edwards shaking hands at prayer breakfast, etc etc.]

"Did Dick Cheney lie about meeting John Edwards...... or is it possible that he simply forgot?"

[cue ominous music and montage of unflattering b/w John Edwards photos]

"Is John Edwards the kind of man that leaves such a weak and forgettable impression on others, that they soon forget having ever met him? How can John Edwards be expected to help lead this country with authority, and establish crucial relations with foreign powers, when he can't even get people to remember him? And what does something like that say about John Kerry, to have chosen such a forgettable man as his running mate?"

[fade to black]

"In these tumultous times, can we really afford to have a ghost in the White House?"

[fade in to clip of Dick Cheney walking side-by-side at the White House with George W. Bush]

"Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Strong... Committed... Memorable. Right for America."

 

[MIMIC]

Y'know, the Bush team should consider spinning this into an anti- Kerry/Edwards commercial.

"In the Vice Presidential debate, Vice President Dick Cheney said that he had never met Senator John Edwards before that night."

[cue clip of Cheney at debate saying he'd never met Edwards before]

"But the disturbing truth is that they have met before, on several occassions and at various functions."

[cue clips of Cheney and Edwards shaking hands at prayer breakfast, etc etc.]

"Did Dick Cheney lie about meeting John Edwards...... or is it possible that he simply forgot?"

[cue ominous music and montage of unflattering b/w John Edwards photos]

"Is John Edwards the kind of man that leaves such a weak and forgettable impression on others, that they soon forget having ever met him? How can John Edwards be expected to help lead this country with authority, and establish crucial relations with foreign powers, when he can't even get people to remember him? And what does something like that say about John Kerry, to have chosen such a forgettable man as his running mate?"

[fade to black]

"In these tumultous times, can we really afford to have a ghost in the White House?"

[fade in to clip of Dick Cheney walking side-by-side at the White House with George W. Bush]

"Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Strong... Committed... Memorable. Right for America."

Then the Kerry Administration should retaliate with a 1-hour commercial of Bushisms.

Narrator: "This is your President."

[cues clips of Bush's staff shaking their heads at various occasions]

 

[boredJonathan]

The point of his statement still stands, Edwards had a bad attendance record.

The only problem with that is that it's twisting the truth. The commitees that Edwards is on, which is what Cheney pullled this attendance number from, meet mainly privately and those attendance records are private record. The number Chene is referring to is public meetings, which are generally consider not as important since policy is not debated it is mainly told if I understand correctly.

So Cheney lied, AND twisted perception. Good going.

 

[Strike East]

Y'know, the Bush team should consider spinning this into an anti- Kerry/Edwards commercial.

"In the Vice Presidential debate, Vice President Dick Cheney said that he had never met Senator John Edwards before that night."

[cue clip of Cheney at debate saying he'd never met Edwards before]

"But the disturbing truth is that they have met before, on several occassions and at various functions."

[cue clips of Cheney and Edwards shaking hands at prayer breakfast, etc etc.]

"Did Dick Cheney lie about meeting John Edwards...... or is it possible that he simply forgot?"

[cue ominous music and montage of unflattering b/w John Edwards photos]

"Is John Edwards the kind of man that leaves such a weak and forgettable impression on others, that they soon forget having ever met him? How can John Edwards be expected to help lead this country with authority, and establish crucial relations with foreign powers, when he can't even get people to remember him? And what does something like that say about John Kerry, to have chosen such a forgettable man as his running mate?"

[fade to black]

"In these tumultous times, can we really afford to have a ghost in the White House?"

[fade in to clip of Dick Cheney walking side-by-side at the White House with George W. Bush]

"Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Strong... Committed... Memorable. Right for America."

lol, best post i read today

 

[Ripclawe]

Well the Edwards folks have been scrambling to come up with times when the Cheneys and Edwards met," Mrs. Cheney said, Noting that the campaign and Edwards family say they met at a prayer breakfast. "It's a good thing to go to prayer breakfasts but don't you think the Senator ought to go to the Senate once in awhile?"

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/NotedNow/Noted_Now.html

which is the point that Cheney made last night and now the democrats are scrambling to spin away from.

 

[Cool]

I NEVER MET HIM, F**K OFF GAF.