I would be willing to bet that Cheney was not the oldest, sickest, most frail person there. Do not act like he was the only sick person in attendance.
Let’s say he didn’t mean to be disrespectful, so how about another word… selfish. I’m sure the last thing some of the survivors were thinking about was how cold it was.
Oh, his cap said “Staff 2001”, did he forget to pack the “Staff 2005” cap?
And you would be wrong. This is ‘substance’. What coat you wear is ‘style’.
You too if IIRC. Weren’t you people recently chiding those bongo hippies to put on a suit, so the world would take them seriously?
Many, then, if you wish to pick nits. QEII sent her kid, the UK sent their foreign minister, Germany sent their president rather than their chancellor, and Israel sent their president rather than their PM.
You think political posturing is substance? Wow. You think a display, as the representative of his country, a representative of all of us - you and me both - of disrespect for the dead is not substance? Wow. Out of curiousity, how do you dress when you go to a funeral? Y’know, as far as I can remember, I haven’t done this before, primarily because I like your sense of humor. But, Brutus, you really are a fucking moron.
I’ll pick some nits too. Both Germany and Israel sent their heads of state, not their heads of government. There’s a difference. Part of the job description of both of those people is to represent their country at events like this, and believe me, both Germany and Israel of all countries were highly aware of the nuances of who they sent.
Mmm. So both the US and UK were rude? Interesting.
No, not necessarily. Keep in mind the relative positions of Germany and Israel re Auschwitz. Though now I’m picturing the Queen in a stocking cap and boots. No, no I’m not, can’t quite do it.
I’m not letting Brutus off the hook here. If those dirty bongo playing hippies need to cut their hair and put on a suit, he could at least admit that Cheney might have considered wearing something different.
Brutus will never admit any such thing, dear, and you know it. I don’t know why so many people here pay so much attention to the trash that emits from his fingertips. Send him to Coventry and let him rant at a wall.
IIRC the Queen and the Prime Minister were attending a similar event in the UK, in which they met with survivors of Auschwitz and lit candles in memory of Holocaust victims.
I don’t know what President Bush was doing instead.
At Atrios’ website, there is a slightly wider shot than shown in the link from the OP, which makes it a bit more clear just how much Cheney stood out like a sore thumb. Nice hiking boots, dickhead.
To be perfectly honest; no, I wouldn’t be peeved. What he chooses to wear is his deal; the fact that he showed up at all would be good enough for me.
I love what the blogger Jeff Jarvis (who voted for Kerry) said about this:
ROFLMAO!
At the risk of sounding insane, he’s the type of people we need to show the light.
Unfortunately, leaving completely aside the “reasonable men can disagree” viewpoint, he’s shown no signs of an ability to admit when he is wrong. A Bricker or a Scylla will, from time to time, acknowledge that they have been bested on the facts in a particular argument. I cannot recall ever seeing that from Brutus.
Here, have a butterfly net…
Lol, thanks.
Hey, I’ve got a butterfly net, nothing can stop me now!
Well, we have to presume the Veep did not cause offense on purpose. That means he and his staff made a rather basic mistake. Very amateurish. Further once it was made, and it may have been done for health reasons, they did not spin the story, instead they stonewalled.
Not the kind of performance I expect of the Number Two man and his team.