# Man tells Cheney "Your policies in Iraq are reprehensible."  SS arrests him.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [October 7, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568 "2006-10-07T00:21:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/41 "2006-10-07T12:09:40Z")

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For this administration, par for the course. I wonder what they’d do if you stood by his motorcade route and gave a two handed arm pumping one finger salute?

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**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/42 "2006-10-07T12:20:28Z")

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[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]  
Lest anyone be taken in by this attempted _tu quoque_ (I’m getting tired of that phrase too but the’re flying around like mosquitos these days), that woman was arrested by the local police, not by the SS and not by the request of Bill Clinton. She was not arrested for criticizing Clinton but for violating a local ordinance banning profanity in public (she was shouting obscenities in the presence of children).  
[/QUOTE]

Someonme tell Sean Hannity. You know dam well he’ll be talking about Clinton if the Cheny incident comes up. No Wait…even if he knows he’ll ignore the facts and lie through his teeth. Tell Colmes! No wait…he won’t be allowed to bring it up. Tell Oberman.

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/43 "2006-10-07T13:03:15Z")

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[QUOTE=initech]  
Context might be the key. There probably would have been more if Clinton had:

That doesn’t even include Katrina or the energy companies, because in fairness that’s more of a Senator Palpatine thing, and we didn’t really know who he was yet.

Of course, Clinton was frequently accused of wagging the dog, lying about an affair with an intern and getting an expensive haircut. So, yeah, Clinton was a really bad guy, too.  
[/QUOTE]

C’mon, you left our war profiteering via Halliburton, and that’s MAJOR!

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/44 "2006-10-07T13:04:31Z")

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How does that guy Colmes look himself in the mirror in the morning? He’s being used like a prison bitch being swapped around for cigarettes.

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**Author:** ![Jakonovski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@Jakonovski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jakonovski)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/45 "2006-10-07T13:15:57Z")

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They were probably worried that the guy had gotten his hands on Cheney’s phylactery.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/46 "2006-10-07T15:18:00Z")

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[QUOTE=Jakonovski]  
They were probably worried that the guy had gotten his hands on Cheney’s phylactery.  
[/QUOTE]

I commend your subtle RPGgeek reference, Sir (or Ma’am).

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/47 "2006-10-07T16:03:48Z")

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[QUOTE=Carol Stream]  
I found the lack of contemporary criticism of Mr. Clinton’s nearly identical actions from leftists/liberals/progressives to be remarkable by its absence.

Where were the references to Nazi Stormtroopers and Senator Palpatine (heh) then?  
[/QUOTE]  
The article itself refers to the court case, and it is obvious that the arrest was made by police authorities of The City of Chicago, not the Secret Service. Belive me, we leftists have been using the word “stormtrooper” with respect to the police of Chicago for many years. I am surprised you never heard it. Or perhaps it is your own selective memory working.

It was still wrong, of course, as the courts pointed out.

Tris

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/48 "2006-10-07T16:12:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Carol Stream]  
Where were the references to Nazi Stormtroopers and Senator Palpatine (heh) then?  
[/QUOTE]

:smack: You’re talking about a story from 1996, dumbshit! Senator Palpatine wasn’t even introduced as a character until [1999!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_I:_The_Phantom_Menace) Try to keep up!

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/49 "2006-10-07T17:08:21Z")

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This is just one of those “what were they thinking” events. I mean, seriously, how on earth could they have thought this was the right thing to do or that any “good” could possibly come from arresting this guy? It just makes no sense. It’ll be interesting to follow this story and see what the Secret Service offers up for a defense-- I can’t even imagine what that could be.

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**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/50 "2006-10-07T17:10:09Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
:smack: You’re talking about a story from 1996, dumbshit! Senator Palpatine wasn’t even introduced as a character until [1999!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_I:_The_Phantom_Menace) Try to keep up!  
[/QUOTE]  
As a matter of course, I refuse to listen to anyone’s political opinions until they demonstrate a working knowledge of Star Wars.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/51 "2006-10-07T17:46:42Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
:smack: You’re talking about a story from 1996, dumbshit! Senator Palpatine wasn’t even introduced as a character until [1999!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_I:_The_Phantom_Menace) Try to keep up!  
[/QUOTE]

Uh, no, he was a character in the originals as the Emperor, and anyone who read the backstory knew he used to be a Senator, and then Chancellor.  
😉

However, IIRC, mostly back then you were supposed to compare Clinton to Nixon. Duh.

😛

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/52 "2006-10-07T18:37:27Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
:smack: You’re talking about a story from 1996, dumbshit! Senator Palpatine wasn’t even introduced as a character until [1999!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_I:_The_Phantom_Menace) Try to keep up!  
[/QUOTE]

“Star Wars” was released in 1977, and introduced the Emperor by name. He then appears in “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980, and appears again, played by the same guy as the Episode I-II-III guy, in 1983. In case you were not closely following the movies, the “Emperor” is Senator Palpatine. He gets promoted. It’s the same character.

1983 was before 1999. The way years are numbered, the larger numbered years come after the smaller numbered ones; so, in this case, 1983 comes before 1999. So, the character was introduced for the first time in 1977 by reference, and actually appears for the first time in 1980.

Dumbshit.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/53 "2006-10-07T18:45:04Z")

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[QUOTE=silenus]  
Somehow, **BrainGlutton** ’s abbreviation for the Secret Service is starting to fit…  
[/QUOTE]

I merely used that abbreviation because of the space limitations in a thread title. Of course, if the guy had been arrested by the German SS he would never have been heard from again. Still, it does make you think . . .

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/54 "2006-10-07T18:48:41Z")

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[QUOTE=RickJay]  
“Star Wars” was released in 1977, and introduced the Emperor by name.  
[/QUOTE]

**NOVELS DON’T COUNT!**

So there.

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**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/55 "2006-10-07T19:01:54Z")

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[QUOTE=initech]  
There probably would have been more if Clinton had… used confusion and fear resulting from massive terrorist attack to consolidate political power and push through legislation curtailing civil liberties  
[/QUOTE]

Like this?

> [@](#):
>
> **The administration’s response to the Oklahoma City bombing was to impose sweeping new powers** , such as restricting the right of habeas corpus and expanding the use of wiretaps, for itself, even though the president was unable to point to a single example where civil liberties protections had hampered efforts to combat terrorism.
> 
> The administration, the most wiretap-friendly in U.S. history, has sought to eliminate Fourth Amendment protections against government searches. The president claims to possess “inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes.” The administration requires public housing residents to sign away their constitutional rights. The Justice Department backed warrantless (indeed, suspicionless) drug tests for high school athletes. The administration has requested greater FBI authority to conduct “moving wiretaps” without a court order. President Clinton pushed the Communications Assistance Act, which requires telephone companies to retrofit their systems to ease police surveillance, supported restrictions on the sale of Internet encryption technology, and requested legislation forcing firms to give the government the “keys” to such technology.

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**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/56 "2006-10-07T19:15:58Z")

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[QUOTE=RickJay]  
“Star Wars” was released in 1977, and introduced the Emperor by name. He then appears in “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980, and appears again, played by the same guy as the Episode I-II-III guy, in 1983. In case you were not closely following the movies, the “Emperor” is Senator Palpatine. He gets promoted. It’s the same character.

1983 was before 1999. The way years are numbered, the larger numbered years come after the smaller numbered ones; so, in this case, 1983 comes before 1999. So, the character was introduced for the first time in 1977 by reference, and actually appears for the first time in 1980.

Dumbshit.  
[/QUOTE]  
However, Palpatine, up until Phantom Menace, is portrayed as your basic, evil, take-over-the-world villain. We know nothing of how he got into that position. He has nothing to do with politics. Calling someone an “Palpatine” would be basically calling them evil.

When we get to Phantom Menace, though, and through the next two films, we see another side to Palpatine’s character; a wily politician who consolidates his power by manipulating others and by claiming a war as an excuse to grant himself “emergency powers”. It is this facet of his character which is being compared to with regards politicians nowadays.

To sum up; you couldn’t call Clinton a “Senator Palapatine” because to do so would be to just call him an evil guy; unlike nowadays, when a reference to Palpatine brings to mind evil as well as dodgy politics. It’s the same character, but there are different attributes associated with him now than there were then.

Wow, that was geeky.

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/57 "2006-10-07T19:34:39Z")

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[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold]  
Wow, that was geeky.  
[/QUOTE]

Very! 🙂

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/58 "2006-10-07T20:17:20Z")

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But the first three SW **movies** released never gave the emperor a name. AFAIK. (I have never seen and refuse to acknowledge the “Greedo shoots first” cut of _A New Hope.)_

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**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/59 "2006-10-07T21:09:30Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
But the first three SW **movies** released never gave the emperor a name. AFAIK. (I have never seen and refuse to acknowledge the “Greedo shoots first” cut of _A New Hope.)_  
[/QUOTE]

Why do you hate the Empire?  
😛

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**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/60 "2006-10-07T22:28:46Z")

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[QUOTE=Zebra]  
gee, um, sorry 'bout that. Kind of the ultimate ‘white elephant’ gift from us to uk.  
[/QUOTE]

No need for you to apologise. I know regular Americans are jolly decent chaps\*, as I had a wonderful time with 25,000 of you at a roleplaying convention in Wisconsin a few years back.

It’s just a few politicians that are dragging the US name into the mud. :rolleyes:  
\*this English slang includes both male and female chaps. 🙂

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