# Wellstone Family to Cheney: Get Bent, Dick! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 31, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714 "2002-10-31T15:25:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/1 "2002-10-31T15:25:20Z")
[http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2002/10/29/cheney\_wellstone/index.html](http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2002/10/29/cheney_wellstone/index.html) > [@](#): > > The family of Sen. Paul Wellstone asked Vice President Dick Cheney to stay away from Tuesday night’s memorial for the late senator, in part to spare mourners from security screenings, officials said. > > Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and the White House’s chief congressional liaison, Nicholas Calio, were leading the administration delegation to the service. > > White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Cheney offered to attend the service for Wellstone, his wife, his daughter and three campaign aides \_ all killed in a plane crash Friday. ``The family was appreciative of the offer by the vice president to attend.’’ But he added that it would be inappropriate to characterize the private conversations that ultimately led to the decision that Cheney would not go. The Wellstone family said “it was in part to spare mourners from security searches.” They went on to say “In part, sure. But mostly because we didn’t want the open casket to start spinning.” When asked if the security search was a transparent, laughable and ineffective face-saving sop for the Vice President of the United States, Cousin Whet Wellstone replied: “Yep, that darn security, what could we do? Plus which, the entire area for hypocritical chickenhawk ceo oil-men dictators who supported Paul while he was alive – that was all full with General Pinochet’s contingent,” he said, impressively keeping a straight face despite the laughter from the nearby Mondale Supporters, and the chants of “Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!” in the background. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/2 "2002-10-31T15:51:47Z")
Asking Cheney not to attend was low-class. The Vice President is the presiding officer of the US Senate, so, Cheney and Wellstone were colleagues, in a way. Also, the Vice President can by thought of as representing the President. If this had been a private family funeral, I could understand excluding Mr. Cheney. But, it was a huge public event. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/3 "2002-10-31T16:24:27Z")
The aptly named Dick Cheney had involved himself in this election in a personal and inappropriate way. He called the early presumptive GOP candidate Tim Pawlenty and ordered him out of the race so that the Bush administration’s hand-picked toady Norm Coleman could run instead. This was a gross interference by the White House in a state election. Since when does the White House get to tell local parties who they can nominate for congress? Cheney despised Paul Wellstone when he was alive, and his attempt to crash the memorial was disingenuous, insincere, insulting and hypocrital. There were plenty of republicans at the event. The decision wasn’t political, it was personal. Paul Wellstone’s sons had a right not to open their arms to a man who hated their father. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/4 "2002-10-31T16:24:29Z")
I agree it was low-class. The message the organizers are sending is, essentially, “it is impossible to disagree with us politically in good faith.” Which from what I’ve heard about Wellstone is pretty much the opposite of how he was in life – true to his leftist beliefs, yes, but also perfectly capable of respecting and even liking those with different views. Besides, Cheney would be attending as the emissary of the President – he would be representing the office in addition to Bush personally. To steal a line from Stephen Ambrose’s _Band of Brothers_, “you salute the rank, not the man.” In disinviting Cheney, the organizers were disrespecting not only Bush, but the presidency as an institution. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/5 "2002-10-31T16:31:08Z")
Personally I think there’s only one way to look at these kind of things. Cheney offered to pay his respects to a colleague and his family. The family appreciated the offer. That is the substance of what occured. Anybody that tries to make anything else out of it is a shithead. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/6 "2002-10-31T16:33:13Z")
They didn’t disinvite him. It’s not like they invited then changed their minds. Dick had basically invited himself. I’m sure the Whitehouse felt they had to offer to come to the funeral. And remember this was not just for the senator but for his wife and child. The thing is the press (and us) should not be making a big deal out of the surviving family members choice of who should attend the memorial service. and the ‘it’s impossible to disagree with us politically in good faith’ is Dick and Ws stock and trade. They are the ones who believe if you don’t go along with the White House you are un-Americand and don’t belive in defending America. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/7 "2002-10-31T16:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*The aptly named Dick Cheney had involved himself in this election in a personal and inappropriate way. He called the early presumptive GOP candidate Tim Pawlenty and ordered him out of the race so that the Bush administration’s hand-picked toady Norm Coleman could run instead. This was a gross interference by the White House in a state election. Since when does the White House get to tell local parties who they can nominate for congress? \*\* Ah, they don’t. The decision ultimately rests with the local parties. They CAN, however, say things like “if you don’t nominate our guy, the president will not campaign for you,” or “if you don’t nominate our guy, we will use our influence with the RNC to reduce your funding from the national party’s coffers.” That’s just good, clean, hardball politics, and presidents of both parties have done it. Nuthin’ wrong with that. Besides, what does that have to do with Wellstone? It’s just internal party politics. I’d like to hear your basis for saying Cheney “depising” Wellstone. They disagreed on a lot of issues, sure, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into personal hatred. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/8 "2002-10-31T16:58:12Z")
If Helms and Wellstone can get along on a personal level, I’m sure Cheney and Wellstone did, too. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/9 "2002-10-31T17:00:38Z")
For at least the second time in as many years, I am in full agreement with **Scylla**. Except, of course, for the epithet “shit head”, as I am far too polite and decorous to use such a term, and anyone who thinks otherwise has got thier head up…where it doesn’t belong. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/10 "2002-10-31T17:01:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\*and the ‘it’s impossible to disagree with us politically in good faith’ is Dick and Ws stock and trade. They are the ones who believe if you don’t go along with the White House you are un-Americand and don’t belive in defending America. \*\* Only in Tom Tomorrow’s world. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/11 "2002-10-31T17:07:29Z")
The vice-president took away the state’s right to nominate the candidate of their choice with one phone call. I am unaware of any precedent for this. > **[MPR News](https://www.mprnews.org)** > > Minnesota's Online Source for News That Matters The White House had identified Wellstone as a key target in the November election. Part of the reason the vote on Iraq was pushed through congress so quickly was to get Wellstone on record as voting against it, thus alowing the GOP to villify him as anti-American. (This tactic backfired btw, Wellstone doubled his lead after the vote) The decision to say no to Cheney was made by Wellstone’s sons, NOT by the DFL. Wellstone’s sons are not politicians. They invited plenty of other republicans. Clearly they felt that their father’s differences with Cheney went beyond politics into the personal. Somehow I don’t think we would have heard much outrage from conservatives if Al Gore had been snubbed under similar circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/12 "2002-10-31T17:16:26Z")
Diogenes: > [@](#): > > Somehow I don’t think we would have heard much outrage from conservatives if Al Gore had been snubbed under similar circumstances. Interesting you should say that. Where is all the conservative outrage? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/13 "2002-10-31T17:45:44Z")
Scylla is right on. The offer was made. The family said thanks, but no thanks. No harm, no foul. Now, the jerk that turned the memorial into a bully pulpit – that’s another kettle of fish. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/14 "2002-10-31T17:46:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > [Cheney offered to pay his respects to a colleague and his family. > > The family appreciated the offer. Not trying to make anything out of this, but the family appreciation for the offer is unsupported so far in this thread. Neither is \*\* Ace0Spades’\*\* report of the tongue in cheek Wellstone family response suggesting that the publicly stated excuse for the snub was bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/15 "2002-10-31T17:49:11Z")
Ah, upon review I see the white house claimed they were appreciative. Must be true. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/16 "2002-10-31T17:51:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*The vice-president took away the state’s right to nominate the candidate of their choice with one phone call. I am unaware of any precedent for this. \*\* Waitaminute. The VP called a potential candidate and asked him not to run, suggesting that a bruising primary campaign would leave whichever candidate won in a worse position to defeat Wellstone. The candidate agreed to do so. What exactly is the problem here? Certainly Pawlenty could have continued to run for the nomination, albeit without the support of the White House and the RNC. Talking someone out of running != taking away the right of a state to nominate who they want. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/17 "2002-10-31T17:52:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*Somehow I don’t think we would have heard much outrage from conservatives if Al Gore had been snubbed under similar circumstances. \*\* Now you’re making things up. First, you’re imagining that \*1. Conservatives snubbed Al Gore under similar circumstances, \* Then, you’re hypothesizing that _2. Conservatives aren’t outraged by the non-existant snubbing._ We now know that Republicans are no nicer than Democrats, in the fantasy world of _Diogenes the Cynic_. Back to reality. Georgia Republican Senator Paul Coverdell died in office in 2000. What was his farewell like? Were Democrats excluded or booed? > [@](#): > > At his funeral, Governor Barnes, the Democratic Governor of Georgia, made a wonderful presentation about his friendship with Paul Coverdell from their days in the legislature. He said Paul Coverdell was his mentor in politics. > > We have heard former Governor ZELL MILLER, now Paul Coverdell’s successor, speak eloquently about his relationship and the impact that Paul Coverdell had on Georgia, as well as Senator Cleland and other Democrats who have spoken in the Chamber about what a wonderful person Paul Coverdell was. [http://hutchison.senate.gov/speec181.htm](http://hutchison.senate.gov/speec181.htm) ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/18 "2002-10-31T18:05:28Z")
Hmmmm…I thought Clinton was the only one with a bent dick. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/19 "2002-10-31T18:32:35Z")
The white Hiouse had no business interfering in a state primary process PERIOD. Pawlenty “agreed” because he had no choice. It was not a “request” it was an ORDER and he knew it. He was definitely not happy about it: “Makes you wonder about the process - the integrity of the process - and why people show up at all these meetings and do the things that they do at the grassroots level.” - Rep. Tim Pawlenty December, Republicans were not excluded from the event. Dick Cheney was excluded. By the family. Not by the DFL. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714/20 "2002-10-31T20:22:40Z")
In support of **Diogenes** , let’s not forget that if it weren’t for W and Cheney, Coleman would be running for Governor of Minnesota right now. And he’d probably win. As it is, he was losing to Wellstone and he’s trailing Mondale. I seriously doubt he’ll take the senate seat - so the GOP’s political wrangling got them nowhere. In defense of the family, I can see why they might not want Cheney there - over 20,000 people attended the memorial service. Can you imagine how long it would take to get that many people through the tight security required by the VP’s presence? The family wanted Wellstone’s constituents to be able to attend - these are Minnesotans that barely ever saw Wellstone. Cheney got to see him often. Gotta agree with **Scylla** here - it was a caring offer that was appreciated but declined. Snicks [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-family-to-cheney-get-bent-dick/134714.md?page=2)