What Cheney said was rude but I’m not shocked he said it. He’s always come across with a defensive asshole with mean-spirited disposition. After all, he isn’t the administration’s hatchet-man for nothing.
Still, for some perverse reason, I’m disappointed that the whole affair didn’t erupt into a full-tilt bare-knuckles brawl right there on the Senate floor. I would’ve liked it if Leahy responded to Cheney’s “Fuck you” request by saying, “Excuse me Dicker-Ticker, but I didn’t hear you. Would you care to step closer and say that to my face?”
When Leahy says this, there’d be dead silence throughout the Senate chamber. Cheney, still feeling antagonistic, would then quietly walk up to Leahy until they’re practically nose-to-nose and loudly bellow, “FUCK YOU!”
And then, it would be on.
Leahy would strike Cheney with a left hook that would send the Vice-President reeling. Cheney, however, would quickly recover and, fighting dirty, use his right to hit Leahy with a low blow that causes the Senator to double over. The Veep would then try to tackle Leahy to the ground so he’ll be able to get in some swift kicks to the Vermont Democrat’s head. However, Leahy would be able to dodge the charging former CEO of Halliburton, grab him, and put him in a headlock where he’d deliver a half-dozen jabs to Cheney’s ear.
Then, Cheney would clutch his chest and Leahy would allow the VP to escape his headlock. “No mas, no mas,” the Wyoming Republican would declare as he seemingly begins to have trouble breathing. Believing the donnybrook to be over, Leahy would withdraw and turn his back on his apparently defeated foe.
Bad move! Cheney would suddenly spring back to life and smack Leahy across the back of the head with a folded chair. As the Senator crumples to the ground, Cheney would move in for the kill only to be blindsided by an unexpected clothes-line punch from Ted Kennedy. Bill Frist would then try to aid the stunned Vice-President by leaping on top of Kennedy. From there, it would be dirty-for-dirty, blood-for-blood, Republican-Democrat action as the chamber would erupt into U.S. Senate Smackdown '04!
(I’m sorry. This is getting too silly. I’ll stop now.)