Saturday, July 22, 2006

The Twenty Percent Doctrine

Does anyone remember the last time Cheney didn't appear out in public without a khaki/camo/bemedalled backdrop? Above, we see a photo taken this morning as the Veep charmed and delighted members of the 3rd Infantry Division who had just returned from their second deployment to Iraq. Last Monday, he was in Iowa's Camp Dodge speaking to Air and Army National Guard troops...

The day before, the Vice President Dick Cheney delivered an official 'thank you' on behalf of the Bush administration to the Michigan military personnel inside an aircraft hangar at the state's Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township...

A few days before that, we see Cheney gallantly waving to the 2,500 assembled sailors and Marines as he walks to a podium aboard the Commander, 2nd Fleet flagship, amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in Norfolk, Virginia on July 7...

Okay, if I'm being fair, I should point out that in between all this, there was a shot of him in the East Room of the White House (had to be there), a shot of the smiling granddad in the hospital (wanted to be there -- besides, next to a puppy, what warms chilly old Cheney up more than a cute as a button newborn?), a picture of the V.P. chillin' with his best NASCAR buds (though, mind you, at a safe distance from any actual public interaction), and of course his dash-for-the-cash photo op as he trolled for bucks at a GOP fundraiser (make sure there's lots of flags).




Guess that's what a 20% approval rating gets you -- lots of canned applause, and mostly from people who are ordered to show up.

1 comment:

Mimi said...

When will we see the dick in combat gear and actually putting his life on the line with the troops? And what about those troops--what are they thinking as they listen to this wealthy neocon tell them how necessary it is to occupy a country that was never a threat to the U.S.? That killing children--yes, just like the little one in the picture--is simply a regrettable, but unavoidable, by-product of this noble undertaking? Do any of them dream? Do they dream of the wrath to come?