Cheney Insults West Virginia

At the National Press Club:

“We’d always known about the Cheney family line on my father’s side of the family, back to Massachusetts in the 1630s. My grandmother was named Tyler but it turned out she was descended from a Richard Cheney, same last name, who landed in Maryland in the 1650s.

“So I had Cheneys on both sides of the family — and we don’t even live in West Virginia.

“You can say those things when you’re not running for re-election.”

Robert Byrd isn’t happy about it.

“That a man who has ascended to the seat of Vice President of the United States would openly display such contempt and astounding ignorance toward his own countrymen is an insult to all Americans. Now that he or the Administration he represents no longer needs their vote, Mr. Cheney apparently feels that he is now free to mock and belittle the people of West Virginia. With his trademark arrogance, the Vice President even added ‘You can say those things when you’re not running for re-election.'”

“This pitiful comment is not entirely surprising when you consider the source. Vice President Cheney’s words reflect the attitude of an administration and a party that says what they must to get elected and then turns their backs on those they promised to represent.”

Update: Cheney apologizes.

Vice President Dick Cheney has apologized through his spokeswoman for making an offhand joke during a speech at the National Press Club Monday stereotyping West Virginia as a state prone to incest.

Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride tells us, “The Vice President’s offhand comment was not meant to hurt anyone. On reflection, he concluded that it was an inappropriate attempt at humor that he should not have made. The Vice President apologizes to the people of West Virginia for the inappropriate remark.”

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.