Where is Dick Cheney? (1 Viewer)

[Scott Dautel]

Does anyone else find it extremely unusual that our Vice President has not been photographed, seen or quoted anywhere since Tuesday? We've heard from everyone else ... Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Colin Powell, even Al Gore today, but Cheney's absence is becoming very conspicuous to me. I just got through watching the services from The National Cathedral today and seems everyone was there except you-know-who....
Here's the only reference I can find in the news and it was over 24 hours ago ...
quote: President Bush remained at the White House. But Cheney, the former defense secretary who would ascend to the presidency if Bush somehow were to be killed, was evacuated to Camp David in the nearby Catoctin Mountains of Maryland as part of precautions being taken by the government, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said.
Fleischer also said the White House from now on would keep secret all information about the movements of Bush and Cheney.
"It was a purely precautionary measure", said Cheney spokeswoman Juleanna Glover Weiss. Asked if Cheney, who has suffered four heart attacks since 1978, was in good health, she replied, ``He's fine.''[/quote]
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Something just doesn't seem right.
Update: Searching all photos ... the last picture of him seem to be taken at 6:00 PM EDT on Wed., 12-Sep-2001
[Edited last by Scott Dautel on September 14, 2001 at 02:04 PM]
[Edited last by Scott Dautel on September 14, 2001 at 02:14 PM]

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

He is in Camp David for security purposes. They don't want Bush and Cheney to be in one place at the same time right now.
~Edwin

 

[Deane Johnson]

Interesting question Scott. It was reported he was moved to Camp David for security purposes. Now why would they move him to Camp David for security purposes, then announce to the world where he is?
Deane

 

[Brian Mansure]

Scott,
I believe the media reported him being at Camp David in Maryland for the past two days at least.
I couldn't begin to speculate why he has not spoke to the nation but I don't find it all that curious or suspicious.
I do know they wanted to separate the President and Vice President so the Terrorists wouldn't be able to potentially eliminate both of them by bombing/destroying one location.
Maybe someone else can shed some light on the subject.
Brian
[Edited last by Brian Mansure on September 14, 2001 at 02:06 PM]

 

[Scott Merryfield]

This seems like a completely logical precautionary measure to me. Camp David is a highly secure retreat (it was originally established as a secure retreat for Roosevelt during World War II). While President Bush needs to make public appearances and speeches to reassure the American people as well as meet with Congress, advisors and world leaders, the Vice President is not nearly as public a figure. The VP can be kept in the loop by remote communications. Keeping Cheney secure seems like the proper thing to do.
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[MickeS]

Cheney is of course in Camp David, running things, while the PR-figure George W Bush is out shaking hands with people.
I too find it odd that Cheney hasn't been heard from at all. Even though he's in Camp David he's not mute, is he?
/Mike

 

[Joseph S]

Don't think he's mute, but the fact that every report be it the day of the heart troubles or on this past Tuesday always has him "working in the White House at the time" indicates to me he's running a good deal of this operation. Hopefully it is he and Powell running the show. Rumsfeld(sp?) scares me with his constantly ill timed off the cuff remarks. By staying out of the media tabloid shows, these two are showing a great dedication to their work.

 

[Deane Johnson]

Hopefully it is he and Powell running the show.

This is probably exactly what is happening. With their experience working together in the international arena during the Gulf War, they should make a good team now.
Deane

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

From Reuters:

Cheney, Away From White House, Works on Crisis
By Randall Mikkelsen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) missed a Cabinet meeting on Friday and worked away from the White House at a secret site, his office said, as the administration prepared to launch a battle against terrorism.
Cheney, one of President Bush (news - web sites)'s most trusted aides and next in line for the presidency in the event of the president's death, was taken to Camp David, Maryland, on Thursday to keep him physically separate from Bush.
He was to join the president this weekend for a meeting on the response to this week's aerial attacks on New York and Washington, spokeswoman Juleanna Glover Weiss said.
``They are going to continue to work on providing aid and comfort to the victims of the crisis and also on establishing who did this,'' Weiss said.
Another U.S. official described the meeting as intended to begin the decision-making process for U.S. action.
The precautions around Cheney followed attacks on Tuesday by hijackers who slammed commercial airliners into the World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites). The White House was an initial target for the plane that hit the Pentagon, the White House has said.
The Bush administration has identified Saudi-exile Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) as the prime suspect in masterminding the assault.
Bush said on Thursday, ``This nation is sad, but we are also tough and resolute and now is an opportunity to do generations a favor by coming together and whipping terrorism, hunting it down, finding it and holding them accountable.''
RESPONSE DISCUSSED
Cheney, a former defense secretary, on Friday did not take part in the Cabinet meeting at which Bush's authorization to call up reserve troops and other responses to the attack were discussed. Neither did he participate by telephone, Weiss said.
Cheney also did not attend a prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral, at which Bush spoke in leading a national day of prayer for the victims of the attacks.
Weiss declined to say whether Cheney was still at Camp David.
``He's working at a location I am going to decline to give,'' she said. ``We are going to be very careful about giving out scheduling information and his location.''
Bush had been scheduled before the attack to spend the coming weekend at Camp David. The White House has declined to say whether he still plans to go there.
Cheney will also appear in a live interview Sunday on the NBC television show ``Meet the Press,'' Weiss said.
The vice president, who has suffered four heart attacks since 1988, remains in good health, Weiss said. ``He's fine, he's doing well,'' she said.

~Edwin

 

[Scott Dautel]

I'm with you Edwin, but you owe me a Coke if he cancels "Meet the Press" at the last minute on Sunday.

I'm usually the first to debunk conspiracy theories, but once again, no direct quotes or photos ......
Scott
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[David Lambert]

Personally, I think the stress was too much for Cheney's heart...

Just messin' with y'all, folks! Don't flame me too hard...I'm just putting voice to what some of us are thinking.
Difference is...I'm laughing about it. If something had happenned, they surely would have let us know.
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[Clinton McClure]

In times such as these, it is prudent the President and Vice President remain separated. If something were to happen to Bush, Cheney would still be safe. The same thing happens with all major corporations. The P, VP, CEO, CFO are all required to take different flights when traveling to avoid that kind of situation.
The media reported Cheney was at Camp David and we have not heard from him since Tuesday. Of course the media reported he was at Camp David. That's because the White House knows the media will instantly report anything they tell them, regardless of the consequences.
Prudence suggests White House officials should give the media incorrect information on the location of Cheney. They inform the media he's at Camp David, and the media in turn, reports this to the entire world. In the meantime, Cheney is whisked off to a completely different secure location.
It's the logical thing to do.
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[Matt_Stevens]

"Hopefully it is he and Powell running the show."
I am growing tired of these disrespectful comments. They are simply a slap in the face to our President, who is doing a fine job with this crisis and needs our support. I would ask that the moderators stop these posts, which are just political statements against our President. Many here will find these comments offensive and political in nature.
Thank You.
P.S. I have no doubt our VP is nowhere near Camp David. He's probably at a secure location, which is the right thing to do.

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Matt, I second the motion. Enough with the "dumb President" jokes. This is not the time, it never should have been the time, and it's not going to be the time for years to come.

 

[Deane Johnson]

Matt and Angie:
I think you might have slightly misread the meaning of that statement, though I can see how it could happen. Any good leader, be it political or business, is going to have people carrying out his directives and wishes. He's not going to get bogged down in details, he's going to keep his mind open and clear for the big picture thinking and actions.
Since Powell and Cheney gained a great deal of experience working together during the Gulf War, they would seem to be a very good choice to be the point men in this task.
I would hate to see the day when any leader micro-managed anything as big and serious as this is. He needs competent people to "run the show", just as President Bush Sr. did during the Gulf War.
I think the "hopefully it is he and Powell running the show" comment means hopefully it is they instead of someone else running it for President Bush. It has to be someone.
Deane

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Deane, I understand your reasoning, and understand that that's what you were thinking when you posted your reply. But I must agree with Matt and Andrew, in the original posts, it sounded like another way to take a hit in GWB's general direction. They didn't want him elected, and now they refuse to believe that he could possibly do a good job. We need to stand united behind our leader, and not let petty politics get in the way.
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[Deane Johnson]

Thanks Adam. I wanted it to be clear that I was only responding to the "running the show" comment and my interpretation of what I think that means in this context, and not to any other posts or comments.
I thinking that probably the reason we haven't heard from Cheney is that he is very busy behind the scenes doing work ordered by the President. We are very fortunate that our President has a very experienced team around him during this trying time.
Deane

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

There are a couple of reasons we didn't see the Vice President until this morning:
1) Unlike the cabinet secretaries (Defense, State, Justice) he has no pre-defined duties in this, and is not the head of a department, expected to hold press conferences to explain what is happening within his area of responsibility.
2) At a moment like this the focus is and should be on the President. He is the one who must visit the disaster areas, be seen out and working by the people, rally the country. It would be "stealing the President's thunder" in some respects for the Vice President to take a public role in the events in the immediate aftermath of the crisis.
3) Security requires that the two be kept apart anyway.
Given all three of the above it is hardly surprising that the V.P. has taken a low profile.
Nor do I understand (since no one would say it) exactly what everyone thought this "mystery" and "suspicious activity" was supposed to mean. All we get are "gee, this seems odd..." So what did you think had happened? The V.P. was killed in one of the attacks? He'd had a heart attack? The whole thing was some kind of massive cover-up? (Of what?)
People have really gotta stop watching The X-Files so much.
Regards,
Joe
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[Roger Mathus]

I fully agree with Matt. It is not a time to take shots at the President. Note that even the loudest critics in Congress and the Senate are showing full support for President Bush in this time of deep crisis.