Vice President Cheney was in Sioux City, IA today (which is a mere 30 miles from Vermillion, SD, where I live) and was unapologetic for cursing at Senator Patrick Leahy earlier this week after Leahy questioned his integrity. Reuters has a story headlined "Cheney Says He Has No Regrets for Cursing Leahy."
Fox News is carrying a transcript of an interview held with Cheney today, in which the F-bomb laced exchange came up. Relevant excerpt:
CAVUTO: All right. Sir, a couple of little issues I want settled, or maybe to get the real skinny on. One was this blowout you had the other day with Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. What happened?
CHENEY: Well, I guess you could say we had a little floor debate in the United States Senate.
CAVUTO: I heard it was more than a debate.
CHENEY: Well, I expressed myself rather forcefully, felt better after I had done it.
CAVUTO: All right. Now, did you use the "F" word?
CHENEY: That's not the kind of language I usually use.
CAVUTO: All right, because the reports were that you did.
CHENEY: Yes, that's not the kind of language I ordinarily use. But...
CAVUTO: What did you tell him?
CHENEY: I expressed my dissatisfaction for Senator Leahy.
CAVUTO: Over his comments about you and Halliburton?
CHENEY: No. It was partly that. It was partly — also, it had to do with — he is the kind of individual who will make those kinds of charges and then come after you as though he's your best friend. And I expressed, in no uncertain terms, my views of the — of his conduct and walked away.
CAVUTO: Did you curse at him?
CHENEY: Probably.
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: Do you have any regrets?
CHENEY: No. I said it, and I felt that...
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: So let me understand, he comes up, he sees you, Mr. Vice — he's all nice, shakes your hand. And then what do you do, let into him?
CHENEY: Explain my unhappiness with the way he conducted himself. Ppart of the problem here is, that instead of having a substantive debate over important policy issues, he had challenged my integrity. And I didn't like that. But, most of all, I didn't like the fact that after he had done so then he wanted to act like, you know, everything's peaches and cream.
And I informed him of my view of his conduct in no uncertain terms. And as I say, I felt better afterwards.
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