From: AdmrlLocke@aol.com Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2000 5:55 PM To: undisclosed-recipients: ; Subject: LibertyNet: More on Cheney LibertyNet A Drop of Reason in a Sea of Irrationality 7/29/00 1. Cheney Recap 2. NTU Clarification 3. Media Liberals Savage Cheney & Family Dear Friend of Liberty, The July 27 issue of LibertyNet ran quite long, so first here's a brief recap of what it contained. Republican vice presidential nominee Dick Cheney earned an average rating from the American Conservative Union of 91 during his ten years in Congress, 1979-1988. None of the votes which caused Cheney to lose his 9 points related to the right to life or the right to bear arms. Cheney departed from the ACU's position on small pork bills like those occasionally supported by every member of Congress, small foreign aid bills during days in which Ronald Reagan was winning the Cold War, and two tax hikes supported by Reagan. Cheney's ACU rating therefore indicates he voted a darned conservative line. An employee at the NRA-ILA strengthened Cheney's conservative image when she told me that Cheney has a pro-gun record--a record based on all of Cheney's gun votes, rather than on the few samples used by the ACU in their ratings. I got further confirmation of Cheney's conservatism corresponding with Pete Sepp, Vice President for Communications at the National Taxpayers Union. Mr. Sepp sent me Cheney's NTU scores, from which I discovered that Cheney had won NTU's highest rating, the Taxpayers' Friend Award, for 8 of his 10 years in Congress. Cheney's scores, demonstrating his willingness to reduce the burden of taxes, spending, debt and regulation which government places on the taxpayer, consistently exceeded not only the average House score, but the average GOP score as well. In some years Cheney's score approached twice the congressional average. All in all, Cheney reemerges into the public spotlight with an excellent conservative voting record. Liberals in the news media at first seemed to stress that Cheney was "conservative but reasonable"--one of their many codes phrases for "moderate supporter of Big Government." After doing more research, however, they discovered that Cheney really IS a conservative who, contrary to their stereotypes, comes across as completely reasonable and persuasive. Many liberals, both in and beyond the news media, really do believe that no reasonable person can hold conservative views. Cheney's genuine conservatism must have made his reasonableness and persuasiveness seem like a terrifying threat to them, because on the second day after Bush chose Cheney, media liberals erupted into a frenzy of anti-Cheney rhetoric. NTU Clarification ---------------- While the liberals were beginning their assault on Cheney, I continued my correspondence with Mr. Sepp at the nonpartisan NTU. I learned that the NTU did not award letter grades during the years in which Cheney served in Congress. Mr. Sepp agreed with me, however, that Cheney, under the current NTU system, would have received an A in each of the 8 years in which Cheney received the Taxpayers' Friend Award, the top category then as now. Mr. Sepp suggested that Cheney's grade "probably would have been a 'B' in 1988 and a 'B+' in 1981, because the top category cutoffs for those years both began at 57%," when Cheney earned scores of 50% and 57%. Using the grades suggested by Mr. Sepp, and applying the grade-point system in use here at The University of Iowa, under which an A earns 4 points, an A- 3.67, a B+ 3.33 and a B 3, I calculate a career average for Cheney of 3.833, which exceeds the score for an A- score. In other words, Cheney earned a solid A. Media Liberals Savage Cheney & Family --------------------------------- The solid A, combined with Cheney's reasonableness and persuasiveness, have provoked media liberals to absolutely savage Dick Cheney--and his wife Lynne too. I've included below two excerpts from the July 28 issue of Media Research Center CyberAlert discussing in great detail the media liberals' assault on the Cheney family. The CyberAlert starts with Dan Rather of CBS accusing Dick Cheney of casting "rigid conservative votes" and ends with Lisa Myers of "Today" accusing one of the two Cheney daughters of being "openly gay." That's obviously designed to scare social conservatives away from Cheney. Just remember that Ronald Reagan's openly-gay son and Newt Gingrich's openly-gay sister didn't stop conservatives from supporting these two great conservative men. At the rate media liberals are going, they'll soon be savaging not only Dick Cheney and his family, but their little dog Toto too. Dick you're definitely not in Wyoming anymore. Sincerely, David B. Levenstam, CPA, MT, MA Bush/Cheney in 2000! To subscribe to LibertyNet, email me at AdmrlLocke@aol.com, with a message to the effect that you'd like to subscribe. LibertyNet and GrammNet back issues available at http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3390/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***Media Research Center CyberAlert*** Friday July 28, 2000 (Vol. Five; No. 124) Cheney "Outside" Mainstream; Convention Controversy; Cheney Pounded in the AM; CBS "Cuddling" #### Distributed to more than 5,900 recipients by the Media Research Center, bringing political balance to the media. Visit the MRC on the Web: http://www.mediaresearch.org. Past CyberAlerts are available at: http://www.mediaresearch.org/news/cyberalert/ Subscribe/unsubscribe information at end of this message. #### 1) Thursday's CBS Evening News again inspected Dick Cheney's "rock solid conservative record" and "rigid conservative votes," which are supposedly "prompting new questions," though CBS repeated the same old Democratic talking points. Dan Rather questioned if Cheney is "too outside the American mainstream?" 3) Dick Cheney was pounded from the left on all three morning shows as ABC, CBS and NBC interviewers argued he can't appeal to moderates and demanded he defend votes they found upsetting. "There are a number of people within the Republican Party," ABC's Jack Ford claimed, who say Cheney is "way too conservative." 4) Dick Cheney "isn't even the most conservative member of his own family," Today's Katie Couric marveled in introducing a profile of Lynne Cheney. Both Today and NBC Nightly News raised the issue of the sexual orientation of one of their daughters. > 1) For the fourth straight weeknight the CBS Evening News on Thursday night dedicated a story to rebuking Dick Cheney's House votes, this time referred to as his "rock solid conservative record" and "rigid conservative votes." After Dan Rather questioned whether Cheney is "too outside the American mainstream," reporter Bill Whitaker raised the usual litany of votes against abortion and the ERA, but added a fresh citation of how he "opposed funding for the Clean Water and Endangered Species acts." Rather opened the July 27 broadcast: "Good evening. Sharp turns and even sharper questions today for the George Bush-Dick Cheney Republican ticket. They faced more questions about their ties to big oil in Texas and Cheney's voting record on key issues during his time in Congress." Though CBS has been citing them all week, Dan Rather bizarrely introduced the subsequent hit piece by claiming Cheney's votes are "prompting new questions." Rather's intro in full: "Past votes in Congress are prompting new questions about Dick Cheney and whether, as some say, they show he's too outside the American mainstream for voters in the year 2000. CBS's Bill Whitaker has the latest on Bush-Cheney playing offense and defense." Whitaker gave a lot more time to the Democratic offense against Bush-Cheney than to their defense. Whitaker began, as transcribed by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth: "The Bush campaign expected the new team to be hailed as rock solid and competent. Instead they're dodging a hail of criticism over Dick Cheney's rock solid conservative record." Of course the media and Whitaker are willing accomplices which have and are creating the reality of the "hail of criticism" by turning liberal opposition research into news stories. Whitaker continued: "On the CBS Early Show, the VP-select defended his rigid conservative votes as Wyoming's Congressman in the eighties as appropriate to the era of Cold War and budget deficits." Dick Cheney: "I think you've got to look at decisions based upon the time at which they occurred. I'm happy to talk about basic fundamental principles. I think those have been generally consistent over time." Whitaker then ran through the same old Gore/Democratic talking points: "It's not his principles but his votes the campaign is being forced to defend. Congressman Cheney consistently voted against abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment. Against gun control, even of so-called ‘cop killer' armor piercing bullets, or plastic guns that escape metal detectors. He opposed funding for the Clean Water and Endangered Species acts, voted against South Africa's sanctions, even a resolution urging the release of Nelson Mandela. He voted against Head Start, a program Bush now praises." Dick Cheney, on Wednesday: "I'm sure if I were to go back and look at individual votes, I could probably find some that I might tweak and do a bit differently." Jesse Jackson: "According to Business Week, the record of Dick Cheney rivals that of Jesse Helms." Whitaker then gave a few seconds to the Bush-Cheney counterattack: "But Republicans say Democrats who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and point to Al Gore's voting record in the eighties when he too voted against abortion rights and gun control." George W. Bush: "Secretary Cheney brought people together and helped win a war. My opponent is somebody who's tearing down and dividing people to create political war." Whitaker concluded: "The Bush camp launched a counteroffensive defending Cheney, but one staffer said today they have to remind voters the campaign ultimately is not about Cheney but Bush." > 3) Dick Cheney appeared simultaneously at about 7:10am Thursday on all three morning shows, though only Today had him live, and he was simultaneously grilled about his conservative record and how he will turn off voters. "People are talking about your conservative record while a Congressman from Wyoming and saying that perhaps that conservative record will not help to attract swing voters like minorities and women," Today's Matt Lauer told Cheney before going down a list of votes which upset liberals and demanding Cheney explain each, as if there was something wrong with holding such conservative views. Similarly, CBS's Jane Clayson hit Cheney from the left on The Early Show: "When you were in Congress you had a very conservative voting record, how will you and Governor Bush appeal to the more moderate Republicans and perhaps more importantly independents?" She tagged him "a hardline conservative." "There are a number of people within the Republican Party, even supporters of Governor Bush," ABC's Jack Ford preposterously claimed in confusing the DNC-Gore spin operation with actual Republicans, who supposedly say Cheney is "way too conservative." Ford saw a contradiction between Bush's interest in education and how Cheney "had voted twice against the creation of the Department of Education" and opposed increased funding for Head Start. In reverse alphabetical order -- NBC, CBS and ABC -- here are the questions posed to Cheney on Thursday morning, July 27. > On NBC's Today, as transcribed by MRC analyst Geoffrey Dickens, for all but a few seconds of the seven-minute interview Dick Cheney was on the receiving end of hostile questions as Lauer even tried to equate some briefings Cheney held at the Pentagon with Clinton-Gore fundraising: -- "I know the pundits are already weighing in on your selection. One guy I heard the other day said that, 'In choosing you, George W. Bush was selecting his father's old, Oldsmobile and not a new model.' How do you feel about that?" -- "People are talking about your conservative record while a Congressman from Wyoming and saying that perhaps that conservative record will not help to attract swing voters like minorities and women. Let's talk about some of those votes you took on abortion. You were opposed to federal funding for abortion even in cases of rape and incest do you still feel that way?" Cheney: "Well I consistently supported the pro-life position, Matt and do still support the pro-life position as does Governor Bush. That hasn't changed. The intriguing thing is to have the Democrats attacking me for having a pro-life position when during that same period Al Gore was earning a 94 percent rating from the Right to Life Committee because he was pro-life and anti- abortion." Lauer: "Let me ask you as a Vice President could you support an appointee to the Supreme Court who was pro-choice?" After Cheney promised there won't be a litmus test, Lauer demanded: "Right but could you support a nominee, or an appointee?" -- "On the subject of equal rights, you voted against the Equal Rights Amendment. You consistently opposed funding for Head Start programs and I read something yesterday and this was not a bill, this was a resolution. But you voted against a resolution that would have recommended freeing Nelson Mandela from a South African prison. Why'd you do that?" Cheney explained how the ERA vote did not allow amendments and he was afraid it would force women to be drafted. On South Africa he pointed out how many believed pulling U.S. companies out of the nation would hurt the black citizens the most and that he obviously did not wish for Mandela to remain in prison. -- "A little dispute on your record on guns, Secretary Cheney. You have opposed almost all gun control measures. You were one of only 21 members of Congress in 1985 to vote against a ban on the so-called 'Cop Killer' bullets. Can you explain that for me?" Cheney said he the solution is to enforce gun laws, not to impose new law on the law abiding. Lauer: "In 1988 you also voted against a ban on plastic guns. These are the guns that could make it through airport security machines. Not even the NRA opposed that measure?" Cheney delivered this zinger which shut Lauer up: "Well obviously I wasn't in the pocket of the NRA, Matt." -- "Alright let's talk about fundraising. You've been criticized in the last day or so for holding two fundraisers as Defense Secretary, 1991 and 1992 at the Pentagon. These were briefing sessions for contributors. Were they a mistake?" After Cheney insisted there were no fundraisers at the Pentagon, Lauer described his Gore campaign-provided talking point: "Well the brochure for the presidential roundtable put out by the Republican National Committee had a picture of you holding a briefing and it said quote, the following, 'Contributors could review courses of action, suggest legislative strategies, and have the opportunity to directly impact current policy debate.'" Cheney: "But Matt that's a far cry from the abuses that we've seen out of the Clinton-Gore administration in terms of White House coffees and selling the Lincoln bedroom. Again it's an effort by the Democrats to try to obscure the issues. Their candidate, Al Gore, is under investigation by his own Justice Department for potential criminal violations in connection with the '96."- Lauer jumped in: "But isn't it a case of using a high government office to raise political money?" Cheney: "Well I don't, I don't think that's the case. We did not raise political money in the Pentagon, ever." -- Lauer: "Last question for you Mr. Cheney, if you have time. Napster. A federal court ruled that Napster had to stop its online users from downloading copyrighted music material. Do you agree with the ruling?" That one stumped Cheney. +++ Watch a some of Lauer's hostility toward Cheney. On Friday the MRC's Eric Pairel and Brandon Rytting will post a RealPlayer video clip of the Today interview. Go to: http://www.mrc.org > On CBS's The Early Show Cheney escaped Bryant Gumbel but not his expected liberal agenda questions as Jane Clayson made him proud, though unlike Lauer she at least touched on some other subjects. MRC analyst Brian Boyd took down her queries: -- "You've been out of Washington life for several years now, why did you decide to come back now, to get back involved in this?" -- "You were in charge of selecting a vice-presidential running mate for George W. Bush, did you ever consider, did it ever occur to you that he was looking at you for the job?" -- "And did you have to warm to the idea?" -- "When you were in Congress you had a very conservative voting record, how will you and Governor Bush appeal to the more moderate Republicans and perhaps more importantly independents?" -- "Is it fair to look at your record from the 1970s and paint you as a hardline conservative?" Cheney replied that it depends on what the issues were, it was the Cold war era so military number one priority, had deficits. -- "Let me ask you about a couple of things. You voted against the Equal Rights Amendment and you oppose abortion rights, what do you say to women who question your stand on those issues?" -- "Let me ask you for a moment about your health, because that's come up so far. You've had a history of heart attacks, a bypass surgery, do you think that your health will be an issue in the campaign? Is it a fair issue?" -- "What should the American public know about Dick Cheney? What would your wife and your daughters tell us about you that maybe the American people should know?" > Jack Ford handled the Good Morning America interview. Here are his questions, all of which on policy came at Cheney from the left, though he spent the most time of the three on non-policy matters, as transcribed by MRC analyst Jessica Anderson: -- "Let me ask you, first question. Other than the call of duty, which you have always responded to in the past, why would you want to be the Vice President?" -- "Understanding that, though, what is it specifically about the job of the Vice President that you like or is attractive to you?" -- "What do you think, in one or two sentences, that you add to a Bush-Cheney ticket?" -- "There are a number of people within the Republican Party, even supporters of Governor Bush, who have said in response to your selection here, Dick Cheney is a good man, but he's way too conservative, he's far too retro, going back to the old Republican Party, he doesn't bring in part of the new look, the non- Washington look that Governor Bush has espoused here. How do you respond to that?" -- "As you know, there has been a significant focus upon your health. You have talked about the previous heart problems you've had. Doctors have provided information to the public. Let me ask you this. Within the last 10 years, have you experienced any problems at all, however minor they might be, any symptoms at all related to your heart condition?" -- "Have you been told by any physicians that you'll need any additional medical procedures anytime in the future?" -- "Let's take a look at the selection process here. Your job as the head of selection committee was essentially to ask the very difficult and even sometimes embarrassing questions of possible candidates here, to make sure that Governor Bush would never, under any circumstances, be embarrassed. Who asked those difficult and perhaps even embarrassing questions of you?" -- "Was that a good idea, though, to have the governor, who is a personal friend of yours, obviously wanted to have you as part of it, to ask him to, in essence, be your prosecutor, to look into your background?" -- "You talk about the record, and obviously people are going to be looking at your record, certainly, in Congress. Let's take a look at a couple of quick issues, if we might. With regard to gun safety: 1988, you were one of only four members of Congress to vote against a ban on plastic guns that are capable of slipping through security checkpoints. You also voted against a ban on so- called cop killer bullets. Why would you vote against those?" -- "Governor Bush has made education one of his signature issues. He has often said that he intends to leave no child behind. Looking back at your record, you had voted twice against the creation of the Department of Education; you were one of only 33 members voting against authorizing appropriations for programs such as Head Start. How does that then dovetail with Governor Bush saying that education is going to be so important in a Bush administration?" -- "Last question for you then, very quickly. Your wife wrote a book about a fictional vice president. One of the lines about the vice president's job is that 'really it's just all about waiting. Everything else is make work.' I imagine you probably want to change that description, that job description a little bit if you're going to be Vice President?" Later in the day FNC viewers got a taste of what more balanced interviewers would ask as Carl Cameron posed some questions from the right. Special Report with Brit Hume ran Cameron's interview with Cheney in which he asked about Al Gore: "Is he an honest person?" And: "Do you think Al Gore is more liberal than Bill Clinton?" Plus, after Cheney said he and Bush recognize the broad views in the party on abortion, Cameron actually hit Bush from the right on the issue, a perspective unimaginable to Lauer, Clayson and Ford: "The ardent pro-lifer would say, however, that there is an appearance of an equivocation on your position in order to make the political embrace to the top of the ticket." > 4) There's someone in the world more conservative than Dick Cheney? Introducing a Today profile of Lynne Cheney, Katie Couric marveled that Dick "Cheney isn't even the most conservative member of his own family." Both Today and NBC Nightly News ran profiles of Lynne Cheney on Thursday. "Critics claim her style is as militant as her husband's is mild," Anne Thompson declared on the July 27 NBC Nightly News. And both stories raised the issue of the sexual orientation of one of their daughters. Thompson relayed: "Married now almost 36 years, raising two daughters, one of whom is openly gay." Lisa Myers began the Today piece: "Lynne Cheney is definitely not your typical political wife, though she can grip and grin with the best of them. An author and educator she's more outspoken and more conservative than her husband." After recalling how Lynne Cheney is "a former homecoming queen from Casper, Wyoming who married Dick Cheney almost 36 years ago," Myers added: "The Cheney's have two daughters. One of them openly gay." Myers informed viewers: "58 year old Lynne Cheney, who has a doctorate in 19th century British literature is best known for her seven controversial years as head of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and her crusade against political correctness. Blunt, passionate, she became a hero to the right, by taking on liberal academics." Myers reminded viewers of her forceful voice as a co-host of CNN's Crossfire a few years ago, then warned: "Having a sharp, very conservative tongue can get vice presidential wives into trouble. Ask Marilyn Quayle. Friends say Lynne Cheney, who's used to speaking her mind vigorously and colorfully, will have to adjust, and quickly."