Daily Kos

Casual Auschwitz Thursdays

Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:34:23 AM PDT

Dick dresses down.

At yesterday's gathering of world leaders in southern Poland to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the United States was represented by Vice President Cheney. The ceremony at the Nazi death camp was outdoors, so those in attendance, such as French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin, were wearing dark, formal overcoats and dress shoes or boots. Because it was cold and snowing, they were also wearing gentlemen's hats. In short, they were dressed for the inclement weather as well as the sobriety and dignity of the event.

The vice president, however, was dressed in the kind of attire one typically wears to operate a snow blower.

Cheney stood out in a sea of black-coated world leaders because he was wearing an olive drab parka with a fur-trimmed hood. It is embroidered with his name. It reminded one of the way in which children's clothes are inscribed with their names before they are sent away to camp. And indeed, the vice president looked like an awkward boy amid the well-dressed adults.

Like other attendees, the vice president was wearing a hat. But it was not a fedora or a Stetson or a fur hat or any kind of hat that one might wear to a memorial service as the representative of one's country. Instead, it was a knit ski cap, embroidered with the words "Staff 2001." It was the kind of hat a conventioneer might find in a goodie bag.

It is also worth mentioning that Cheney was wearing hiking boots -- thick, brown, lace-up ones. Did he think he was going to have to hike the 44 miles from Krakow -- where he had made remarks earlier in the day -- to Auschwitz?

Cheney was properly dressed for the inaugurtion last week, which makes this breach of etiquette that much more puzzling. I mean, it's Auschwitz, for Christ's sakes.Too bad he just gave the world more ammunition to consider Americans boorish, uncultured and rude.
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  •  What an ass... (3.80 / 5)

    <eyeroll>
  •  those are his easily removable clothes (4.00 / 3)

    in case of heart attack.
  •  Maybe he was (3.80 / 10)

    worried that if he wore black it would be easier to match him to his SS guard photo in the Auschwitz Museum.
  •  I Had A Coat Like That (4.00 / 9)

    In Third Grade.

    Seriously.

  •  Welcome to the New America! (4.00 / 2)

    We can't respect any death but the death of one of ours.
    •  They don't even respect that (4.00 / 7)

      Stamped signatures, refusal to even acknowledge it, holding a press conference and not mentioning the Marine helicopter crash until asked...

      "I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a democrat."--Will Rogers

      by soonergrunt on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:41:26 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Could you picture Cheney (4.00 / 2)

        wearing THAT to Ronald Reagan's funeral?

        I'm sure for old Ronny he would dress appropriately, but for the victims of Aushwitz?  Nah, just another day in the snow....

        Old Man McCain.com - the best McCain attack blog on the web!

        by existenz on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:53:08 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  When Dick Cheney dies.... (none / 0)

          I hope Dick Cheney lives to be a very old man, BUT when he dies, I am going to attend his funeral. I will fly there from where ever I am.  You'll know me.  I will be in cutoffs a tank top and flip flops ( or barefoot if I can get away with it).

          I am of German ancestry and the holocaust unsettles me greatly, not because of my family's participation per se, but my incredulity that people related to me, however distantly, could do something so horrible.  

          I would not have Dick Cheney in my home and things like this are the reason why.

          "Accepting the inevitable"

          by waztec on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 06:19:50 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

      •  The only death (none / 1)

        that deserves respect was Ronald Reagan, of course.  It was considered disrespectful to even mention that Reagan had some problems.

        McCain: Less jobs, more war.

        by Unstable Isotope on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:07:47 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  The GOOD news is...... (none / 0)

      ....He's taken the heat off of Prince Harry! Cheney makes the young rebel look like a saint!

      No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. ~Edward R. Murrow

      by mlkisler on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 03:45:05 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  You have no idea (4.00 / 2)

    how angry that makes me.

    Why was he there?  Doing research?  Getting ideas for the future?

    I absolutely loathe that man.


    There is only one "bug killer" that will work on "Oil Maggots"-- Hydrogen. -- edscan

    by Plutonium Page on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:37:42 AM PDT

    •  Damn straight! (4.00 / 2)

      I know, compared to the actions of the man as VP and Halliburton exec, it's nothing- and we all knew he was a dick.  But you know I'm sure that sometimes, a trivial action just crystallizes and embodies something for you- that photo and the story made me madder then hell.  Madder then I've been reading the news in a while.  It just embodies callousness, disrespect, and boorishness.  

      "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath."- Shakespeare, "Merchant of Venice"

      by tubalefty on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:39:28 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Come on (none / 1)

      Why was he there?  Gesh - he's Darth Vader incarnate, yes - but if he WASN'T there we'd all be blasting the administration for not sending anybody...

      His taste in clothing leaves something to be desired, though.  Funny topic!

      •  Duh (4.00 / 2)

        Uh yeah, that would be a slap in the face to the victims and the U.S soldiers who died liberating Europe if the US simply did not send anybody.

        But c'mon, just going is literally the LEAST he could do. Don't lower expectations for these idiots.  Dressing like a clown is an insult to the occassion. They should have sent somebody who knows how to be respectful.

        Old Man McCain.com - the best McCain attack blog on the web!

        by existenz on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:56:19 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Diplomacy (none / 0)

          It's more complicated than that. In the language of diplomacy, the rank of an official you send to a funeral or memorial service is directly proportional to the importance you attach to that occasion. Case in point, sending Asst. Secretary of State William Burns to Arafat's funeral.
          •  Exactly (4.00 / 2)

            That is why Bush should have been there not the vice-president. If Clinton, H.W. Bush, Reagan or Carter were President at the time, I am sure each would have gone personally. This administration is without precedent in showing its disrespect for the world.
    •  Not to trivialize or obscure (4.00 / 9)

      the evil of Auschwitz, but I get the feeling that it's Darth Cheney's kind of place - if you know which side of the fence I'm talking about.
    •  Well... (4.00 / 2)

      Why was he there?

      The Second Deputy Undersecretary of State was busy getting her teeth whitened.  (She made the appointment months ago and didn't want to have to reschedule.)

    •  Why Was He There? (4.00 / 14)

      He probably asked the same question.  He obviously didn't take it seriously, or else he would have dressed for the occassion.  He was probably in a crappy mood because he was going to have to sit in the cold and listen to speeches about something that happened a long time ago and doesn't really matter anymore, so if they were going to screw up his day and make him cold, he was going to dress how he wanted.  

      I know somebody in protocol had to have told him that he was not dressing appropriately.  That is just not something that happens by accident.  

      The revolution will not be televised, but we'll analyze it to death at The Next Hurrah.

      by DHinMI on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:04:17 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  I vaguely remember (4.00 / 2)

        the good old days, when the job of the vice president was to attend funerals and other somber international occasions, rather than plot wars and run secret intelligence functions. How quaint it all seems now.
      •  ...sit in the cold ... (none / 1)

        "...he was going to have to sit in the cold and listen to speeches "

        In Polish, and French, for God's sake, and other funny-sounding languages he doesn't understand or speak.

        "And so, what happened here?  And why should I care?  I hate this part of the job..."

        Torture is Wrong!

        by tom 47 on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:38:51 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Why Was He There? (4.00 / 2)

        I know somebody in protocol had to have told him that he was not dressing appropriately.

        You're kidding, right?  These guys only have kiss-ass, yes men & women around them.  No one's going to tell him he's being inappropriate.  They don't want to hear any differing views.  Loyalty is what counts with this crowd.

        I especially love this line in the WaPo article...

        The vice president, however, was dressed in the kind of attire one typically wears to operate a snow blower.

        Maybe journalists are finally growing a set.  Wouldn't that be nice?  Symbolism is a powerful tool for this admin with their many creative photo-ops.  Cheney blew this one badly. The journalist is right. Would he have shown up to the inauguration with a knit ski cap on?  He insults our country, insults our European allies & the solemnity of the Auschwitz Ceremony.  Ugly American.  No wonder the rest of the world hates us.  He look like he's attending a football game not a Holocaust memorial. Why was he there?  It's a good question...

        And now for something completely different... always look on the bright side of life --Monty Python

        by goldilocks on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 11:06:14 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Protocol.. (none / 0)

        ..might have said something, but like it's been said, he is the Vice President of the United States of America. He can probably tell the GS-07 to screw off.

        And besides, his ears might get cold.

        Kidding.

        "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - MLK

        by amayernx on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 11:27:14 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Protocol (none / 0)

        The other scary possibility is that he was entirely clueless and, despite the gross inappropriateness of it, nobody in protocol dared tell him to put on a decent jacket and hat.  

        Oh, shit.  How long is it going to take for the right wing to find "some liberal" wearing an inappropriate outfit so they can say, look, everybody is doing it, so shut up.  Look, it's some guy in Berkeley with a sign!  It's just like the vice president, so what are you upset about!

        •  Those people in Protocol (none / 0)

          are all from the State Department, and we know what the rest of the administration thinks of the State Department (at least until Condi gets there and starts the purges).

          --
          Paper Ballots Counted By People!

          by Rupert on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 12:28:54 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Give me a Break (none / 0)

          This guy's been in government for decades.  He KNOWS protocol. This had to be deliberate.  My only question is what is the coded message and who is he sending it to.
    •  I have the same reaction. (4.00 / 2)

      This infuriates me on a gut level.

      It's a disgusting display of disregard for the enormity of the Shoah. It's big f-you to the memory of all of those beautiful children, their parents, their neighbors.

      And wasn't he on a quasi-diplomatic mission to Poland, anyway?

      This must have made a really fine impression.

      I don't know any words worse than 'fucking asshole'. I wish I did.

      "...hope is not the equivalent of optimism. Its opposite is not pessimism but despair. So I'm always hopeful." William Sloane Coffin

      by mxwing on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:43:25 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  He was there because he should be there (4.00 / 3)

      But he went for the wrong reasons.

      Someone said we needed a representative to commemorate Auschwitz and he raised his hand first.

      By the time he realized it was to commemorate the END of Auschwitz, it was too late to back out.

      Nothing to see here, move along

      by Jeff Seemann on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:56:23 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  privatization (none / 0)

      Heard he had a great idea for a new Halliburton Soylent Green MegaplexTM opening up in a blue state near you.
    •  Dick Cheney... (none / 0)

      Is an anethema to everthing I believe.  I sometimes wonder  how it is possible that we are citizens of the same country.

      "Accepting the inevitable"

      by waztec on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 05:20:36 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Cheney (3.88 / 9)

    embodying the pejorative force of his first name.
  •  Maybe he's holding (4.00 / 4)

    a permission slip from his mommy allowing him to go on the field trip.
  •  GMAFB (3.00 / 6)

    I hate Cheney as much as anyone, but criticizing him for not dressing like the capitalists and fixers who put Hitler in power and the capitalists and fixers who put Cheney in power is just stupid.  Is there an official Auschwitz dress code?  Are women allowed to wear slacks?  It wasn't like he showed up in a skateboard outfit.

    This aggression will not stand, man.

    by kaleidescope on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:40:15 AM PDT

    •  Why did he dress that way? (none / 0)

      Do you think it was unintentional?  If not, what is he trying to say?

      He didn't seem to have trouble finding a warm dress coat last Thursday.

    •  re: GMAFB (3.00 / 2)

      It's a trivial complaint as far as I'm concerned too.  Cheney has far more serious things to answer for as far as I'm concerned.
      •  We know that (4.00 / 10)

        But nobody said we can only complain about the big stuff. Little shit like this is a window to the man's soul, and it's the kind of thing his supporters cannot explain away.

        Everybody knows you wear black to these occassions. Aushwitz is a graveyard for thousands, you have to show respect. What pisses me off is that he was representing the U.S., and he makes us look like clowns.

        Cheney did not dress like this to Ronald Reagan's funeral. He didn't dress like this to the inauguration.  This is an insult to the dead, not as egregious as sending our troops to war for lies, but worth condemning nonetheless.

        Old Man McCain.com - the best McCain attack blog on the web!

        by existenz on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 11:03:24 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  You are absolutely correct! (none / 0)

          Cheney--whom many of us Europeans (and quite a few of you Americans) reckon IS the real President, is a high-ranking official of the United States government...and ought to have been in sombre, proper formal attire for a solemn occasion such as this.

          Cheney spit on the graves of the dead, and showed the whole world (if there was any doubt whatsoever) what sort of man he truly is:  a crass, soulless, monster.

          There are three kinds of people: Those who see; those who see when they are shown; those who do not see.

          by Shadowthief on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 02:06:15 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    •  Solemn occasions (4.00 / 9)

      call for solemn dress. My brother showed up at our step father's brothe's funeral in jeans. You just don't do that. Respect should be shown for the dead, especially in a place like that.
    •  He can be criticized for it, because.. (4.00 / 11)

      ..it's rude.

      No, it's not a major, serious, policy issue.

      But it's still rude. He was representing the United States of America, and he (and/or his staff) should have known better.

      Presidential politics is like jumping into raw sewage with your mouth open -- Batfish

      by Frank on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:44:34 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Duh, It is a Memorial (none / 1)

      You wear black, at least dark clothes, and look respectable.  He is slouching and has a scowl on his face to boot.  It really makes one wonder if the defibrillator is leaking or something.  Either that, or his small-town origins are showing.  Maybe people do wear such attire to memorials in Wyoming, given the climate.

      John McCain--he's not who you think he is.

      by Mimikatz on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:48:44 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Let's Test Your Hypothesis (4.00 / 5)

        How has he dressed at the various memorials to Matthew Shepard?

        Oh, wait, I'll bet he hasn't gone to any.

        Never mind.

        The revolution will not be televised, but we'll analyze it to death at The Next Hurrah.

        by DHinMI on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:07:16 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Hey lay off Wyoming! (none / 0)

        Western towns are very aware on respect required. Everyone goes to funerals and knows what to wear. Cheney is just an a**hole!

        Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices. Voltaire 1694-1778

        by SallyCat on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 11:51:58 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  :o) (none / 0)

          I wondered how long it would take to get a rise out of somone in Yellowstone.

          Just kidding around.

          And you're right, Cheney really is a prick!

          No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. ~Edward R. Murrow

          by mlkisler on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:05:27 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Actually Utah and Western WY (none / 0)

            My ears would have been boxed thoroughly for showing up at a funeral or memorial dressed like Cheney.  :-)

            Every kid from age 5 up has a dark outfit for funerals and weddings - major social events in rural communities!  Apologies in advance to rural communities but you know what I mean!

            Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices. Voltaire 1694-1778

            by SallyCat on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:10:58 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

    •  no there isnt a code of dress for concentration (3.75 / 4)

      camps.  in fact the last one i was at i probably was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  but i am not the vice president of the United States.  and i was not attending a ceremony.  he was and he and his wife were underdressed for the solem occasion.  

      given the lack of respect this administration has show the rest of the world, it probably isnt a good idea for him to show such a visible lack of respect or effort.  feeling a bit of suffering in a thin jacket is a good way to get in touch with the horrors others experience there.  perhaps he would have thought about the prisoners who wore thin clothing and slept dozens to a bunk.

      •  freezing (4.00 / 5)

        I look at the picture and think of how cold they must have been, the missing millions, in their rags.

        Cheney is not what you'd call a sensitive guy, obviously has no respect for anything or anyone that doesn't serve his purposes or his bank account. And I'm more than happy to jump on him at the slightest excuse. And can't help demonstrating his contempt for ABB.

        But shit, anything that throws off the blanket of piety in that ceremony of regret and reminds us, even unconsciously, of what went on there is welcome.

        A friend who made that terrible pilgrimage said, 'you don't even want to breathe the air there"

        I hope he was very very cold and had to sit there for a real long time, looking at those buildings and breathing that air.

        •  no you dont want to breathe (4.00 / 3)

          when i was at Dachau, the view up there on the hill was actually beautiful.  i wandered away from my lecturing professor wanting to just soak it all in.  i ended up sitting down staring out beyond the barbed wire fences to the towns below and the green hills. struck by the fact that they could see such beautiful freedom, while being trapped inside the horror.

          the camps are places to let down your gard and just feel, soak it all in.  try and reflect and understand.  not shut the world out.  i think that is why these pictures of Cheney piss me off so much.  he by wearing that jacket is trying to shut out the misery and not let it in.

          a part of my heart is black from having visited two camps, but i treasure that darkness.  Cheney seems just to have emptyness.

          •  The Camps (none / 1)

            I haven't been to the camps, but in 2002 I was in Heidelberg, and I visited a memorial on a site where a synagogue had been burned on Krystallnacht.  In a flash I could see it happening in my imagination, and was so overwhelmed that I almost fainted.  I don't know if I could have handled visiting the camps.  I'm sure that Cheney's Borg heart wouldn't have been the least bit touched.

            "America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around. Human rights invented America." -Jimmy Carter

            by Bulldawg on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:46:49 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  For me (none / 1)

            The amazing thing about Dachau is the little stream that flows just past the wire at the front entrance.  It was the dead of January when I went (in fact, probably right around this time in 2000) and eerily quiet.  You could stand by the little brook and look at the trees and almost drown out the shouts that otherwise rang in my head the entire time I was there.

            Just another 2L in the court of life...

            by BrodyV on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:58:07 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  Heidelberg in spring (none / 0)

            I was there for 5 or 6 days once, for a seminar (on metaphysics, actually)  It was balmy and lush. Pretty picturesque town, very Student Prince. Heideigger's University. I was sitting out on one of my breaks, catching some sun on a cafe terrace, drinking coffee & reading the local English newspaper, just for fun, and I came on an article which told me that it was, in fact, the anniversary of Kristallnacht.  The article recounted some of the things that went on, that day, in that place.  All I remember was the image of an elderly Jewish woman being dragged backwards down the street by her hair, her head bumping on the cobblestones.  The whoever-they-were had been harrassing her sons and she'd tried to intervene, and they'd turned on her.

            It's dumbfounding-- how far from human it can go, how low, how hellish. Infernal.  When I think of those days, particularly the thirties, when horror was on the rise and the nightmare was taking shape, what always strikes me is the feeling..the spectacle.. of a finely wrought, highly evolved, smart, rich, idealistic culture committing suicide.

            I wonder if they thought it was still normal, politics as usual.  Just another administration.

    •  A little thing called respect (4.00 / 3)

      He didn't have to dress like he was going ice fishing, now did he? I saw a clip of him putting a candle on a memorial and had to do a double take, thinking "What in hell is he wearing?". C'mon, he's supposed to be representing the US. His dress is a show of disrespect, plain and simple. You'd think that a billionaire could find something appropriate to wear. It's just another way for him to say 'Go fuck yourself', only this time he's saying it to those he was there to honor.  

      "Information is the currency of democracy" - Thomas Jefferson

      by Nag on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:05:52 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Intentional Slight (4.00 / 3)

        It's got to be intentional.  Come on, the man has more handlers than a rock star.  No one in their right mind can tell me that Dick's handlers forgot to pack warm business wear for the viceroy.

        Maybe it's one of those code things this administration likes to throw out to the party faithful like "Dredd Scott", "Operation Crusade" and the like.  Maybe this is Dick and the administration's way of assuring those "in the know" that this administration while aligned with jewish interests on some issues doesn't respect the jews as a people...

        Like I said, I think it's intentional and I think it's meant to signal something to someone.

        •  I absolutely agree..... (none / 0)

          I think it's intentional and I think it's meant to signal something to someone

          This prick probably has 500 dark gray and black suits hanging in his closet - and 1 snowblower jacket 'just in case'. So it would take considerable effort and much thought to go past those 500 dark gray and black suits just to arrive at the snowblower jacket.

          And I'm sure he also has 500 black shoes - and 1 pair of hiking boots (why he would have hiking boots is totally beyond me, but whatever.....).

          The hat? Oh yeah, that's a huge "fuck you" to somebody. "Staff 2001"????? WTF.

          And that expression on his face? Looks like a guy who got dragged by his wife to a proper ladies' tea and crumpet soiree on Super Bowl Sunday.

          Actually it sounds like the airlines lost his luggage and he had to scrounge an outfit from the gardner because he traveled in his Nike sweatsuit.

          Yep - we Americans continue to look like pieces of shit due to the actions of our leaders.

          And yes, I agree that he is signaling something to someone. Must be an anti-Jewish message, given the circumstances.

          Kinda like how we always hear about how Osama bin Laden is sending messages to his troops based on clothes he wears, messages or words he uses, how he places rifles or other objects in certain ways, etc. Maybe Cheney is communicating with Osama!

          *How could 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?*

          by clueless on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 01:35:03 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  The Message (none / 0)

          ...I'm sure, has to do with the acceptability of detention camps that are in violation of the Geneva conventions.

          C'mon, he's representing the administration of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. You think he's going to look as classy as he did at Ronnie's funeral?

          Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself! - Mark Twain

          by johninPortland on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:43:11 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  This administration.... (none / 1)

          Is the master of the exquisitely chosen word (remember personal accounts over private?), the trope (some have said that Saddam Hussein is an imminent threat- over and over) and the metaphor (mission accomplished on the carrier pointed AWAY from San Diego harbor sitting in the backgroud).

          You are G--D--- right that they knew what they were doing.

          "Accepting the inevitable"

          by waztec on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 05:29:07 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    •  It is disrespectful. Period. (none / 1)

      I'm no proponent of business attire and I feel sorry for people who have to wait for Friday to wear comfortable clothes at work.

      If Cheney wanted to be a punk-ass rebel and not dress like the "capitalists and fixers", then he could have just stayed home. No one would have been surprised.

      BUSH: Like a rock...but dumber.
      Stewart/Olberman 2008!

      by mugsimo on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:23:39 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Actually (none / 0)

      it IS like he showed up in a skateboard outfit, given the context.  What skateboard outfits are to regular sporting attire, Cheney's outerwear for a solemn state ceremony of memorial is to the rest of the formal winter wear.

      The photos shows that.

      Words can sometimes, in moments of grace, attain the quality of deeds. --Elie Wiesel

      by a gilas girl on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 03:53:15 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Does he have (4.00 / 8)

    a mitten string?

    Gad. Could it be any more embarrassing? Did he pee into a snow bank?

    Let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change. - Tennyson

    by bumblebums on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:41:35 AM PDT

  •  Ski vacation? (4.00 / 2)

    No time to get back to the hotel to change?

    Next stop, a Packers game?

    Why does Dick Cheney remind me of Auschwitz -- even without his gaffes?

    If a thousand men were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State...

    by HenryDavid on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:41:36 AM PDT

  •  The Rude Pundit (4.00 / 3)

    The next day, Dick Cheney did wear a black overcoat when he privately toured the camp, his first visit to Auschwitz since 1975. Cheney walked past the preserved brick bunkhouses, the fences. He was shown the place where disobedient prisoners were hanged and left to dangle for all to see. He was taken to see the pile of hair, shorn off the prisoners to prevent lice, to insult them. Cheney breathed in deeply, feeling he could still inhale the scent of old European perfumes and sweat. God, how soft Himmler's pillows must have been, Cheney thought. He placed a bouquet of red, white, and blue flowers against the Wall of Death, where so many Jews were shot down. America cares, the bouquet telegraphed, we're here and we care.

    Ouch

    •  The should be a bigger deal (none / 0)

      in the international media than it has been so far.  My God, if there was ever a time for the US to avoid dissing Europe, its history and its tragedy, this surely is it, in light of Bush's reelection and inaugural address and the problems the West faces together.  After Americans and their leadership have consistently expected and demanded so much kowtowing and international keening and cermony in denouncing the perpetrators of 911 -- remember "did the Irish feel safe on 911" in that BBC interview last summer.  And then Cheney goes and wears hiking boots and something vaguely resembling a skull cap to a holocaust memorial.  Is the world so disensitized to these guys that this blatant callousness and hypocracy doesn't even command outrage?

      All those neocons looking the other way too, after courting the orthodox Jewish vote so hard.  Where is Krauthammer's and Kristol's anger after alleging for six months that Kerry would betray Israel, that Bush was the only possibility for true Zionists, that the Dems were pray to the anti-Israel, Holocaust-denying "extreme left"?  Where's Martin Peretz' ire at Cheney's disrespect?  Absolute silence so far from the Weekly Standard and TNR.  Meanwhile, over at the Corner, Jonah Goldberg and company are making light fun of Cheney for looking like Kenny from South Park.

      Sickening.

      The grass is always greener when it bursts up through concrete -- XTC

      by tlaura on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 02:40:03 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  I don't want to defend our VP... (2.66 / 9)

    No, really, I don't... but...

    If I had to choose between the warmest coat I had and a less warm, more dignified coat... I'd choose the warmest coat.  Seriously.

    I'm a Southerner living in New York State -- born in Virginia, moved up here from North Carolina.  Today it was 15 below zero when I went to work.  For the brief moment that I was walking from my house to my truck, I was in agony.

    I appreciate wanting to have a really thick, thick coat when you're attending an outdoors ceremony while it's ACTIVELY SNOWING.  I would hope that the fact that I was present in that kind of weather would show that I sincerely desired to give the ceremony the respect it was due.

    I would also hope that the left, of all ideologies, won't get in the habit of jumping all over people BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY DRESS.  If Cheney had shown up in a clown suit... or an SS Costume... well, that would be one thing.  But because he wasn't dressed in a classy black overcoat and a hat?

    Sorry, all this looks like to me is a chance to take a cheap shot. There are PLENTY of legitimate shots to take... focus on those...

    The Baptist Death Ray (bdr[at]baptistdeathray[dot]com)
    "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?"
    - Edward Young

    by The Baptist Death Ray on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:42:02 AM PDT

    •  You don't think (4.00 / 16)

      That the Russian delegation managed to find a fucking bitch-ass warm dress coat for the ceremoney.

      There is no excuse.

      Just another 2L in the court of life...

      by BrodyV on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:46:48 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  There's plenty of warm formal attire out there. (4.00 / 3)

        I'm with Brody...

        It's not a binary problem -- it isn't either wear a flimsy top coat or a loud green parka -- he could have worn thermal undewear, a lined top coat or even a plain all black parka.  And the hat -- my god it looked like the ratty ones my dad wore in the 1970s!

      •  Why is an excuse necessary? (2.00 / 2)

        It's funny, but up till TODAY I always thought it was the CONSERVATIVE RIGHT who thought that what you WORE was a reflection of WHO YOU WERE and WHAT YOU THOUGHT.  Certainly the times I've been called on the carpet for "dressing inappropriately" have been by people who were representing that oh-so-traditional mindset.

        And it was the people on the LEFT who were always espousing that what you DID was a reflection of WHO YOU WERE -- the whole idea of "talking the talk but not walking the walk" comes straight from peopel on the left accusing the mainstream of playing the role of responsible citizen while being a hypocrite.

        Maybe I just don't care enough about that kind of symbolism, but it seems like you guys are jumping on any chance you can find to ding the bad guys -- to a certain extent I can appreciate the need to do so... I desperately wanted them to lose this election too... but it bothers me that in doing so you seem to be EAGERLY overlooking a minor but persistent piece of ideology I have always associated with (and respected about) the political left: the idea that appearances are unimportant, actions are what matters.

        I confess that bothers me. *shrug* Not that me being bothered by it means a damn thing, but it' s disappointing nonetheless.

        The Baptist Death Ray (bdr[at]baptistdeathray[dot]com)
        "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?"
        - Edward Young

        by The Baptist Death Ray on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 09:56:34 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  I be is good grammer (none / 0)

          Ah, I desperately wish I could edit that post.  Silly puncutation, tense and spelling errors abound... but I can't seem to find an edit function.

          The Baptist Death Ray (bdr[at]baptistdeathray[dot]com)
          "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?"
          - Edward Young

          by The Baptist Death Ray on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:00:29 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  This is about something he DID (4.00 / 5)

          He made a concious choice to forgoe appropriate attire in favor of his own personal comfort.  It's not like he's the rebel kid wearing green hair to school, or a lawyer with a mullet.  His job at that ceremony was to represent the United States to the world.  Part of that job is to be presentable.  He failed.

          Just another 2L in the court of life...

          by BrodyV on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:04:55 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  So basically... (1.85 / 7)

            it's alright to dress however unless it isn't.  The rebel in school is to be admired, because he is bucking conventional expectations, but Cheny is wrong because he was... bucking conventional expectations.

            Or perhaps it was his warmest coat.

            I don't know.  Maybe I am a hopeless idealist, and this is necessary agitprop in order to topple the right-wing surge... I just think this is the oddest choice for a front-page post I've ever seen.  If Cheney had said something like "well, you know, the Holocaust had never happened" -- I'd be right there with you as far as outrage goes... but "not dressin' purdy" isn't something that ranks high on my List Of Things That Are Wrong With This World.

            The Baptist Death Ray (bdr[at]baptistdeathray[dot]com)
            "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?"
            - Edward Young

            by The Baptist Death Ray on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:15:13 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  It's not what he did, it's why he did it (4.00 / 8)

              The Republicans are masters of sending messages to their base.  Why did Reagan give his first major campaign address in Philadelphia Mississippi?

              This was intentional.  It had to be.  He has lived in the Northeast for most of his life.  He has a warm dress coat.  He was the CEO of a major corporation.  He knows the importance of appearance.  It's not like he is some kid who walks into a Cathedral wearing a backpack and shorts because he doesn't know any better.  He's the Vice President of the United States of America.  He is representing the US at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  He knows better than to show up at a funeral in a sledding outfit.  He chose to do so any way.  Why?

            •  Ok (4.00 / 3)

              Your right.  Dick should have just sauntered in wearing whatever the fuck he wanted.  Sorry.  I forget.

              Just another 2L in the court of life...

              by BrodyV on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:21:17 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  What? (4.00 / 4)

              * [new] So basically... (none / 0)

              it's alright to dress however unless it isn't.  The rebel in school is to be admired, because he is bucking conventional expectations, but Cheny is wrong because he was... bucking conventional expectations.

              Bucking conventional expectations? I've been to far more funerals than anyone of 40 should have. Even some where I had no respect for the person who died. But out of respect for the family and friends of those I wore respectfull clothes.

              Why is the concept of respect so hard to grasp? Even as a child I understood the  idea of respect and mourning. Black is for mourning, even navy blue. But not green, fatigue green at that.  It's as if he just couldn't give a shit.

            •  Grab a clue (4.00 / 8)

              it's alright to dress however unless it isn't.  The rebel in school is to be admired, because he is bucking conventional expectations, but Cheny is wrong because he was... bucking conventional expectations.

              Oh, for cryin' out loud. There's a very simple, basic difference between these two situations:

              The rebel in school is representing only himself.

              Cheney is representing our entire nation.

              This should be obvious after three seconds of thought.

              "A shark on whisky is pretty risky; A shark on beer is a beer engineer." - Space Ghost

              by Gaska on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:45:58 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              •  At least Reagan: (none / 0)

                Had the dignity to dress well when laying a wreath at Bitburg in 1985.

                Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself! - Mark Twain

                by johninPortland on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:55:39 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

              •  Reagan comment follow up (none / 0)

                For those who don't remember, this was a bit of a scandal in 85' - when the Gipper showed up very respectfully to lay a wreath a German cemetery in which a number of Nazi officials were interred.

                It's kind of fading into the "dustbin of history" these days.

                Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself! - Mark Twain

                by johninPortland on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 05:06:12 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

            •  Bucking expectations? (none / 1)

              It's a fucking Holocaust memorial at fucking Auschwitz, you twit!

              I don't care if it's Cheney or Kucinich, if they show up at a memorial service for Auschwitz dressed like a goddamned garbage man, it's disrespectful.  

              Dude, a Holocaust memorial isn't high school.. not the time to "buck expectations".

              Internet != Truck

              by ragnark on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 01:15:29 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              •  the problem is more than that though (none / 0)

                It not just that he showed up dressed less than formal.  It might be bad if he had shown up less than formal, but not terrible if he normally was not really as formal as a function required (ie. if he was a casual dresser normally).  

                Then it would have been bad but possibly understandable but not appropriate.

                But he's typically a conservative dresser (never seen him not in a dark suit-white shirt-tie), and thus as formal or more formal than the occasion requires so being more casual sends a message and in this case a negative message.

                "...what Washington means by bipartisanship is mainly that everyone should come together to give conservatives what they want." --- Paul Krugman

                by puppet10 on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:02:23 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

            •  Its not "bucking convention" (none / 0)

              to dress that way at a memorial service for what is one of the most egregious acts of human genocide in modern history, it is disrespectful to dress that way.

              "bucking conventions" is a contextual thing. Not every act of not following rules is a defiant act of protest.  

              And if this is Cheney's warmest coat, then he should be ashamed, its not as if the man is limited in funds in orderly to properly attire himself for the requirements of his job.

              Words can sometimes, in moments of grace, attain the quality of deeds. --Elie Wiesel

              by a gilas girl on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 04:02:59 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

        •  You're missing two (3.90 / 11)

          important points. The first is what I said above. You show your respect at occasions like this. You claim that the left should be more concerned with actions but seem to not see this as an action. Look at that picture and notice that every other person made the correct choice and dressed appropriately.

          The other point is that this is the second most powerfull man on the planet. Everything he does is scrutinized for what it means. And to many this will be seen to mean that he just didn't give a damn. Especially in Europe where people still dress for things like this or even going to church.

          Is it on par with starting a war with lies? No, but it is a very poor reflection on us and our govt's respect for the dead.

          •  Exactly (4.00 / 11)

            Clothes aren't "who you are," but especially for somebody who could buy nice wardrobs for everyone on this thread and not have it hurt his bottom line, clothes are a decision.  There is no way he wasn't given a dress recommendation by somebody in WH Protocol, absolutely no way.  He dressed this way because it was cold and he didn't want to wear an overcoat.

            As an occassionaly staffer to candidates and office-holders, $10 says he was just in a grumpy-ass mood, and didn't want to be "managed" by staff, and said "screw this, it's cold and I'm dressing how I want."  And that's an act, and in this context, an act of disrespect for the place and the occassion.

            After all, 60 years ago there were people a lot more frail than Dick fucking Cheney who couldn't bundle up in a fucking Wehrmacht-Green parka.  He could have endured a little time in a long cashmere overcoat and an appropriate but warm hat.  

            The revolution will not be televised, but we'll analyze it to death at The Next Hurrah.

            by DHinMI on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:17:44 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  The fact that they dressed "correctly" (1.66 / 9)

            simply means that there is some kind of cultural expecation that you do so -- not that it is the correct choice.

            It's not that I don't see what you mean, I just don't agree that it's as important as everyone else seems to feel it is... it seems more like "hey, look, we can use this as ammunition! Let's do it!"

            It is, in short, an attempt to give the Bush Administration their own "Kerry Windsurfing/Snowboarding" moment.  Which, as I recall, most people on this site were pretty infuriated about when the right made such a big deal over it.

            The Baptist Death Ray (bdr[at]baptistdeathray[dot]com)
            "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?"
            - Edward Young

            by The Baptist Death Ray on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:22:06 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  NO! NOT EVEN CLOSE!!! (4.00 / 7)

              Do not equate an attack on John Kerry for how he spends his leisure time with Dick Cheney showing up inappopriately at Auschwitz.  

              Don't you see the difference?!?

              The revolution will not be televised, but we'll analyze it to death at The Next Hurrah.

              by DHinMI on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:25:12 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  But you know what (4.00 / 3)

              It worked.  Thats what was infuriating.  It worked.

              Our goal here is to advance the fortunes of the United States and the world.  We do so by advancing the Democratic party.  This is a Partisan Blog.  This hurts republicans and helps us.  We're using it.

              Thanks.

              Just another 2L in the court of life...

              by BrodyV on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 10:27:24 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  Jeebus (4.00 / 4)

              Of course there is a cultural expectation. There is a traditional one as well. Both of which get to the underlying reason. RESPECT. And he showed none.
            •  Or is it an attempt to do a Jimmy Carter? (none / 0)

              Don't you remember how much hell Carter took for wearing bluejeans at the WH?  It did hurt him politically, as I recall; made him look like a rube as far as many people were concerned.
            •  Please tell me you're kidding (4.00 / 2)

              And you'd better not be kidding.

              Kerry, in his own personal time, went outdoors for sporting activities and dressed for the occasion. Cheney, in an official capacity acting on behalf of the United States of America, went outdoors for a solemn ceremony and dressed for, well, tobogganning with Kerry.

              Good fucking grief!

              And while we're on the subject of respect and what one wears...Dubya insists that jackets and ties must be worn in the Oval Office as a sign of respect for "the people's office". He respects the office so much that he has a dress code for it, even while he uses that space to issue his lies that result in the deaths of Americans as well as others.

              If you must wear a jacket and tie in the Oval Office, for fuck's sake wear appropriate dress to somber ceremonies that have deep-rooted meaning to millions of people.

              He has oil. He tried to kill my daddy.

              by kensa on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 12:07:07 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  So what do you think Cheney is communicating? (none / 0)

              I'm generally against dress codes because they tend to enforce uniformity for its own sake (hey, who's that guy over there who's dressed all different?).  But at a ceremony like this one, the key thing, it seems to me, is to communicate solemnity and respect.

              1.  Do you think that Cheney, as the nation's representative at the memorial service, was supposed to communicate solemnity and respect?  If not, why not?

              2.  If so, do you think his parka-and-boots choice succeeded?  Or do you think it communicated, "Christ, I'm freezing my fucking balls off here!  How many more speeches are there gonna be?  And why can't anyone speak English?  I knew I shoulda brought my hip flask!"

              Let's agree that clothes are one mechanism for self-expression.  And what Cheney expressed was, "I don't give a fuck."

              "Run, comrade, the old world is behind you!" -- Situationist graffito, 1968

              by Pesto on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 12:34:58 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  No it's not important (none / 0)

              But it's still insulting. It's like sitting down when shaking hands with someone who's standing. It signals that they're less important than your comfort. It's like telling a US Senator to go fuck himself.

              Good to see you here, by the way. Time to go dig out my copy of ABCDEffigy.

              --
              Paper Ballots Counted By People!

              by Rupert on Fri Jan 28, 2005 at 01:09:56 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  Attending a memorial at Auschwitz (none / 0)

              Is the NE PLUS ULTRA of cultural occasions. Simply being there is a show of support to many of the ideals (supported by action or not) of Western civilisation. The only correct choice is the traditional Western garb for funerals, of which as we have seen Cheney is perfectly well aware.

              No, it's not as bad as many other things in this administration, in a practical sense, but in a cultural, soft power, influence sense it is a terrible offense. Those pictures will be there for as long as they can be reproduced.

              You don't think people in Poland will be talking about the insult for years?

              He could have chosen to support the message by dressing appropriately- as someone up thread said, layers are always an option. I had a wool dresscoat that I could (and did) wear in below zero temperatures and I was perfectly warm- I refuse to believe a man as wealthy as Dick Cheney can't buy a vastly better coat than I could.

              It is a deliberate insult.

        •  ...on a hot day.... (4.00 / 4)

          ...if it had been hot at the Aushwicz memorial, would it have been ok for Dick to wear shorts and an A-shirt? That seems to be what you're saying.
        •  Alas (none / 0)

          What if Gore had showed up this way during Clinton's  term?
          The fact that Republicans traditionally represent the buttoned down world is precisely what makes this even more offensive than usual. This is a perfectly valid reason for criticism.