Dick Cheney sighted running off to Canada

Some have asked where the Vice President has been lately. I've seen some online speculation that he's still vacationing in Wyoming and that he might be sick.

It turns out that his next scheduled event is not related to helping the victims of this disaster, as prominent national leaders in any sane administration would be doing right now. He is instead going to Alberta on September 9 to visit the oil sand facilities near Fort McMurray.

Cheney will also attend a private banquet in Calgary hosted by the Fraser Institute, which is a right-wing Canadian think-tank analogous to the Heritage Foundation or American Enterprise Institute.

Vice-presidential visit confirmed
By RENATO GANDIA
Today staff
Wednesday August 31, 2005

Fort McMurray Today -- The White House confirmed Tuesday afternoon that American Vice-President Dick Cheney is coming to visit Fort McMurray's oilsands on Sept. 9.

"The vice-president's visit to Fort McMurray's oilsands facilities will be a component of the trip, which will provide the opportunity to discuss energy security and available resources," White House spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride, told Today Tuesday.

...

Michael Walker, executive director of Fraser Institute, told Today Cheney's visit all started as a private trip to visit friends.

"It's a private trip and then I suggested that he visit the tarsands," Walker said.

The government got hold of the information and made a public event out of the visit, he said. Walker will hold a private banquet for the Cheney on Sept. 8 but he declined to comment about its details.

"It's a very private function. ... " said Walker.

Cheney to visit Alberta for Big Oil

Here in Canada, we should greet Cheney as a war criminal, as his (nominal) boss Bush was greeted last year.

by Derrick O'Keefe
September 1, 2005

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney will make a visit to Canada in early September. His itinerary, though, isn't likely to take him near the nation's capital in Ottawa, as he plans to stick to the more familiar territory of oil-rich Alberta. Cheney's trip highlights once again the priorities of the U.S. administration. Dick will be here to size up the vaunted tar sands of Alberta which, despite still difficult and costly extraction, some tout as the world's largest reserve of hydrocarbons.

On September 8, Cheney will have a high-level "invitation-only" dinner in Calgary with western premiers Ralph Klein and Gordon Campbell, with the evening's host being none other than the "non-partisan" Fraser Institute, an influential right-wing "think-tank."

The Fraser Institute is a familiar source for dissemination of conservative ideas, particularly for those on Canada's West Coast. Its press releases are all too often run as news stories -- especially in CanWest-Global productions -- no matter how recycled their latest "findings," such as their tiresome annual school "rankings" aimed at discrediting public education. Nevertheless the swagger that the Institute's long-time mouthpiece Michael Walker displayed in announcing the V.P.'s dinner is worth noting.

"It's a private dinner for a few friends of ours with the vice-president. It's by invitation-only," Walker told the Edmonton Sun.

...

•  The Fraser Institute

  among other things, argues against efforts to mitigate global warming and the Kyoto Treaty.

  by Mike Doughney on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:14:05 PM PDT

  •  Fraser Institute....

    ...publishes reams of unintentional humor, perhaps better described as pornography for those beyond being able to bulge anywhere but their wallets. I collect the stuff at garage sales and Salvation Army stores for a few cents a book out of pure schadenfreude. It makes for amazing reading a few years after it's written.

    They just HATE to be reminded, too.

    by sagesource on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:59:16 PM PDT

  •  Canadian Right Wing Thinktank

    Just awful.  Sort of on the fringe though.  They want to be Americans.

    by BerkeleyCanuck on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 03:09:13 PM PDT

•  Dear Canada

  You may have noticed that the Gulf Coast of the United States has recently been destroyed by a large Tropical Hurricane, officially named "Katrina".

  In the aftermath of this devastation, our Federal Government has moved too slowly, and as a result many, many citizens of the United States have died. Sice we are stretched so thin from protecting the Iraqi oil from terrorists, we need every available U.S. government official here to help with the disaster relief effort.

  If you see you Vice President, Richard "Dick" Cheney up therem would you please give him a ride back to the border? He has responsibilities here at home...

  Thanks, Hope all is well with you up there,

  -america

  by dnamj on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:15:42 PM PDT

  •  P.S.

    On second thought, if you could just arrest him and then drop his sorry fat-ass in the middle of New Orleans, that would be great.  Thanks.  

    by Billy Shears on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:18:12 PM PDT

    •  No drop him in the tar sands

      perhaps someday he could become part of the oil that he loves so much--and actually make a contribution to the world!

      by ohiolibrarian on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:38:27 PM PDT

      •  How about the tar and feather sands?

        NT

        by barbwires on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:52:33 PM PDT

  •  Why haven't we seen his face?

    Does he not know how to show he has a heart?

    What is this man, just a quintessential businessman ??  Oh, I forgot, he's also a war strategist.

    by joan reports on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:20:25 PM PDT

    •  He doesn't have a heart.

      Or a soul.

      by Billy Shears on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:21:43 PM PDT

•  Dick Cheney Canada

  I think he needs to get pushed off a plane into the 9th ward of New Orleans.

  All right... give him a parachute.

  by TOTR on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:16:28 PM PDT

  •  Parachute?

    Surely you meant "anvil", no?

    by Billy Shears on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:19:05 PM PDT

    •  Anvil

      I would like to give the people of New Orleans the same opportunity the people of Italy has with another fascist ... Mussolini.

      by TOTR on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:21:24 PM PDT

•  cheney

  And the Vice President would be carrying a check for the $4 billion owed Canadian softwood lumber producers?

  by eastvan on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:17:07 PM PDT

•  As a Canadian citizen and Permanent

  Resident of the U.S., I ask my birth country to please arrest Cheney for war crimes.

  by lecsmith on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:19:15 PM PDT

•  Cheney is a piece of Shit n/t

  by JohnnyAppleseed on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:20:44 PM PDT

•  cheney2

  Maybe the Canadians could grow a set and say"no oil untill America lives up to the treatys they have signed-and end the lobbiest inspired nonsense about the softwood lumber debate;and give American consumers a break on houseing prices. This might be an issue to think about as the rebuilding of the NO area gets up to speed. Its really quite simple,crappy,overpriced Georgia Pine or good wood for a fair price.

  by eastvan on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:27:26 PM PDT

•  He is casing the joint

  We're going to make Canada an offer they can't refuse. We need that oil and water in Alberta!

  by NotSoFast on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:30:00 PM PDT

•  Dick Cheney, before he dicks the world!

  Doh! Too late!

  by semiot on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 02:37:46 PM PDT