WP: Cheney Switches From Scowls to Smiles

[Pirate Smile]

Cheney Switches From Scowls to Smiles

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 6, 2006; Page A13

A day after scolding Russia for retreating on democracy, Vice President Cheney flew to oil-rich Kazakhstan yesterday and lavished praise on the autocratic leader of a former Soviet republic where opposition parties have been banned, newspapers shut down and advocacy groups intimidated.

Cheney stood next to Kazakhstan's longtime president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in a marble hall of the presidential palace in Astana and congratulated him on his country's vibrant economy. His tone was markedly different from the tenor of his remarks about Russia a day earlier during a stop in Lithuania, when he accused Moscow of violating its citizens' rights and using "intimidation or blackmail" against neighbors.

In the course of a 395-word opening statement, according to a White House transcript, Cheney pronounced himself "delighted" to be a guest of Nazarbayev, saying "I consider him my friend" and adding that "the United States is proud to count Kazakhstan as a friend." Cheney professed "great respect" for Nazarbayev and said that "we are proud to be your strategic partner" and look forward "to continued friendship between us."

Asked about Kazakhstan's human rights record, he expressed "admiration for all that's been accomplished here in Kazakhstan" and confidence that it will continue.
Kazakhstan, however, remains a repressive nation, ruled by a former Communist apparatchik who has maintained a tight grip over its 15 million people since Soviet days and parlayed its massive energy reserves into a place on the international stage. Those reserves, human rights advocates say, have earned the country a pass from the Bush administration on human rights.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050501490.html

[CrazyOrangeCat]

1. Hope a stampede of . . .

. . . (insert whatever yak-like creature you have in your mind) trample the both of those two jerks.

[smtpgirl]

5. Cheney reminds me of the Alfred Hitchcock series

where the story line of that segement was all of the personalities in the story had the faces of their character.

Cheney should ALWAYS wear the scowl, it fits him well

That was one of the most memorable shows that I have watched. I have viewed it 2 times and it still brings chills. It shows that people really can't hide their true selves

[acmavm]

2. The man doesn't give a fat rat's ass that we know what he's up to and

that he's lying his ass off. Why should he? He's gotten away with it up to now. I'm sure that nothing's going to change, like maybe somebody stands up to him.

I think if someone did to Cheney like was done to Rumsfeld the other day by Ray McGovern, he'd try to have them executed on the spot.

[0007]

12. Ten years in a lonely damp dark prison cell would wake

this madman called cheney up.

[joemurphy]

3. Huh? What kind of Bozo foreign policy are we undertaking?

Is this something Deadeye has worked out with Condi? If so, why are we picking fights with Russia and cozying up to Central Asian tyrants?

If it isn't authorized by Condi, then why is this drunken blohard conducting independent foreign policy?

As usual, with Junior at the helm, our foreign policy is rudderless.

[MisterP]

4. this is so ridiculous: take Belarus's Lukashenka--he's a John Cleese-esque

dictator, while Nazarbayev more or less openly kills anyone running against him, and who gets blasted as the next Stalin and who gets the red-carpet treatment? And don't forget "I name months for me and my ma" "Turkmenbashi" and "Boilin' Mad" Karimov.

[JI7]

6. i want to say something but i would probably get tombstoned

[Up2Late]

7. The sad thing is, Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev is the best of...

...the terrible 3, Kazakhstan is nearly a liberal haven compared to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Did you see the April 4, 2006 Daily Show's "This week in God?"

Here the link: <http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=61179>

Near the end they talk about Turkmenistan and how it does not have an official state religion except for the fact that self declared President for life Saparmurat Niyazov expects his people to worship him as a god and use his 2 books Rukhnama and Rukhnama II as religious texts which are to be treated similar to the Koran. The government reportedly requires all schools to provide regular instruction on the Rukhnama and requires all children to bring personal copies to school. Plus, you have to see it to believe it, check out the video, it's about the last minute.

<http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/ed_helms/index.jhtml>

[Canuckistanian]

8. Maybe Crashcart's just picking up some torture tips

Or hiring the some campaign directors for November.

Thay're going to have to construct a new circle of Hell just for Cheney.

Maybe Halliburton can get the no-bid.

[liberal N proud]

9. Pure evil

[lonestarnot]

10. Cancer!

[JerseygirlCT]

11. Is it just me, or is he even scarier when he smiles? nt