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Washington notebook
Compiled from Times wires Live from D.C., it's Dick CheneyWASHINGTON -- With President Bush kicking around the Texas ranch for a bit of downtime, Vice President Dick Cheney, whose unofficial address remains "an undisclosed secure location," has suddenly returned to the scene in the nation's capital. Since the airstrikes over Afghanistan began Oct. 7, Cheney has gone underground for security reasons. He has been virtually out of sight since Oct. 25, when he addressed the Republican Governors' Association. But since Bush left for Texas on Tuesday, the vice president has broadened his profile. He made two speeches last week -- one was before the Federalist Society in Washington on Thursday -- and engaged in a 20-minute interview with the British Broadcasting Co. Wednesday, he traveled to the Capitol to convince wavering lawmakers to oppose a $9.73-billion amendment to a defense spending bill. Thursday, he huddled with Michael Bloomberg, the Republican mayor-elect of New York. Addressing Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who introduced him at the Federalist Society event, Cheney quipped, "It's good to see a member of the Cabinet in person -- it's good to see anybody in person these days. Lynne (Cheney's wife) and I don't get too many visitors at the cave." Cheney has some freedom to move around -- he was in South Dakota week before last on a hunting trip -- but his profile has been decidedly low. The only other place Cheney has been seen recently -- or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof -- has been on Saturday Night Live. "I've been watching a tape of the guy who plays me on the show, Darrell Hammond," Cheney said. "He's got the voice down. He's pretty good at the mannerisms. But he's not quite there yet and I doubt he'll ever capture the real me. You just can't fake charisma." Mrs. Bush kicks off move to discredit the TalibanLaura Bush took over her husband's weekly radio address on Saturday to urge worldwide condemnation of the treatment of women in Afghanistan and to ensure that they have rights and can contribute when that country is rebuilt. "Afghan women know, through hard experience, what the rest of the world is discovering: The brutal oppression of women is a central goal of the terrorists," Mrs. Bush said from Crawford, Texas, where she and President Bush are spending Thanksgiving. Administration officials said Mrs. Bush's speech, apparently the first solo performance by a first lady in the weekly presidential radio address, was the beginning of an international campaign to call attention to the oppression of women and children under the Taliban. Amnesty International said the U.S.-aided Northern Alliance and other Afghan opposition groups also have committed "heinous abuses" against women. And critics point out that women face severe treatment in other Muslim countries, including U.S. allies.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
