Earl L. Shoup, Jr. – 1/16/07

This page was last updated on January 16, 2007.

Who paid for Cheney’s trip?; Earl L. Shoup, Jr.; Beaver County Times; January 16, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“An open letter to Vice President Dick Cheney:”

[RWC] This is at least Mr. Shoup’s second “open letter.” Though I did not critique it, Mr. Shoup wrote an open letter to “Tricky Ricky Santorum” entitled “Posturing over base closing?” (September 2, 2005). In that letter, Mr. Shoup bashed Mr. Santorum and Melissa Hart for their “attempt to save 322 military and 258 private sector jobs by lobbying the BRAC Commission to remove various Pennsylvania military bases from their closing list.”

“What an arrogant, improvident way to spend our tax dollars by using Air Force Two to haul your circle of freeloading lap dogs on a hunting trip to the Ligonier Township Rolling Rock Club in Westmoreland County.”

[RWC] The president and VP always use AF1 & AF2 for their travel – whether for business or otherwise – because they need the planes’ communications capabilities in case of a national emergency. When you’re president or VP, you’re never really on vacation or get the weekend off.

When AF1 & AF2 are used for campaign travel, the president and VP reimburse the government. For example, when a president uses AF1 to travel to a campaign event, his campaign reimburses the government for AF1’s use. The same is true for reporters that accompany the president and VP. Their organizations must pay for the reporters to travel on AF1 & AF2.

Since the president & VP are never really on vacation, I assume the taxpayer pays for “personal” use of AF1 & AF2, like Mr. Cheney’s one-day hunting trip. It appears Mr. Shoup believes Mr. Cheney should remain in Washington, DC, unless he’s traveling on government business.

According to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article, only “several aides” accompanied Mr. Cheney on AF2. Mr. Cheney’s “circle of freeloading lap dogs” found their own transportation to the private club.

“I would like truthful answers to the following prudent questions. Who paid for the cost of using Air Force Two as the mode of transportation for you and all your cronies? Who paid for all the vehicles used to transport you and your cohorts to and from the Latrobe Airport to the club?”

[RWC] As noted above, no “cronies” of Mr. Cheney were on AF2.

“Who paid for all the meals and amenities provided to you and your cronies during the day’s activities? Who paid for the club fees of all your bedfellows?”

[RWC] According to the aforementioned Trib article, “The excursion was sponsored by Dan Cook, an investment banker who runs the Dallas office of Goldman Sachs. He had invited Cheney on a hunting trip in 2003 at Rolling Rock.”

“How self-important of you to take part in a self-indulgent pleasure trip and not schedule a public appearance in the area.”

[RWC] Taking a day to go hunting is a “self-important” act and “a self-indulgent” act? There sure are a lot of those guys around here during deer season.

Let me get this straight. Whenever Mr. Cheney goes on vacation, he must “schedule a public appearance in the area?”

“Again it’s one of your supercilious, self-serving, dirty deeds that you constantly perpetrate on taxpaying Americans.

“I am appalled at your ongoing egregious conduct.

“What a disgraceful example of a government head you are.”

[RWC] You’ll note Mr. Shoup didn’t list the “supercilious, self-serving, dirty deeds that [VP Cheney] constantly perpetrate[s] on taxpaying Americans” or detail Mr. Cheney’s “ongoing egregious conduct.” Mr. Shoup also didn’t give us examples of why Mr. Cheney is “a disgraceful example of a government head.” You would think Mr. Shoup could have given us a few examples. That he did not is telling.

“I’ll be waiting to obtain an answer to this letter, which I’m sure I won’t receive, now or ever.”

[RWC] Mr. Shoup forgot to accuse Mr. Cheney of shooting caged ducks and pheasants. <g> That’s a hallmark of most letters about Mr. Cheney’s hunting trips.