Oh my! Thom Hartmann at the CPAC convention wanted to

[Cleita]

make a citizen's arrest of Dick Cheney sitting in a booth next to his. He thought better of it considering all the SS surrounding him. Hey, Republicans are always talking about government spending too much. Here's our taxpayer money paying for security for an admitted war criminal. May I suggest a budget cut?

[lordsummerisle]

1. I've been listening

all morning, I'm amazed at Thom's stamina. I can't imagine debating for hours with those people.

[wryter2000]

2. Especially that 14 year old

How I wish Thom would lean over and wipe the snot off his nose for him.

(Wipe. Not violent. :evilgrin:)

[Cleita]

4. I've seen him on TV before. He's supposed to be some kind of

Freeper boy genius. Just goes to show the idiocy is never ending.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. How long does Cheney get Secret Service protection?

[starroute]

7. I can't figure out why he's getting it now

Everything I check says that former presidents used to get lifetime protection if they wanted, but that in the 90's it was changed to only 10 years -- starting with Bush.

But neither Wikipedia nor anything else says a word about Secret Service protection for former vice presidents.

[starroute]

8. Oh, here -- the Former Vice-President Protection Act of 2008

Sounds like it would be more appropriate to call it the "Dick Cheney Protection Act of 2008." But even that six-month extension should have expired by now. I wonder if it was officially renewed again?


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-h20080609-23

Former Vice Presidents, their spouses, and their children who are under 16 years of age, for a period of not more than six months after the date the former Vice President leaves office. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall have the authority to direct the Secret Service to provide temporary protection for any of these individuals at any time thereafter if the Secretary of Homeland Security or designee determines that information or conditions warrant such protection.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/07/21/2009-07-21_cheney_keeps_protection_thanks_to_uncle_sam_bam.html

July 21st 2009

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's Secret Service protection has been extended for at least another six months, beginning Tuesday.

Normally, ex-veeps only get six months of protection at taxpayer expense. But Cheney asked for an extension, and President Obama - whom Cheney has excoriated in several interviews since leaving office - recently signed off.


On edit: No word of another extension, but one of the stories from last summer says, "Cheney is expected to request another extension when this one runs out." I can understand why he might feel nervous, but are we really supposed to believe he can't afford to pay for his own contingent of mercenaries?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

9. Nice find, starroute.

I wonder if there's a clause in there about perpetual immunity for shooting friends on hunting trips.

[NightWatcher]

5. I would have needed a handful of xanax had I been in Thom's spot

would have done better to smash my head against the desk till I passed out.

Thom is a strong man

[Cleita]

6. No kidding. He sure has a strong stomach. n/t

[troubledamerican]

10. If you could time travel back to 1933, what would you do?

[Cleita]

11. 1933 where? Germany or here? n/t