Tread lightly on the things of earth

Of itself it’s not a big lie. But what does it say to his Religious Right supporters when Dick Cheney asserts he’d never met John Edwards until last night’s VP debate when in fact they obviously had met, at a prayer breakfast! (I find this debate tidbit simultaneously sad, funny, and deeply revealing; I keep imagining this little thing turning the Aha! light on for some of my Bush-supporting church friends, whereupon I leap for joy.)

VP debate, October 5, 2004 transcript:

Cheney: The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.

This assertion is rather cleanly debunked by this C-SPAN footage photo dated February 1, 2001:

and Cheney’s remarks from that event:

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY DELIVERS REMARKS AT NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST FEBRUARY 1, 2001 SPEAKER: VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD B. CHENEY [*] CHENEY: Thank you. Thank you very much. Congressman Watts, Senator Edwards, friends from across America and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world, Lynne and I honored to be with you all this morning.

(They’ve previously met elsewhere, too: at Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s swearing-in ceremony, and backstage at Tim Russert’s Meet the Press TV program.)

This teapot tempest is nonetheless a tempest because it implies a habitual pattern of not telling the truth — why else would you lie about something of no consequence?

Similarly important, it also suggests that Mr. Cheney, who as U.S. VP has been president of the U.S. Senate for the last four years, in saying he’s never met Sen. Edwards before, sounds like someone who pays attention only to senators he agrees with and ignores the ones he doesn’t (or, not quite ignoring one of the ones he disagrees with, he once said to “go f*ck yourself,” which I think still qualifies as not an actual meeting).

Wouldn’t cultivating cooperation among all senators — which would presumably include being on speaking terms with each of them — be preferable for getting things done efficiently and effectively? Especially if your boss claims to be a uniter not a divider? If Mr. Cheney hasn’t met some of these senators over whom he’s presided for the last four years, I have to wonder, what else has he not done? (One of the things, if Dave is right, is that he hasn’t done much actual presiding.)

What I find amusing is thinking about the Christian Right’s implied endorsement of behavior like this — as exhibited in its ongoing support of Bush/Cheney — in light of its having to face this gaffe in a prayer breakfast context.

What strikes me as a more Jesus-like response than any we’ve shown so far — especially for those of us who claim that’s important — comes from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who on The Daily Show Monday night (video) assured Jon that “The world loves the American people, just not what you’re doing.” His advice: “Export not bombs, but your compassion and generosity.”

I think that under a Kerry/Edwards administration we stand a chance of heeding this advice — really heeding it, not just saying we do — because compassion and generosity are nearly always onscreen in a Democratic worldview. In contrast, I’m convinced that under a Bush/Cheney administration we probably won’t move much beyond violence and retribution because its leaders think “sensitive” behaviors are foolish.

And honestly, if I were to think exporting compassion and generosity isn’t a major part of any solution to terrorism, confounding though it sounds, then there’s not much point in saying I’m a Christian, is there?

2004-10-07 update:
Bravo! Whereas I beat around the bush, this video makes the same point cleanly in 56 seconds using nothing but Cheney quotes and footage:
An administration that would lie about the small things … would lie about the big things.

Check it out:
Cheney vs. Reality

[via dKos]