The Hindu : International : Cheney scores an own goal

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Friday, Oct 08, 2004

International

International

Cheney scores an own goal

By Angus Watson— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

LONDON, OCT. 7. ``I think we agree, the past is over'' and ``I do not remember debates'' are two quotes from his boss, George Bush, that the U.S. Vice-President, Dick Cheney, may have found a use for after Tuesday's debate with John Edwards, when he showed us all the horrible danger of getting a website's address just a tiny bit wrong.

Mr. Edwards started it all by attacking Mr. Cheney for dodgy dealings in his time as CEO of Halliburton, the mega-multinational that Bush-bashing commentators claim exemplifies the Republicans' cosy ties with big business. In reply, Mr. Cheney puffed himself up and gave a ``well, you ask my dad then'' reply. He told Mr. Edwards to get his facts straight by looking at factcheck.com.

Had Mr. Edwards followed that advice, his bright smile would have upped its candle-power a thousand fold. Not only was Mr. Cheney's Internet address wrong, but if you type it in you will come across the following headline: ``Why We Must Not Re-Elect President Bush''. Not a great site, perhaps, for Mr. Cheney to be advertising to tens of millions of U.S. voters. The site continues, immediately, in large bold type: ``President Bush is endangering our safety, hurting out vital interests, and undermining American Values.''

The address Mr. Cheney gave redirects to George Soros's website, where the billionaire financier is conducting a vitriolic campaign against the President. Poor Mr. Cheney could not have got it more wrong.

As it turns out, he did not mean factcheck.com, but factcheck.org, the Pennsylvania University website set up ``to reduce the level of deception and corruption in U.S. politics'', and, ironically, given where Mr. Cheney's error led people, to ``increase public knowledge and understanding.'' The brilliance of his slip is what will remain.

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