Cheney & Powell Together But Separate in W-S

Both Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell were in Winston-Salem yesterday, dancing the Bush minuet, but neither ever occupied the same space at the same time. Just as well, since spitting at each other would have been so undignified.

Powell, whose carefully sculpted misinformation delivered to the United Nations did so much to bring about the Iraqi War, was all high-minded at graduation ceremonies at Wake Forest University: "The world will see that we are still a nation with a moral code that defines out national character," said Powell. Can the man deliver a straight line or what!

Meanwhile, Cheney was over in the gym at Salem College helping raise $200,000 for senate candidate Dick Burr (doesn't that name just make you want to scratch furiously?) The event cost $250 per person or $1,000 per couple, if you wanted the keepsake of an 8 x 10 glossy of you and the little wifey posing with the V.P.

No word in the press coverage that any of the well-coiffed posers complained of the faint whiff of desperation that lingered around Cheney: "According to the Elon University Poll conducted April 26-29, 49.6 percent of North Carolinians strongly approve or approve of the job Bush is doing. That's down from 55.2 percent in February." Gosh, if under 50 percent of North Carolinians approve of Bush's job performance, that means ... naw! Forget it! Electing Jesse Helms to approximately 32 terms in the U.S. Senate meant that North Carolinians never give up on a loser!