Inside the Beltway

That’s an order

“We’ve been looking forward to spending some time this morning — at ease. Please, everybody, you can sit down.”

— Deputy commander in chief Vice President Dick Cheney, rallying around U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton in California this week.

Boston beanbags

Democrats are taking more than verbal aim at Republicans during the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Take Sen. Jon Corzine of New Jersey.

Jody Franklin, who was Hillary Rodham Clinton’s chief of staff during the 1992 presidential campaign, says she was in the audience when Mr. Corzine addressed a union breakfast coinciding with the convention. Surrounding him were artfully placed full-size cutouts of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

“After his remarks, Senator Corzine was offered a few bean bags,” she reveals. “Without missing a beat, he threw a pitch, hit Cheney on the chin and knocked him over to a cheering crowd.”

Bigger fish to fry

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean can’t comment on all the convention fussing and fighting surrounding left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore’s anti-President Bush film “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

Top party leaders, in fact, are keeping their distance from the movie and its producer during this week’s Democratic National Convention, reports Marc Morano, CNSNews.com’s senior staff writer.

“I have not seen the movie, so I can’t comment on it,” Mr. Dean said.

When pressed for his reaction to Mr. Moore’s harshly critical statements about Mr. Bush, Mr. Dean replied: “To be honest with you, I am not sure what that is, either. I haven’t paid that much attention.”

Story Continues →