Dick Under Pressure

Looks like the pressure is getting to Dick. Maybe Dick Cheney, like Lon Cheney, occasionally morphs into a wolfhound. Or is that his natural state?

From Reuters:

Vice President Dick Cheney blurted out the "F word" at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont during a heated exchange on the Senate floor.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in a terse discussion between the two that touched on politics, religion and money, with Cheney finally telling Leahy to "f--- off" or "go f--- yourself," the aides said.

According to congressional aides, Leahy said hello to Cheney following the taking of the Senate group photo on the floor of the chamber.

Cheney, who is president of the Senate, then ripped into Leahy for the Democratic senator's criticism this week of alleged war profiteering in Iraq by Halliburton, the oil services company that Cheney once ran.

During their exchange, Leahy noted that Republicans had accused Democrats of being anti-Catholic because they are opposed to some of President Bush's anti-abortion judges, the aides said.

That's when Cheney unloaded with the "F-bomb," aides said.

Well, obviously, "Go Fuck Yourself" is the only possible response when someone complains about your smears. Isn't it great that the grownups are in charge? What will we tell the children?

Begala came up with this winner on Crossfire:

BEGALA: Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney blew a gasket on the Senate floor this week, telling Senator Pat Leahy of Vermont to -- quote -- "go 'F' yourself" -- unquote. Look at it this way, though. Maybe Cheney was just telling Leahy the Republican version of safe sex. I don't know.

(LAUGHTER)