As I noted earlier, I think the debate spin — if the Dems are even remotely sensible — will turn heavily on the great number of straight-up falsehoods Cheney told during the debate. But who knew the first one to be pegged would be so gratuitous and easy to nail?
In a rather churlish moment, Cheney told Edwards that the two of them had never met before tonight’s debate, despite the fact the Edwards is a serving senator and Cheney’s the body’s presiding officer.
But as Atrios and no doubt many others have now pointed out, one can easily find a citation on the web of a prayer breakfast the two men attended together in February 2001. And the Dems are already circulating a picture from the event showing the two standing right next to each other.
There was less than no reason to get into the fairly irrelevant topic of whether the two guys have ever met before. But Cheney did. And right like that, smack in the face, what he said turns out to be false.
The key for Democrats will be to drive into Cheney’s falsehoods on Iraq and terror. But this is a nice addition. And Cheney has provided Dems with plenty of grist.
Oh ye Dems. That is your meme. Spin forth, spin I tell you.
[I can already hear the Dems’ snark line: “Dick Cheney says he’d never met John Edwards before last night? I bet he wishes he still never had.”]
