The Joys of Not Running for Re-election

You can get away with jokes like this:

WASHINGTON — West Virginians reacted angrily to a joke about families in the state made by Vice President Dick Cheney at the National Press Club Monday.

Talking about his family roots and how he's distantly related to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the vice president noted that he had Cheneys on both sides of his family.

"We'd always known about the Cheney family line on my father's side of the family, back to Massachusetts in the 1630s. My grandmother was named Tyler but it turned out she was descended from a Richard Cheney, same last name, who landed in Maryland in the 1650s."

"So I had Cheneys on both sides of the family — and we don't even live in West Virginia," Cheney quipped.

"You can say those things when you're not running for re-election."

He should have said Arkansas. That would have been more fun.

Cheney apologized and that's disappointing. California gets joked about all the time (and for good reason), and somehow I can manage to go through my day without being offended. These complaining West Virginians ought to try it sometime.

Cheney wasn't done - he also picked on cousin Barack:

In a question-and-answer session after giving a speech at the National Press Club, Cheney said also joked that he wouldn't object to a family reunion with Obama, but said he didn't think the candidate would be up for one — "at least not before November."

"He'd probably be fearful I might whisper in his ear and change his whole view of the Middle East," Cheney said.

The video showed Cheney just about the most relaxed I've ever seen him. I think he's looking forward to getting out of Washington almost as much as the lefties are looking forward to seeing him gone.