Three bishops, one Duke, a President, one cardinal and a former Speaker of the House

From the Palm Beach Post-

MANALAPAN — Vice President Dick Cheney chided Congress for "hampering the war effort" by voting to have troops removed from Iraq by next year.



On Friday, the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted 218-212 to bring the troops home by September 2008, or earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain goals.

Cheney, speaking to members of the Republican Jewish Coalition gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan on Saturday, said the vote is "counterproductive and sends exactly the wrong message" to America's enemies.

"They are not supporting the troops, they are undermining them," Cheney said of the war's opponents. "They are telling the enemy simply to run out the clock and wait us out."

The vote, largely along party lines, sharpened the differences between Congress and the White House over the conduct of war.

"The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Friday. "The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not."

Cheney got a standing ovation from the crowd of nearly 300, and his remarks were frequently interrupted with applause. He spoke almost entirely about Iraq and the war on terrorism.

This was the speech I blogged about earlier here. TFM has problems with how the war in Iraq has been run, but doesn't see the setting of a pullout date as a good idea.

Also in town this weekend was a possible Republican hopeful for 2008.

Earlier, members heard from former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who is considering entering the race for the GOP nomination for president.

I've been down with a bad cold all weekend, and skipped attending mass yesterday. Which was my bad luck, Dear wife got to meet and shake hands with Newt Gingrich. She even asked his wife(or lady friend) if the former speaker is going to run in 2008. Dear wife was told Newt hasn't decided yet. No scoop on 2008 from TFM.

My wife through her work has gotten to meet the last four Bishops of Palm Beach, one who is now a Cardinal. Plus when we travelled to the Europe and London in 2000, my wife shook hands with the Duke of Marlborough and Poland's President.

And who do I get to meet through blogging? Don't answer that question!

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