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If this is true, it is surely a sign that the apocalypse is upon us:
It seems that Ted Williams over at Fly Rod and Reel has "an unimpeachable source (suggesting) that the American Museum of Fly Fishing is going to make none other than VP Dick Cheney its guest of honor at its spring meeting."
I haven't a clue who over there at the AMFF thought it was okay to invite Dick to the party, but apparently they haven't been following the news during the past two presidential terms. I'm sure we could argue politics here until we're all blue in the face, but one thing is for certain - Cheney has absolutely horrible environmental record, particularly with regard to fly fishers in America.
I honestly can't understand this one. Ignoring science and altering water policy to win battleground states shouldn't get you invited to a place who's mission statement says, "promoting an understanding of and appreciation for the history, traditions, and practitioners, past and present, of the sport of fly fishing in order to nurture, expand, and disseminate its rich heritage to a variety of audiences. This is accomplished by collecting, preserving, displaying, studying and interpreting the artifacts, art, and literature of the sport."
Shame on them.
Just in case you were living under a rock the past eight years, here's a small sampling of what Dick has done for our nation's fisheries, courtesy of Ted Williams' blog.
From the Washington Post., read about the biggest fish-kill the West has ever seen, courtesy of the museum’s hero:
“Law and science seemed to be on the side of the fish. Then the Vice President stepped in. First Cheney looked for a way around the law, aides said. Next he set in motion a process to challenge the science protecting the fish, according to a former Oregon congressman who lobbied for the farmers. Because of Cheney's intervention, the government reversed itself and let the water flow in time to save the 2002 growing season, declaring that there was no threat to the fish. What followed was the largest fish kill the West had ever seen, with tens of thousands of salmon rotting on the banks of the Klamath River. Characteristically, Cheney left no tracks.”
Also from the Washington Post:
Maybe because his efforts could directly result in Flyfishing and all it's traditions becoming only relics in a museum?? Maybe they see him as good for business.....(wicked sarcasm, in case it doesn't translate).
Posted by: Wags | January 07, 2009 at 10:09 AM
(Stolen contact info from Buster)
Let the AMFF know how you feel...
Catherine E. Comar, Executive Director
American Museum of Fly Fishing
4104 Main Street
Manchester, Vermont 05254
Telephone: 802-362-3300
Fax: 802-362-3308
[email protected]
Posted by: Ramcatt | January 07, 2009 at 10:13 AM
I saw a great sticker on a chairlift tower this past weekend in Silverton, CO:
"Dick Cheney Skis in Jeans."
It works on so many levels.
Riceman
Posted by: Riceman | January 07, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Riceman,
I've seen that one too. We dubbed it perhaps the greatest bumper sticker of all time.
So funny...
Posted by: tim romano | January 07, 2009 at 12:13 PM
If true, I am enraged! Are these people completely nuts! The only place Cheney should be invited to is counseling outside his prison cell. He and his puppet, Bush, have done more damage to our land and sport than any other administration in our history. If AMFF is actually going to do this, the entire membership should resign!
Tom
Posted by: tom warner | January 07, 2009 at 01:36 PM
Once you think you've seen it all....
Inviting Dick Cheny as the "honored" speaker at AMFF is like having Bush as the honored speaker at the National Mensa convention
I think it's an ugly rumor. Can't possibly be true.
Posted by: Dave Orndorf | January 07, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Check your information and your source. This is discusting
Posted by: Richard | January 07, 2009 at 05:19 PM
I like how once the media depics a person as evil, they can so easily insert his name into a biased newspaper column and all the sheep beleive it to be the honest truth. You all should look into these "articles" before you post references to them and find out the facts. If you honestly beleive these finger pointers called journalist are telling you the truth 100% of the time, I've got some snake oil that will cure global warming!!!
Posted by: Red | January 07, 2009 at 05:47 PM
Richard,
What's disGusting about it?
Like I said, this is speculation from an unnamed source that Cheney will be attending this meeting. IF true it's a slap in the face to fly fishers all over the nation. He's done nothing but harm to our fisheries. Why would they celebrate him?
Now if you're suggesting that the Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times aren't credible sources on Mr. Cheney's atrocities I suggest calling them out on it and see how far you get.
Last time I checked those we're pretty stand-up newspapers reporting hard facts.
Posted by: tim romano | January 07, 2009 at 05:57 PM
Red,
Do me this favor. Tell me one positive this that Cheney has done for fishing in America. Just one. The hard facts are that he's done nothing but drag us back decades in the fight to save our wild places.
I can think of a multitude of other people that should be considered before that oaf.
Posted by: tim romano | January 07, 2009 at 06:03 PM
Tim,
I'll give you one. He added 671,000 acres to Wyoming wilderness by introducing legislation in both the 97th and 98th Congress BANNING OIL AND GAS LEASING and protecting Yellowstone National Park. Does that make anyones ears hurt to hear some truth? I hope so.
By no means do I think Cheney is an angel and should be honored by the AMFF,
but I do think they looked into this before making a choice as to who to invite. My point is this, the media labeled Cheney from the start as an evil oil puppet master, and so it was! Does anyone ever look into these accusations and articles for the truth? No, the LA Times says it's the truth, so it is! Don't bother to decifer the political agenda of a journalist, they are all un-biased! Right? We should all be just a little skeptical when ingesting information put out by any media.
If the readers of this post want a look at Cheney through the eyes of a fly fisherman/journalist, Matt Labash of the Weekly Standard spent a day on the river with VP Cheney and wrote the article, "The Passion of Dick Cheney, fishing the Snake River with the Vice President". It's a great article and should be read by everyone on this blog. Read this and tell me that anyone with this much passion for our sport could possibly be the same man the media makes him out to be! Pay close attention to the eighth from the last paragraph.
Media drives the mood of the country, and politicians should worry about making a difference instead of playing to the media!
Posted by: Red | January 07, 2009 at 07:28 PM
!!!
Posted by: Red | January 07, 2009 at 07:32 PM
naked women in the boat is a passion I can get *ahem* behind...
Posted by: Ramcatt | January 07, 2009 at 08:07 PM
whoop-dee-do. He protected a National Park?
I would think Yellowstone would be safe from even him. If you look a little closer into this move he added these acres after originally wanting to open it up to drilling. My guess... Well, he does own a house awfully close to this area. Hum? He loves to fish around here too. Hum? Self serving? I dunno...
Posted by: tim romano | January 07, 2009 at 09:00 PM
You asked for one, I gave it to you! If you want to toss it up to self serving, be my guest. I don't care if anyone likes him or not (nor does he), just think about what your subscribing to.
As a guide, I always laugh when some know it all brings his wife or family on a trip, walks tall like he knows what he's doing, sends me off with the family only to come back after his wife and 7 year old are slaying trout, and asks for help cause he hasn't even gotten a strike. No matter how much you know about something, there's still more. Same with politics and the media. You don't have to like FOX News, but you might get a better picture of what's going on if you diversify your media inputs once in a while.
I guess this just strengthens the old saying, you don't dicuss politics or religion while fishing. Even the best freinds will disagree.
Posted by: Red | January 07, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Red,
By the way - The Weekly Standard? Talk about biased. I'm just subscribing to provable facts. Nothing else.
I agree that there's always something more. Always. It's just hard to dispute facts that can be backed up. We are talking about someone who has every move scrutinized.
I tell you what. If we ever find ourselves on a stream together I'll take your advice and not discuss politics or religion. I have a feeling we'd only get into trouble.
Posted by: tim romano | January 07, 2009 at 10:10 PM
I once hit the aforementioned house with a golf ball back in '03....
just saying
Posted by: Ramcatt | January 07, 2009 at 11:08 PM
I have two thoughts on this... first, the AMFF would be pulling in lots of money to have the former VP attend, I saw this at a fundraiser for Quayle back in the mid 90's. People don't necessarily look at the enviromental policies, but more the chance to be in the same room as a VP or President. The second thought is that this may become a publicity stunt for the AMFF to try and pull in the money. Just keep clear of the muzzle when he turns :)
Posted by: Matt Penttila | January 07, 2009 at 11:11 PM
If you look up the most recent studies on media bias, you will be very interested to find out where The Washington Post, The LA Times, and the New York Times stand. These are three of the MOST liberal newspapers out there and located in the most liberal parts of the country! Just look at the titles of the articles, "Dick Cheney's last-gasp fight against clean air"! Come on, you think this is going to be a objective peice? Think about were your getting this stuff! Please!!! And suggesting that the evil emperor Cheney has his hands in the cookie jar is NOT a provable fact, it's an accusation. Journalism is lost!!! If you think here-say can be backed up or would stand up in court, I'm very sorry my friend, not gonna happen.
As far as being scrutinized, Cheney has been strangely absent from the media the last seven years, except for the attack pieces that seem to find their way on to the nightly news networks and papers op-eds. He may be the most camera shy politician on the planet.
If you read the Weekly Standard article, you would know that this piece, like I stated before, was a look at this man through the eyes of a flyfisher/journalist. It's not a political crack piece, just a good story about a man who loves the sport. You might be suprized to find out that he is a human after all.
I look foreward to seeing you on the river, I think we probably have more in common than you might think, ask Deeter and I'll see you on the Colordo!
Posted by: Red | January 07, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Wow! Fllogger just went Huffington/Drudge - BigE/Tupac - Oregon/Great Lakes Steelhead all wrapped into one. Layeth the smaketh down y'all!
Honestly, I'll chalk this one up to "winter doldrums." Still... I like it. For the record: I'm still fairly certain that if Cheney skis... he wears a pair of tight Levi 501s... probably a pair of white rear entry Nordica boots as well. And a one-piece. Something Fluorescent. Maybe turquoise. And a pair of aviators.
Rock on politicos!
Riceman
Posted by: Riceman | January 08, 2009 at 12:33 AM
The Weekly Standard = neocon propaganda.
Talk about a crappy journalism. Red, if this is all you read I feel pity for you. Open your eyes man. The rest of the world sees it. Why can't you.
Thank god, Bush, Dick, and all his cronies will gone in a couple of weeks. We might even get our country back...
Posted by: msmiller | January 08, 2009 at 12:42 AM
All the other statements aside, I don't ever want to be near Cheney. Anyone who can pull the trigger, shoot someone and not take full responsiblity for it.......nuff said.
Posted by: Koldkut | January 08, 2009 at 12:56 AM
One last thing I omitted in my last post: the Aviators that Dick Cheney wears when he is skiing have those sweet glacier glare resistant leather doo-hickeys on the sides. I'm also pretty sure he has a hip sack loaded with protective UV ointment and hand warmers.
OK, now I'm done. I swear. Sorry Tim. Sorry Red. I digress via Stella Artois.
Riceman
Posted by: Riceman | January 08, 2009 at 01:06 AM
Red:
Will Dick Cheney be conducting a Hunter Safety Course at the AMFF meeting? Perhaps the course could be given after Cheney has "a beer" for lunch?
Posted by: Bob | January 08, 2009 at 04:35 AM
"I digress via Stella Artois"
Best line of the whole thread...
I will salute your wit via Optimator (tonight, I hasten to add as it's 8 a.m. here and I'm not in college any more...) only because my local house of fine and not-so-fine spirits is out of Stella at the moment...
Posted by: Chad Love | January 08, 2009 at 09:16 AM