Cheney Comes Out of Hiding to Bash Obama on Spill Response

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Dick Cheney, who has been MIA for the past two months, finally made his first comments on the Gulf oil disaster yesterday. He emerged from an undisclosed location to bash Obama’s handling of the crisis in a speech to the Manufacturer and Business Association convention in Erie, Pa. Via Think Progress, here’s the crucial part of the local television affiliate’s report on his speech:

Mr. Cheney also touched on what he called the President’s lack of action in the Gulf oil leak. He said Obama doesn’t have enough experience to make things happen.

We might have more information about what Cheney said if he hadn’t kicked reporters out of the speech after just a few minutes. The Erie Times-News reports that the contract for Cheney’s speech “required the media to leave five minutes into his estimated one-hour talk, which included a question-and-answer session. “

Secret meetings? Wow, some things never change, do they?

Here’s the less-than-detailed news report:

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A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just hours left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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