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Cheney, Edwards met twice despite vice president's statement

LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press

Posted on Wed, Oct. 06, 2004

CLEVELAND - Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday that the debate against Democratic Sen. John Edwards marked the first time the two had met. In fact, the two had met twice previously.

"Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session. The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight," Cheney told Edwards during the debate.

In February 2001, the vice president thanked Edwards by name at a Senate prayer breakfast. Edwards aides also said the two met when the first-term North Carolina senator accompanied Elizabeth Dole to her swearing-in by Cheney as a North Carolina senator in January 2003.

Edwards didn't forget. The Democratic vice presidential nominee noted the discrepancy at a post-debate rally in a Cleveland park and used it as an example of Cheney "still not being straight with the American people."

"The vice president said that the first time I met Sen. Edwards was tonight when we walked on the stage. I guess he forgot the time we sat next to each other for a couple hours about three years ago. I guess he forgot the time we met at the swearing in of another senator. So, my wife Elizabeth reminded him on the stage," Edwards said as the crowd roared.

According to Edwards staff, Cheney replied, "Oh, yeah."

"She reminded him about the truth," Edwards told the crowd, "and come November, we're going to remind him that the American people do not want four more years of George W. Bush."

Cheney made the remark in accusing Edwards of frequent absences from Senate votes.

Copyright 2004 Knight Ridder (emphasis added)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9846293.htm