November 9, 2000

7:00 AM

The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution looks like it states that Texas cannot, in fact, cast its electoral votes for Bush and Cheney. Although he was careful to be photographed in Jackson Hole, WY, Cheney is in fact a resident of Texas and has a Texas driver's license. (Overheard from radio news) (Discuss)
posted by m.polo (14 comments total)

Before Cheney named himself Dubya's "best choice" in the veep vetting, he remembered to go re-register himself as a voter in Wyoming, just to get around this very issue.

In fact, it was Cheney's voter re-registration that tipped off the press that he was going to name himself after interviewing all those other lesser Republicans.


posted by briank at 7:15 AM on November 9, 2000

Damn!
posted by capt.crackpipe at 7:34 AM on November 9, 2000

Clever bastard, that Cheney.
posted by ratbastard at 7:35 AM on November 9, 2000

And no matter how much satisfaction I'd get from sticking it to them, for all the lies they've put in Al Gore's mouth, you kinda have to let Cheney be a Wyoming man. Being that he represented them in Congress all those years.
posted by dhartung at 7:37 AM on November 9, 2000

It's remarkable to me how blithely everyone accepted Cheney slipping himself into the VP slot. Let me state that while I think Bush will be a bad President, I don't think he's any more awful a human being than the vast majority of Americans, myself included. He'd make a fine bank manager or commissioner of baseball or any number of jobs that don't give him the power of life and death over others.

The idea of Cheney being one accident away from the Presidency, on the other hand, should be giving people nightmares. I can't think of a more stereotypical Big Industry Republican. And he just calmly worked himself into the VP slot, cutting out Ridge (and possibly losing the election for his party). He's one of the people that I can use as a convenient check for my political beliefs -- if Cheney likes it, I should be scared. In Cheney's universe, Teflon-coated bullets are good, Head Start is bad, and government should be eviscerated except for all those Haliburton military contracts.

Feh.
posted by snarkout at 7:42 AM on November 9, 2000

The "lies they put in Gore's mouth"?!!? Honestly, that's just silly.

I'm not defending Bush/Cheney/Gore/Nader or anyone else. Let's all just step back and understand that all Presidential Candidates are, in whole or part, political whores. Sorry, but its true. Its how you get to be a candidate on this level.

While one candidate or another may better meet our views/needs, none are as valiant as we tend to portray them (even Nader!).

Until we ask more of our candidates, regardless of platform or affiliation, we should not expect more.

That two cents. Enjoy.
posted by hc at 8:27 AM on November 9, 2000

Cheney tried to weasel out of the legal requirement by rushing to change his
voter registration from Texas to Wyoming (after being appointed the VP pick).
But Cheney's homestead tax exemption was applied to his Texas residence.

By federal law, this exemption may only be applied to the legal primary residence.
So either Cheney broke Federal tax law (and is a felon, and cannot serve),
or the election of Bush and Cheney together is illegal."



posted by JFunk2800 at 12:31 PM on November 9, 2000

Oh, that's just gorgeous, JFunk.

Watch them sneak out of it anyway.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 1:19 PM on November 9, 2000

Yeah, Funk, but it doesn't matter unless the media cares.

Let Bush get in, and then hand it to Drudge. He almost brought Clinton down...
posted by baylink at 5:12 PM on November 9, 2000

Cheney tried to weasel out of the legal requirement by rushing to change his voter registration from Texas to Wyoming (after being appointed the VP pick).

It was widely reported that Cheney had changed his residency status before he was named as Bush's VP pick, before the RNC convention, before the election, and long before the electors actually vote. So what if he weaseled out of it? I suppose you think Hillary weaseled into running for Senate in New York, a state she moved to for the sole purpose of running for Senate in New York? Sure, they both weaseled into it, but the law says it's okay, and besides, Cheney really is from Wyoming. I could argue that his Texas residency was really only for convenience because he worked there, and changing back to Wyoming was only natural. So what's the problem?

But Cheney's homestead tax exemption was applied to his Texas residence. By federal law, this exemption may only be applied to the legal primary residence. So either Cheney broke Federal tax law (and is a felon, and cannot serve), or the election of Bush and Cheney together is illegal.

He only just changed his primary residence this year. So I'm assuming his application of the homestead tax exemption was made on his 1999 tax return, a year during which his primary residence was in Texas. As long as he properly files his 2000 return indicating a Wyoming residence, I don't see the problem.

To tell the truth, it sounds like you're grasping for straws. Look, I'm all in favor of bashing Bush and Cheney, but don't resort to lies, deceptions, and misleading statements. Then you're just as bad as all the right-wingers who love to bash the Clintons for every rumor, no matter how far-out, they ever heard. Blech.

posted by daveadams at 7:46 AM on November 10, 2000

Look, I'm all in favor of bashing Bush and Cheney, but don't resort to lies, deceptions, and misleading statements.

Aw, c'mon Dave? Why not? :-)
posted by baylink at 7:57 AM on November 10, 2000

Jeepers, baylink, pay attention! Then you're just as bad as all the right-wingers who love to bash the Clintons for every rumor, no matter how far-out, they ever heard.

:-)
posted by cCranium at 10:20 AM on November 10, 2000

Well, baylink, considering I lost all respect for you long ago, feel free to lie, deceive, and mislead all you like. :)
posted by daveadams at 11:24 AM on November 10, 2000

The twelfth ammendment is very specific. Cheney cannot be an inhabitant of the same state Bush is from. They've both been inhabiting Texas. Yes, Cheney used to live in Wyoming and served as a congressman for them for many years, but unless he's taken the time to move and sell his house recently, he's still an inhabitant. He can't constitutionally be Bush's VP.
posted by ZachsMind at 8:52 AM on December 1, 2000