Cheney was the guest of a Lobbyist during his trip...

[mikelewis]

Apparently, Mrs. Armstrong is more than just a ranch owner. She's also a lobbyist who calls the Vice President a friend.

"Among the people with him at the Armstrong Ranch in South Texas was his host Katharine Armstrong, a lobbyist and longtime friend of Mr. Cheney. Her lobbying clients include several that do business with the federal government, though Ms. Armstrong said she did not believe that she had ever lobbied Mr. Cheney."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/politics/14cheney.html?hp&ex=1139893200&en=59fe5ca069d419ec&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Here's a little bit more on Mrs. Armstrong...

"This heir apparent to the Armstrong Ranch resigned her state post in mid-2003, citing her need to make a living for her three children. In 2004 she reported three Texas lobby contracts, led by construction company Parsons Technology and Dannenbaum Engineering, a major contractor for Texas water projects. That year she teamed up with Pioneer Karen Johnson to lobby the Bush administration. Armstrong and Johnson lobbied then-Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to adopt mad-cow tests made by Swiss client Prionics. They also lobbied the administration on undisclosed issued on behalf of Baker Botts (see James Baker, Robert Jordan and William Barnett). President Bush invited Katherine Armstrong and her parents to a White House sleepover."
http://www.tpj.org/docs/pioneers/pioneers_view.jsp?id=621

It sure is a good thing Cheney wasn't out being wined and dined by a lobbyist when he shot that man in the face. I can't imagine that would look too good right now. Luckily for him, he just popped by a friends house for a hunting party.

[asjr]

1. And while he was there he mistook a

"frivolous lawyer" for a bird.

[Brain In Vat]

2. Corruption

This is just another example of the culture of corruption.  We
need to ban political contributions (or as they should be
called bribes), and publicly finance elections.

[Wilms]

3. K&R n/t

[liveoaktx]

4. Karen Johnson is the one that's rumoured to be having an affair with Rove

or had, anyway.