More Entries for the Cheney Files

In response to Friday's column, Loop Fans have been sending in fine sightings of the oft-reclusive Vice President Cheney on his travels.

"Thought I saw his entourage speeding through Jackson, Wyo., last Sunday morning (Sept. 30)," one reader wrote. "Also saw a large aircraft resembling Air Force Two on final approach to Jackson Airport" on Sept. 28. Yep, in town at least part of that time for a reception for Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), one of the events on his brief public schedule.

But by that Sunday afternoon, another spotter reported, Cheney and his wife, Lynne, were back in the Washington area, watching their granddaughter's soccer game (we hear she scored both goals in a 2-0 win) and posing for pictures with the opposing team.

Last Friday afternoon, "just like clockwork, Dick Cheney flew over my house" on Kent Island in the Chesapeake, "on his way to his home in St. Michaels," another fan wrote. "I can almost set my watch to his helicopter flights on Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon."

After the helicopters passed over Kent Island, another e-mailer wrote that he had a "clear sighting of a flight of two Marine helicopters directly overhead descending through 1,000 feet (I am a pilot, so this is an informed estimate)" at 5:30 p.m. about 500 yards from the Inn at Perry's Cabin in St. Michaels.

Send your sightings to whereistheveep@washpost.com.

The Cheney Way

Speaking of the vice president, former Bush counselor Dan Bartlett had a couple of working-for-Cheney tales to tell in a recent speech to the National Chamber of Commerce. (Bartlett, who left the White House in July, is charging $10,000 a speech for local folks and up to $30,000 for out-of-town gatherings.)

One involved briefing Cheney on his arrival in Philadelphia for the 2000 GOP convention. Bartlett learned that the Cheneys' lesbian daughter, Mary, was to be there with them, and, with serious trepidation during a conversation during a limo ride, he wanted to talk about how that would be handled.

Bartlett recalled: "The Cheneys aren't into small talk. . . . So finally I said . . . 'I just wanted to raise a couple issues.' Kind of got out some perfunctory stuff -- 'you're going to be going here, you're going to be doing that.' And he was just kind of nodding at me.

"And I said, 'There is one issue we need to talk about. We had heard that maybe, you know, that your daughter was going to join the campaign trail, going to be on the campaign trail with you. I just want to let you know -- perfectly fine, but I just want you to know that the press is going to really focus on this, they're going to maybe intrude more into your lives than you may be prepared [for]. Well, I just wanted to put that on the table for you.'

"And the vice president looks at me," Bartlett said and, in a decent Cheney impersonation, quoted him: " 'We won't be talking about my daughter.'

"I said, 'Okaaay, thank you very much.' What you see publicly is basically what you get privately with the vice president. It is a very matter-of-fact conversation usually with him."