The Veep visits the creep

Dick Cheney rolls into Bellevue (Seattle's generally Republican suburb, for the out of towners in the audience) to try to help George Nethercutt narrow the $3 million gap between the fundraising totals for his Senate campaign and Senator Patty Murray's re-election war chest. Good luck.

There are incentives, though. The P-I reports that "...contributors at the $4,000 and $8,000 level can have their pictures taken with Cheney at a pre-reception event." Since the contribution limit is set at $2,000 per individual, this special offer is for bundlers only, I suppose, so you'll have to round up a few friends if you want to get in on the action.

Or you can get in on the action outside, where it's reported that "Anti-war, abortion rights and other groups plan to protest outside the hotel..." Then you can slip over to BelSquare mall and get a more economical snapshot with Santa.

The trip points up one of the political advantages of incumbency. Cheney has tied it into quick PR stops at Fort Lewis and McChord AFB, where he'll chat with soldiers and airmen who have served in or are slated for Iraq, which allows him to put the trip on the public tab. State Democratic Chair Paul Berendt offers a seasonally charitable, but appropriatly skeptical view.

"I don't begrudge the troops the chance to see the vice president," Berendt told The News Tribune, "but let's not deceive ourselves. This trip is about raising money for George Nethercutt."

Personally, I don't begrudge the troops anything, but I do begrudge our chicken-hawk Vice President's exploitation of their service.