I watched the VP debate last night. I thought Cheney was boatloads smarter than Bush (but then so is Bush’s teleprompter), and Edwards performed well. Edwards didn’t blow me away, but he didn’t blow up either. I’d have to call this one a draw.

Cheney did get a couple of good ones in, and when he hit Edwards with the line about “The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight” — suggesting that Edwards is routinely absent in the Senate chambers — I thought he’d landed his best blow of the night.

Too bad it wasn’t true.

Oh look, it’s Cheney sitting next to Edwards at a senate prayer breakfast. Three and a half years ago, on February 1, 2001.

They also met on April 8, 2001 during a taping of NBC’s Meet the Press, and again on Jan. 8, 2003, when Cheney presided over Elizabeth Dole’s swearing-in as a North Carolina senator.

Cheney’s reported response after the debate on being “reminded” he’d already met Edwards several times? “Oh yeah.”

Yeah.

And let’s not forget about the Iraq/Al Queda “link.” After touring the country for more than a year and doing all the news shows and leaping at every opportunity to link Iraq to the attacks of September 11th, Cheney has the balls to say that he never suggested there was a link. He’s got some brass ones, I’ll give him that. And the crazy thing about it is that people believe it. People believe it.

It’s incredible how blatantly this administration lies. And how easily they get away with it.

Ba-a-ah! Ba-a-ah! Bu-u-ush!