The arrogant, entitled Cheneys

Liz Cheney and her family made news a couple of weeks ago when she came out against gay marriage -- and her sister in law, who is legally married to Liz's lesbian sister Mary, responded with a Facebook tweet saying it was insulting to their family.   She also tweeted that it was puzzling, since Liz had been supportive of their relationship and family, including spending holidays with their children.   Mary got into it too, saying that she and Liz haven't spoken since last summer and that they wouldn't be getting together at Christmas this year.

Now Liz and Daddy Dick are upping the ante of arrogance, in addition to trying to paint Mary and her wife as the bad guys for making a fuss in the middle of Liz's political campaign.   In a tv interview, Dick regretted that "attacks have been made" against Liz;  and he said, with just the slightest curl of lip, that they had always tried to "deal with" this "within the family."

That family quarrel is but a sidelight, however, in this "arrogance" thing.    Howard Fineman, speaking on MSNBC Wednesday night said the arrogance is "breath-taking."

Here's the thing:  Liz grew up and has spent her entire adult life in the Washington, D.C. area, living in a Virginia suburb, and working in various capacities for the federal government.    She seems to think she's can just waltz in to Wyoming, buy a house and say she lives there, apply for a fishing license, travel around the state shaking hands, trade on the family name, and walk off with a victory prize that she feels entitled to. 

But Wyoming voters -- relatively few in number -- like their politicians to be folks they know and feel comfortable with. The current senator -- whom Liz is trying to unseat -- is Mike Enzi, a nice guy seeking his fourth term in the U. S. Senate.   He has one of the most conservative voting records and highest approval rating from his constituents -- but Liz is trying to out flank him on the right and portraying him as part of the Washington crowd (as if she and her Daddy are not).

But arrogance seeped over into ridiculous this week.   Seems this Liz-come-lately to the Wyoming political world has formed a SuperPac to raise money for her campaign, called . . .  guess what:  "Cowboy PAC."    But the Cowboy PAC fund-raiser is going to be held in one of the most posh Italian restaurants in Washington, D.C.  The invitation list is made up of wealthy donors to the ultimate insider Republicans -- essentially it's Daddy's money friends.

I'm fast coming to the conclusion that a major trait of Republican campaign strategy is incoherence.   Liz starts way behind in home-town appeal, trying to unseat a man of the people by pretending to be one of them too;  but really everybody knows she's not.  And she proves it by holding her fund-raiser in D. C. with establishment fat cats.    How's that going to play back home, guys?

And Dick Cheney had the unmittigated gall to go on tv and criticize Mike Enzi for getting too much of his campaign money from "Washington establishment donors."

Surely the Wyoming voters won't fall for this malarkey.  Even from someone named Cheney.

Ralph