Leahy and Cheney went at it, trading some fairly rude cuts. Cheney lost it and dropped a "fuck" on Leahy. So? This wasn't a speech on the open floor. It was two antagonistic partisans sparring in a private conversation.

Using profanity on the Senate floor while the Senate is [in] session is against the rules. But the Senate was technically not in session at the time and the normal rules did not apply, a Senate official said.

Did you see that up there? I corrected the grammar in a CNN article. I do so totally kick ass. Back to the issue at hand:

Why do they do things like this? Why the "technically" not in session? It was picture day and the Senate was not not in session in any fashion, period and end of story. Why do they have to add in the unnecessary qualifier of "technically"? It's so the reader will think that Cheney is taking advantage of a loophole to escape his just punishment for his potty mouth.

In response to Cheney, Leahy reminded Cheney that the vice president had once accused him of being a bad Catholic, to which Cheney replied either "f--- off" or "go f--- yourself."

All of this hullabaloo over a profanity and nobody even knows which profanity was used? Color me unimpressed. Leahy was interviewed about it and they didn't ask him what the profanity was? Rightsuretheydidn't. Leahy doesn't remember what Cheney said because they were in the midst of an argument and the profanity didn't register. Pat's got to be pretty used to people telling him to fuck off, fuck himself, stick things in his fucking ass, etc.

No, what happened is that somebody close enough to eavesdrop heard part of a profanity. When Cheney and Leahy were done he went up to Leahy and said something like "Pat, did he just tell you to go fuck yourself?" and Leahy responded with something like "Fuck off, go fuck myself, yeah - something like that. Why?" Then the eavesdropper said "Do you know that profanity is against the rules of the Senate?" and Pat said "Fuckin A? Son of a bitch that's fucking awesome! We got that cocksucker now!"

But when they went to rat on Cheney they were told that the profanity rule (like all of the rules of order) is only in effect when the Senate is in session and today was picture day and the Senate was not in session. No crime, no foul. So Leahy probably dropped it with a little moue on his face but the eavesdropper decided he'd give it to the press and let them run with it.

I pledge that when I am Vice President I will refrain from ever using profanity on the floor of the Senate, whether it's in session or not, unless the brainless mother fuckers totally deserve it or I'm really angry. In either of those cases all bets are off.