Cheneys Draw Capacity Crowd

The banquet room at the Holiday Inn in Cody was at capacity on Friday night for the Park County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner.
The Party’s annual fundraiser held special meaning for guests this year, as the featured speakers were Wyoming’s Congresswoman, Liz Cheney, and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. After being introduced by former Senator Alan Simpson, the two held an informal “fireside chat,” in which the younger Cheney commented on her father’s experiences in his prestigious career, then asked him to tell stories about his time in the White House.
Liz Cheney pointed out that many things have changed in Washington since her father was in office there – and her father agreed, particularly when it comes to partnering with lawmakers across the aisle.

To many in the audience, Cheney’s account of the events of 9/11 was the standout topic of the event. Cheney described the moments in which they had identified a civilian aircraft that had been hijacked and was headed to Washington D.C. As Vice President, he and President Bush had discussed the authorization of shooting down civilian aircrafts should they be compromised, and when the time came to make that call, he didn’t hesitate.

Denise Shirley, who is running for the Wyoming House Seat for District 24, says the account brought back memories for her.

Other topics that the former Vice President touched on included the difference between the Bush administration and the Obama administration when it comes to America’s perceived power in the world, and his job as the Secretary of Defense in a wartime situation.