The naked truth about Dick Cheney's sunglasses
The power of suggestion combined with the power of the Internet is an awesome phenomenon to behold, as illustrated most vividly over the last couple of days by the saga of the reflection in Dick Cheney's sunglasses.
The Ticket, foolishly preoccupied with other matters, comes late to this, but as virtually every Web-surfer knows, a photo that had been posted on the White House Web of the vice president fly-fishing on the Snake River in Idaho, apparently a few years ago, has become a sensation. And it's not because we've become a nation of avid anglers.
No, the reason is that a blog posting earlier this week postulated that upon intense inspection, the reflection in Cheney's trademark sunglasses revealed (pardon us) a NAKED LADY. And that was all it took to generate an extraordinary buzz.
As of a few minutes ago, a Google search of "Dick Cheney" and "sunglasses" came back with more than 87,000 hits. The 100,000 mark is sure to be breached soon.
Times reporter James Hohmann this afternoon tracked down Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride, traveling with the vice president on fundraising stops he's making in Colorado and California. She reiterated what other White House staffers have had to spend time explaining -- upon close examination, it's clear the reflection simply caught the vice president in the act of casting a rod.
"He’s fly fishing," she said, understandably a bit exasperated. "That’s what he’s doing."
And no, she added, there were no naked ladies in the vicinity.
Readers, as always, are invited to comment -- give us your reflections on the reflection.
-- Don Frederick
Photo: David Bohrer / The White House via Associated Press




Of course there were no naked ladies around--his pacemaker would short-circuit! (Assuming he didn't try to shoot them first!).
Posted by: Tannim | April 11, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Why does everyone jump to the conclusion that Vice President Cheney would be torturing a nude woman while on his vacation? Was he fishing at Guantamo Bay?
Posted by: Rodney Lamprey | April 11, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Don't kid me. I know a naked woman when I see one. It is the reflective image to the left of the hand reflection in the left lens that is suspect. But, hey, leave the old boy alone. If he wants to do some naked fishing, at his age, what harm can it do? I wonder if you could enlarge the image a little more so we could ascertain the identity of the female in the reflection.
Posted by: Rattlesnake Bob | April 11, 2008 at 04:01 PM
This has to be photoshopped, I saw the original post and it is clearly either Bette Midler or Dee Snider that is naked in the photos... see for yourself!
http://FAQnews.wordpress.com
Posted by: FAQ News reporter | April 11, 2008 at 04:05 PM
come on the guy is fishing
Posted by: charles chip | April 11, 2008 at 04:10 PM
i liked him better when it was a naked lady.
Posted by: Jay Doubleyou | April 11, 2008 at 04:11 PM
I don't know..the hand holding the rod looks doctored to me.
They sure make the cia work really hard.....another government cover up I say....who is with me on this one
...raise your hand....
Posted by: bali hoo | April 11, 2008 at 04:20 PM
Nobody I have ever fly-fished with holds a rod with their reel positioned that way.
Posted by: Rick Wallace | April 11, 2008 at 04:26 PM
HEY, sometimes a bare hand DOES resemble a naked lady.
Posted by: David | April 11, 2008 at 04:32 PM
who gives a crap if it is a naked man,woman, or sheep?
isn't the fact that Cheney helps destroy the environment on a daily basis enough to be upset about? His questionable activities with Haliburton are forgotten, but when some cross eyed geek with too much time on his hands imagines he sees the woman he will never touch in the distorted reflection in a pair of sunglasses, thats national news? i despair for this country.
Posted by: C Franklin | April 11, 2008 at 04:40 PM
What naked lady in her right mind would get near him? Definitely his own hand. An old friend. hehe
Posted by: mangowild | April 11, 2008 at 04:42 PM
I think the photo has been altered because in the background of cheney there is green (forest or trees) whatever but in the sunglasses it shows blue/ocean-like background...total fake
Posted by: Angela | April 11, 2008 at 04:53 PM
That's it! That's a mans hand in those glasses!
I knew Cheney was gay.
;)
Posted by: captainkona | April 11, 2008 at 04:56 PM
Another slow news day, I guess.
Posted by: poggy | April 11, 2008 at 05:00 PM
I dont see the naked woman. To the right of his hand there is a slight curve upward, which might resemble a woman's hip, but it looks like the tapering downward of the framing/fiberglass hull port side of the boat.
The cast sucks indeed.
Posted by: chaz | April 11, 2008 at 05:04 PM
I no stretch of the imagination does this look like a naked woman. It's clearly just a hand gripping something.
Posted by: Annette | April 11, 2008 at 05:05 PM
It's perfectly obvious it's a reflection of his hand .... what is does reveal is apparently poor technique. The way his thumb is wrapped around the grip, it looks like he is choking it to death. Torturing it, even.
On the plus side, woeful technique = safe (non-renditioned) trout.
Posted by: Evilscribbler | April 11, 2008 at 05:08 PM
No, I think there is a UFO in his sunglasses. Oh wait, maybe it looks like Jesus. Hmmmm...
Posted by: Dylan | April 11, 2008 at 05:14 PM
jay doubleyou i raise my hand
it is obviously a cover up they wouldn't put the actual picture on any major news sites haha...this government knows how stupid we are obviously there would not be rumors of a naked lady unless there was one....the picture above does not even bring to mind a naked lady...of course every ignorant person would believe he was really fishing....
www.zeitgeistmovie.com learn what our government is capable over.
Posted by: Matthew Snow | April 11, 2008 at 05:15 PM
C'mon, this is Dick Cheney, the guy who couldn't shoot quail unless they were tied to the ground (and even then). If he's out fishing, it isn't with a fly rod, it's with a stick of dynamite!
Posted by: Lee | April 11, 2008 at 05:19 PM
I "cast a rod" when I saw the original picture too.
Posted by: dan | April 11, 2008 at 05:21 PM
Fly fishing??? So is that a new term that naked ladies use when they are trying to have some fun with Dick er, Cheney?
Yea, that's the ticket, we can say fly fishing and we won't be lying.
Posted by: TerryL | April 11, 2008 at 05:27 PM
HONESTLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT! COME ON FELLAS, IF I WERE FISHING AND A NAKED LADY CAME OUT OF THE WATER... I'D SMILE TOO! BIG DEAL, THE V.P. LIKES NAKED WOMEN! IM PRETTY SURE HE HAS THAT IN COMMON WITH 99% OF THE SINGLE MEN IN THE WORLD! AT LEAST HE'S HUMAN... NOT A ROBOT!
Posted by: CHONSEY | April 11, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Hey Lawrence,
Can you park your political bile for a minute. Everything bad is not Cheney and Bush's fault. Look at you, some of it must be your mother's fault. Get a grip lib.
hahahahahaha
Posted by: Dave the Man | April 11, 2008 at 05:42 PM
With a increasingly boring Pres. campaign it would seen that the Aug. Press doldrums have come early. And he's fishing.
Posted by: RgT | April 11, 2008 at 05:43 PM