You can say these things when you’re not running for re-election.

As it turns out, even the lighter side of Dick Cheney can prompt major disapproval. As Sheryl Stolberg reported this morning, the vice president elicited a wave of laughter from the National Press Club on Monday by cracking a joke about his extended family, which includes a tie to Senator Barack Obama:

“So we had Cheneys on both sides of the family — and we don’t even live in West Virginia,” the vice president deadpanned […] “You can say these things when you’re not running for re-election.”

Charming guy. You can read all about it here.

But then, we knew he was a compassionate and caring man already, didn’t we? His love and respect for Americans knows no bounds.