Cheney Stayed At Uncle Tom's House

Newsweek reported an interesting tidbit about Cheney's stay at the exclusive 50,000 acre preserve known as the Armstrong Ranch. It seems that the Vice-President's lodgings were in a guest quarters called "Uncle Tom's House."

A house named for a member of the Armstrong family?

I look forward to more reporting on the names of other guest houses on the vast property which Newsweek describes as "'Gosford Park' with a twang."

Comments (13)

1. Does it not strike anyone as odd that the only "preserves" not being threatened with being drilled on or otherwise mutilated (although there are different meanings to "drilling") are "private preserves"?

   "HEEYAH! Let's go to town drilling for oil in and cutting down the trees our on National Parks, then we'll go home to our modest 50,000 acres, fenced off and guarded, well stocked with little birdies and other game, kick our feet up, have a few, then load up the shotguns into our taxpayer funded SUV's, standby ambulance, and doctor (screw the under/uninsured), and shoot 'em all. We'll sort' em out later. Yeah, it just don't get any better than this!"

   It sounds like fun. Gotta get me one of 'em "private preserves".

   Posted by AmeriPundit at 02/21/2006 @ 12:22pm

2. Ameripundit,

   You raise a very valid issue.

   Case in point: Early last year I read an article about the attempt to privatize our national parks. This would be done under the guise of reducing the federal budget.

   I believe the article was published in The Arizona Republic newspaper and I remember writing a letter to the editor blasting the rediculous and aristocratic nature of such an idea.

   Posted by oraibi1952 at 02/21/2006 @ 12:30pm

3. Uncle Tom's House? Are you kidding me? Naming a building after a denigrating racial character is the most tacky and tactless thing I have ever heard of. These are the kind of people that our VP calls dear friends. A member of the Armstrong family, my ass.

   Posted by k330k at 02/21/2006 @ 12:33pm

4. Did you feel better when they were renting out the Lincoln bedroom or poverty sworn momks and chinese cash?

   Posted by john maasch at 02/21/2006 @ 12:42pm

5. ORAIBI1952,

   Thanks for realizing the point of my poorly self-edited post.

   Selling off the crown jewels (National Forests and Parks) is a lot like a drunk or druggie stealing Mom's and/or the kid's savings to support a habit or to "retain" the illusion of a lifestyle.

   This is complete madness.

   And yes, I did feel better when "they were renting out the Lincoln bedroom or poverty sworn momks and chinese cash?" for the following reasons:

   1) The only ones who don't see how this nation, not a party or an individual politician, has become totally dependent on Chinese money now (thanks to current trade policy) is someone who does not read the Business section of the newspaper nor follows Wall Street or the FED; and

   2) Selling our National Parks to private industry, selling the management of our ports to the UAE, and having cartoon characters in charge does not make me think this is a country headed for a promising future.

   Rest assured, without vigilance we are sure to build a "Bridge to the 17th Century". I fear the foundation has already been set.

   I hope everyone reading this is one of the chosen few who will be scooped up by the hand of God when the "Rapture" comes.

   Special instructions:

   1) Take hand; 2) Place on back of head; 3) Apply pressure; 4) Remove head from A** using slow, twisting motion until completely removed; 5) Wash face and hair thoroughly to avoid recurrent infection; and 6) Open eyes.

   All the best.

   Posted by AmeriPundit at 02/21/2006 @ 1:03pm

6. It seems that the Vice-President's lodgings were in a guest quarters called "Uncle Tom's House."

   A house named for a member of the Armstrong family?

   Here we have "yellow journalism" at it's worst by KVH and Newsweek. This is slimey race baiting. I have come to expect Newsweek to put forth this kind of garbage (think Koran and flushing toilets that they had to apologize for). I don't expect KVH to engage in this level of slime. A little bit of Googling might have been worthwhile.

   For those who actually care about truth:

   The Armstrong Ranch was purchased in 1852 and settled in 1882 by John Armstrong III, a Texas Ranger from Tennessee. He had come to South Texas to clean up the border and became famous for capturing the notorious outlaw John Wesley Hardin.

   His sons combined the sophistication of an East Coast education with the ruggedness of a ranch upbringing. Charlie Armstrong, Tobin Armstrong's father, graduated from Yale in 1908 and returned to South Texas to manage the ranch. Charlie's brother, Tom Armstrong, graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School before going to work as an executive for Standard Oil Co.

   http://www.newsmakingnews.com/lmvoterfraudpart1.htm

   Posted by love liberty at 02/21/2006 @ 1:11pm

7. Love Liberty,

   Yeah, so? You don't address the Uncle Tom thing. Is it or isn't it? KVH's point is that there is an "exclusive, privileged" nature to the recreation and fun of this administration, while soldiers are dying in Iraq and people are living in squalor in the post-Katrina gulf.

   Bush/Cheney show no shame and your comment does nothing but prove KVH's point. Once upon a time, inaugurations, parades and vacations were forgone in a time of war or tragedy. Not anymore, Bush/Cheney just party on with the exclusive, privileged crowd.

   Ironic, since they like to campaign to Nascar Dads, regular Joes and religious "folks with values."

   What exactly is your point, Love Liberty? The Armstrongs went to Ivy League schools then went South to act like cowboys and made money from oil. Sounds like SOMEBODY copied their formula for success!

   Posted by kim stanley at 02/21/2006 @ 1:41pm

8. A-Pun

   Along the same vein, the US Forest Service plans to sell record acreage: TIMBER!

   Posted by leftofcenter at 02/21/2006 @ 2:07pm

9. You don't suppose our great friends the Israelis are really the ones who they plan to appoint as the state owned company for this new port security contract, and what they are really doing is standing up a strawman to enable it, do you?

   They wouldn't do that would they?

   I mean it's not like they nominated Bernard Kerrick as Homeland Security Director knowing full well of his checkered past, only to insert Chertoff with flying colors.

   Remember thinking to yourself at the time..."How could it be that these guys did no background check on Kerrick?"

   Of course they did!

   Nor is it like they claimed to select Harriet Meirs of all people as their preferred nominee to the Supreme Court, only to install their REAL CHOICE in the aftermath...making each new prospect look excellent by comparison.

   I mean how Rovian can you get?

   Surely Karl didn't suggest a strategy of proclaiming that port security would be turned over to the Arabs, only to make the choice of an Israeli firm look like a magnificent option by comparison.

   I mean they wouldn't do that, would they?

   There's no history of that type of behavior, is there?

   Hey Karl...Your Busted!

   I'm onto your shit!

   Posted by plunger at 02/21/2006 @ 2:09pm

10. What exactly is your point, Love Liberty? The Armstrongs went to Ivy League schools then went South to act like cowboys and made money from oil. Sounds like SOMEBODY copied their formula for success!

    Posted by KIM STANLEY 02/21/2006 @ 1:41pm

    Kim,

    Since you didn't bother to read the actual history, let me try and make this clear for you.

    1. The ranch was settled 17 years after the Civil War ended by the Armstrong family. It never was a Southern slave plantation as the Newsweek journalist tried to suggest and echoed by KVH.

    2. The "Uncle Tom's" cabin is named after Tom Armstrong and was a very successful person. So why not name a building on the property after someone you are proud of?

    3. This was yellow journalism and your failure to see that speaks more about your own shortcomings and bias than anything eles.

    Political debate is good, having passion about your views is great; but engaging in this type of slime and having people like yourself endorse it is beneath contempt.

    Posted by love liberty at 02/21/2006 @ 2:17pm

11. Another hard-hitting expose on "Hunter-gate"!

    Still waiting on Ms vanden Heuval to write an article about the "shotgun spray pattern" and how it "doesn't match up to the 'official' story"....Remember, it's...

    "Up, and to the left....up, and to the left....up, and to the left!"

    Posted by Mask at 02/21/2006 @ 2:18pm

12. So, I'm to assume there is an "Uncle Charlie's Cabin" as well, LL. Yeah, right. Boy, I wish I was a Yankee elitist who moved down South and then after some decades pretended that my family has been there all along. Maybe then I can run for president. Oh damn. I can't be president. None of my family members came over on the Mayflower. Atleast not on deck or in cabins anyway.

    Posted by k330k at 02/21/2006 @ 2:56pm

13. Ironic, since they like to campaign to Nascar Dads, regular Joes and religious "folks with values."

    But they win those votes hands down.

    Also, do you think Kerry is an elitist or has rich priviledged hunting lodges or ski palaces?? Or rich friends who support him? Or earned money on their own efforts? Nah, he is a man of the people...pass the ketchup please.......

    Posted by john maasch at 02/21/2006 @ 3:04pm