Whitehouse.org - Conflict With The Real Office of The Vice President

Conflict With The Real Office of The Vice President

Whitehouse.org gained some attention in the media in late 2002, when one page on the website was the center of a dispute between Cheney's Vice Presidential Counsel, David Addington, and John A. Wooden, the Editor in Chief of Chickenhead Productions. Addington made what was likely a litigation threat intended to scare the authors into censoring the website. Addington's effort, whatever the intent, backfired.

In December 2002, Addington sent a cease-and-desist letter to Wooden, which read as if an attorney had authored it (consisting entirely of academic language, and containing several researched references to judicial opinions). In the letter, Addington argued that certain characteristics of the fictional profile of Lynne Cheney (Dick Cheney's wife) on Whitehouse.org were cause for litigation should Second Lady Cheney decide to file a lawsuit against Chickenhead Productions. Among the characteristics cited: photographs of her were used for a for-profit website without her permission; she was portrayed in the false biography "in a false light"; and that "few people are likely to notice your disclaimer link" and "even fewer are likely to click on the link and actually see the disclaimer". Addington also cited the spoof of the Presidential seal was displayed on every page of the website, asserting such use of the seal was a violation of federal law. In conclusion, Addington demanded that Wooden delete the photographs and fictional text of the falsely biographical page, and to fax him with notifications of the changes, but clarified that "nothing in this request should be construed as expressing the lawfulness, wrongfulness or inappropriateness, or not, of any other aspect of your website."

Wooden then had "CENSORED" posted in large, red letters with respect to the webpage; for each aforementioned photograph, placed a fake red nose on Lynne Cheney and blackened some of her teeth; and inserted into the webpage a special disclaimer that read in part:

"Mrs. Cheney's husband wishes you to be aware . . . that some/all of the biographic information . . . about Mrs. Cheney may not actually be true. . . . the editors of WHITEHOUSE.ORG are confident that any rumors about Mrs. Cheney formerly being a crystal meth pusher are 100% likely to be absolutely untrue. Similarly, any stories about her penchant for licking Brandy Alexanders off the hirsute belly of her spouse are all lies, lies, lies!"

He then satirized the incident in a fake "Statement by the Vice President" on Whitehouse.org on Feb. 20th 2003 titled "Irate Vice President Cheney Issues a Punctilious, Legally Precise 'Oh, Wise Guy, Eh? Why I Oughta!' Letter to Nefarious 'Whitehouse.org' Terror Portal!"

Wooden also gave a copy of the letter to the New York City chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, who then went to the press to speak out in defense of Wooden's First Amendment rights. Wooden also spoke briefly of this to an editor for the Washington Post.

All those at the Vice President's office, except Addington, then tried to distance themselves from Addington's letter, telling the press that Addington acted without Dick or Lynne Cheney's knowledge and no action (past, present or future) was planned to be taken against the website.