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Sadly, the most intelligent (and desperately original) thing Peggy Noonan has to say about the Cheney hunting accident is to liken the White House to a frozen computer screen (hence the clever column title, "Hit Refresh?") and to speculate that "one night over drinks at a barbecue in McLean one top guy will turn to another top guy" and suggest that Dick Cheney's time as Vice President may be up. Of course, Noonan writes this in her insidery "this-is-what-folks-are-thinking-but-I've-covered-myself-by-hypothetically-framing-it" style. Cute. Back in reality, Cheney's one of the only tethers between this White House and economic conservatism. Who cares if he's a "hate magnet" (is that a technical term, Ms. Noonan?)? Usually, that's a sign that the other side is frustrated with your success. Sure, Cheney has his PR baggage. But what would you rather do: carry a little PR baggage (suffering mostly the White House/Washington press corps) or scuttle the baggage and with it any sense of a free market, small government philosophy? PR Peggy would probably take the form over substance. I'll take Cheney.

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Conservatism