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10/29/2004:

"Language in 'Doonesbury' Rankles Papers"

by Bill Draper
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - At least 20 newspapers are objecting to Saturday's ``Doonesbury'' comic strip because it features a profanity, uttered in the strip by Vice President Dick Cheney.

Editors told Universal Press Syndicate, the comic strip's distributor, that if their reporters aren't allowed to use profanity in stories, they don't think ``Doonesbury'' should, either.

In Garry Trudeau's comic, the voice of Cheney directs a caricature of President George Bush to tell a reporter to ``go f--- himself.''

A spokesman for Kansas City-based Universal Press Syndicate said at least 20 newspapers have contacted the company to complain about the cartoon for Saturday editions.

``In this particular instance, we have a strip known for strong political satire,'' said Lee Salem, editor at Universal Press. ``In this case, as in many prior instances, we assume editors will make the decision on the local level whether they use it or not.''

The comic plays off two controversies. In June, Cheney directed a similar profane comment at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy during a confrontation on the Senate floor while members were having their annual group picture taken.

The strip also refers to questions about a mysterious bulge in Bush's suit jacket during a recent presidential debate. Some have speculated that the bulge was an audio receiver and that the president was getting messages passed to him. The White House and others have laughed off that suggestion.

In the strip, Cheney's voice is coming into Bush's ear.

Full Article: guardian.co.uk