Have you seen the reich-wing smear d' jour.

Apparently, The Washington Times blog re-printed a statement that Navy grads were requested to leave swords and umbrellas at home during the ceremony . . . which prompted the rabid right to claim that "Full Dress White includes 'wear sword'. More to the point . . . those badges of office have been earned in a manner Obongo and his minions just wouldn’t begin to understand. Important traditions that inspire are kind of lost on the red banner crowd, apparently.

Further, ceremonial swords never seemed to bother the Secret Service for any previous President."

Wow, damning stuff if true.

Of course, it's not true.

Here're Cheney's own photographs of HIS speech at Annapolis in 2006.

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov...

Do you see anybody wearing swords?

Not only that, the Navy Press Office put out a clarifying statement to Soldier of Fortune magazine of all sources:

Unfortunately, this (Washington Times) article is extremely misleading. Midshipmen are not required to have swords as part of their normal uniform issue unless they are Brigade Officers, and then they are issued temporary swords for parades and other ceremonial events.

Officers may add the sword and wear it at ceremonial events such as change of commands, weddings, etc. as designated. They are not, nor have they ever been worn by Midshipmen at graduation.

Many parents give swords to graduates to be worn with their officer uniform after commissioning, but they along with many other items are routinely banned from being carried into the graduation ceremony for obvious security reasons.