Cheney Knows What He Likes

On The Road, The VP Requires Fox News, Decaf And 68 Degrees

(CBS)  He's got his critics, but no one can dispute the fact that he's one very busy guy.

And like most other high profile folks, Vice President Dick Cheney has some very specific wants when he travels – which, as one of the Bush administration's most visible members and one of the GOP's most reliable fundraisers, is often.

Cheney's wants are detailed, but simple.

The New York Times reports a spokeswoman for the VP, Jenny Mayfield, has confirmed the authenticity of a document on TheSmokingGun.com which lists a baker's dozen of Cheney's "musts" for hotel rooms to be used during his "downtime."

They include: all television sets tuned to Fox News, all lights on, and the thermostat set to 68 degrees. Cheney, 65 with a history of heart disease, plays it safe on beverages and asks for decaf - brewed before his arrival - plus lots of bottled water and four cans of caffeine-free Diet Sprite.

The vice president, like most top executives on the go, can't do without a desk and also requires a microwave. But he'll never make the finicky list alongside rock stars like Madonna, who have unusual and often unwavering food requests and have been known to go so far as to ask that special furniture be provided.

Cheney instead asks for a queen or king-sized bed, a container of ice, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the local newspapers.

And one more thing: a private bathroom.

Gotta have it.