WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2007

Cheney And Obama: Clashing Cousins?

Political Opposites Are Distant Relatives, Lynne Cheney Discovers

  • Play CBS Video Video Cheney And Obama Cousins?

    While researching her family's genealogy, Lynn Cheney discovered that Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is in fact an eighth cousin of the vice president. Tara Merginer reports.

  • Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois are eighth cousins, according to Cheney's wife, Lynne.

    Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois are eighth cousins, according to Cheney's wife, Lynne.  (AP)

  • Photo Essay Barack Obama

    The junior senator from Illinois is making his name known.

  • Interactive Second In Command

    A closer look at Vice President Dick Cheney's career and his much-publicized health problems.

(CBS/AP)  Though they may spar across the political aisle, Vice President Dick Cheney is close enough to Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama to call him “cousin.”

Eighth cousin, that is.

Lynne Cheney, the vice president's wife, revealed this tantalizing bit of political trivia during a television interview Tuesday.

She said she uncovered the long-ago ties between the two while researching her ancestry for her latest book, “Blue Skies, No Fences,” a memoir about growing up in Wyoming.

“This is such an amazing American story that one ancestor ... could be responsible down the family lines for lives that have taken such different and varied paths as Dick's and Barack Obama,” Lynne Cheney told MSNBC.

According to her spokeswoman, Sen. Obama, D-Ill., is a descendent of Mareen Duvall. This French Huguenot's son married the granddaughter of a Richard Cheney, who arrived in Maryland in the late 1650's from England, said Ginny Justice, a spokeswoman for Lynne Cheney.

Duvall was also a distant cousin to former President Harry Truman, CBS News correspondent Tara Mergener reports.

The vice president's full name is Richard B. Cheney.

A spokesman for Obama, who wants to be the first black U.S. president, offered a tongue-in-cheek response. “Every family has a black sheep,” said spokesman Bill Burton.

Lynne Cheney did not reference the ancestral ties between her husband and Obama in the book.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by liberalme October 18, 2007 1:02 PM EDT
Rushlimpdrug---The whole dang branch!!!

I don''t want any anti-Anerican on my family tree!
Reply to this comment
by watcher269-2009 October 18, 2007 8:43 AM EDT
So, Cheney''s the White sheep of the family!!! Heeheehee To the Guy who''s complaining about hard news - well that went out of style when the Republicans came to Office and when Murdock turned Fox news into Trash Talk - there are no journalist on that staff only commentators according to Murdock - therefore they don''t have to adhere to Journalistic standards!
Reply to this comment
by goodlucktu October 18, 2007 1:26 AM EDT
BILL MUST BE IN THAT CHAIN SOMEWHERE, HE''S KISSED EVERYBODY''S COUSIN.. AND IM SURE HILLARY''S CAMP HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS RELEASE.
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 October 17, 2007 11:59 PM EDT
A spokesman for Obama, who wants to be the first black U.S. president, offered a tongue-in-cheek response. %u201CEvery family has a black sheep,%u201D said spokesman Bill Burton.
********************

LMAO. What a GREAT response.
Reply to this comment
by starleo146 October 17, 2007 10:21 PM EDT
Obama says every one has a black sheep in their family
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug October 17, 2007 9:45 PM EDT
I just made her cut that branch off. . . .
Posted by liberalme

so what part of the branch did you cut off the cheney or the dic.k?
Reply to this comment
by dmgenet October 17, 2007 9:10 PM EDT
Is there not enough ''hard'' news that this fluff needs to posted?
Reply to this comment
by feelfree1 October 17, 2007 8:13 PM EDT

socrates392,

Re: "kissing cousins"

Looks like you beat me to the punch.
Reply to this comment
by feelfree1 October 17, 2007 8:12 PM EDT

Re: "Eighth cousin, that is."

I would say that that doesn''t make them "clashing cousins", but rather, "kissing cousins".

This might help to explain Obama''s clear allegiance to Israel/AIPAC, and his willingness to wage an illegal war of aggression against Pakistan.
Reply to this comment
by socrates392 October 17, 2007 8:11 PM EDT
Cheney And Obama: Clashing Cousins?

Better than kissing cousins . . .
Reply to this comment
by gunownerdan October 17, 2007 8:05 PM EDT
Aristocracy
a government or state ruled by an elite, or privileged upper class.

Oligarchy
a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.

Plutocracy
a government or state in which the wealthy class rules.
Reply to this comment
by sgtrds October 17, 2007 7:27 PM EDT
I think the best part about this is the discovery that Cheney is French!!!!
Reply to this comment
by dutchfarmer October 17, 2007 7:21 PM EDT
There''s not a nickel''s worth of difference between these two clowns.
Reply to this comment
by liberalme October 17, 2007 6:56 PM EDT
hahaha would not let me put in Cheneys first name lol
Reply to this comment
by liberalme October 17, 2007 6:55 PM EDT
CBS
That does not mean Lynn Cheney has been researching Obamas family tree---*** Cheney came up on ours too when my sister was working on ours.
I just made her cut that branch off.

But oddly enough, there are some pretty interesting names in all our family trees!
Reply to this comment
by cbs_oliver October 17, 2007 6:11 PM EDT
Most interesting is that Cheney has been researching Obama''s family tree.

Is there any kind of a threat implied?
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood October 17, 2007 4:45 PM EDT
Poor Cheney. First a lesbian daughter, now a black cousin!

It''s a wonder he hasn''t been ousted from the country club already!
Reply to this comment
See all 17 Comments

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