Family Men

Let’s give Barack Obama a group hug. I am trying not to laugh, but the news that he and Vice President Dick Cheney are distant cousins is bad news that comes at the worst time. Obama is fighting an uphill battle now that Hillary Clinton has become the Inevitable Invincible One, nearly 30 points and millions of dollars ahead of him. He is praying for a chance to stop her momentum with a win in Iowa, where restive Democrats are shopping for a one-way ticket out of Bush World. Cheney possibly tops Bush as the Democrats’ No. 1 bogeyman.

But Darth Vader, Dr. Evil — no matter the nickname, Cheney is family now. According to his wife, who dropped this bomb yesterday on MSNBC, Cheney is an eighth cousin of Obama’s. Blame Lynne for changing Obama’s life on the stump forever; she discovered the link between the Cheney family and Obama’s white mother, dating back to a Huguenot from Maryland, while working on her book Blue Skies, No Fences.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton had a quick comeback when asked for comment yesterday, saying, “Obviously Dick Cheney is the black sheep of the family.” How long until Hillary pops the first Cheney/Obama joke? She will likely control herself, but I doubt the voters will.

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I don’t know who your eighth cousin is but I am happy to answer your other questions on ASK A.B., my weekly Q & A video post. Please send me questions at askab@digital-stage.thehill.com.