Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Dick "Dick" Cheney

Sounds like the Tin Man (get it? No heart ...) isn't exactly being greeted with sweets and flowers in Australia:

Anti-Iraq war protesters briefly scuffled with police in Sydney on Thursday before the arrival of Vice President Dick Cheney, underlining divisions within one of Washington's firmest allies over the unpopular war.

A police spokeswoman said seven people were arrested when police barred up to 200 Stop the War Coalition protesters from marching through Australia's largest city, demanding Prime Minister John Howard pull troops out of Iraq.

A heavy police presence, including officers mounted on horseback, ringed the protesters in an attempt to minimize disruption to peak-hour commuters, some of whom also squabbled with police.

Protesters held placards saying "Dick Go Home & Take John With You" and "Coalition of the Killing." Police later relented and shepherded protesters as they marched toward the U.S. consulate. Another protest is planned for Friday.

Actually, John Howard deserves a fair share of schadenfreude today, too ...

Iraq is a major problem for Howard's conservative government ahead of elections in the second half of 2007, perhaps the toughest of his 11-year tenure.

An opinion poll this week found 67 percent of Australians either want Howard to set a date for withdrawing troops from Iraq or pull them out immediately.

Centre-left Labor opposition leader Kevin Rudd, who is to meet Cheney on Friday, has an 8-point lead in opinion polls on the back of a promise to withdraw Australia's 520-strong battle group from southern Iraq if he wins power.

"This war in Iraq represents the single greatest failure of Australian national security policy since Vietnam," Rudd said on the eve of Cheney's arrival.

[Michael Fullilove, global issues director at the Lowy Institute think tank,] said Howard had tied his fortunes to Bush's Iraq policy and would not change his commitment.

Watching the Bush/Cheney regime fall disgracefully, like a Shaquille O'Neal free throw, is one of the most satisfying feelings I've had in a long time. (Don't even go there -- I know what you're thinking.) "Dick" can try to shield himself from the protesters unbelievers, but it's just not going to work. He's considered one of the most evil people on the planet by millions, and he deserves every ounce of the derision he's getting. It's time for this malignancy and his putative boss in the White House to get what they deserve: impeachment, then indictment.

So, have a great time Down Under, "Dick" -- today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!