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Cheney not expected to attend GOP convention

  • Story Highlights
  • GOP official tells CNN that VP Cheney likely a no-show at convention
  • A second GOP official says there are still "talks going on" between Cheney, McCain
  • Cheney's in an unusual situation -- he's not running for anything
  • Poll shows only 23 percent approve of Cheney's job performance
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Cheney will be a no-show at the Republican convention in Minnesota, Republican officials said, citing a desire by Sen. John McCain's campaign to turn the page on the Bush-Cheney years.

One GOP official told CNN there's a "mutual understanding" between Cheney's office and the McCain camp that he is "unlikely" to attend the convention.

A second Republican official said there are still "talks going on" between Cheney's office and the McCain camp and both sides are "still trying to work it out."

The conservative American Spectator first reported Monday that Cheney, who has low national approval ratings but is still popular among conservatives, is not expected to attend the convention.

A Wall Street Journal-NBC News Poll from June showed that while 31 percent of Americans had a positive opinion of President Bush, only 23 percent had the same feeling for Cheney.

Cheney may be the only non-incarcerated politician in America who's less popular than President Bush.

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers sidestepped a question about whether the senator has invited Cheney, saying the campaign has "not announced the speakers or any details" about the convention at this point.

Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell also told CNN the details for the convention are still in flux.

"His schedule for next week has not even been set up," Mitchell said, suggesting there has been no final decision on the convention.

Cheney is in an unusual situation for a vice president: He's not running for anything.

Normally a sitting vice president is either running for re-election -- like Walter Mondale in 1980, George Bush in 1984, Dan Quayle in 1992 and Cheney in 2004. Or, a vice president is running for the top spot after a president has served two terms -- like Richard Nixon in 1960, or George Bush in 1988 or Al Gore in 2000.

The last time a vice president was not running for anything was Nelson Rockefeller, Gerald Ford's vice president in 1976. Rockefeller spoke at the Republican convention.

Charles Dawes, Calvin Coolidge's vice president, was the last No. 2 who wasn't running for anything and didn't show up at his party's 1928 convention.

CNN's Ed Henry, Ed Hornick and Bill Schneider contributed to this report.

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