Durston takes shots at Lungren for Cheney visit

Congressman Dan Lungren (R-Gold River) is welcoming Vice President Dick Cheney for a fundraiser on Friday. And he’s not the only one. His challenger, Democrat Bill Durston, is trying to making hay -- and money -- out of Cheney's visit.

The Lungren campaign hasn’t been talking about it – the event is not featured on the campaign Web site – but the Durston campaign does have the VP's trip plastered across the front of its Web page.

“Lungren and Cheney are long-time pals,” the Durston site reads. “Lungren boasted during the 2004 Republican primary that he and Cheney voted exactly the same during the 10 years they were both in Congress, and Lungren has been in virtual lock-step with Bush and Cheney since he returned to Congress in 2004.”

The Durston campaign also directs visitors to “Cheney’s Chum Challenge,” a pledge for Durston donors to match the money raised for Lungren by Cheney. The activist group ActBlue is hosting the challenge.

John Chendo, a spokesman for the Durston campaign, said in an interview that the Lungren campaign had pulled the announced from its Web site. “It’s obviously an elite group that’s going to be invited,” he said.

According to an older version of the Lungren Web site (found in Google’s cache), Cheney will be a “Special Honored Guest” at a private event in Wilton billed at as “an evening of Western hospitality.”

Chendo said there were no immediate plans for high-power Democrats to campaign in the district.

The Lungren campaign did not return a call for comment.