20 Papers Have Problem with Saturday's 'Doonesbury'

By: (AP) About 20 newspapers are objecting to Saturday's "Doonesbury" comic strip because it features Vice President Dick Cheney using a profanity.

In the comic, the voice of Cheney directs President George Bush to tell a reporter to "go f--- himself."

The strip also refers to questions about a mysterious bulge in Bush's suit jacket during a recent presidential debate. Some have said the bulge was an audio receiver and that the president was getting messages passed to him. The White House has laughed off that suggestion.

In the strip, Cheney's voice is coming into Bush's ear.

Editors told Universal Press Syndicate, the comic strip's distributor, that if their reporters aren't allowed to use profanity in stories, they don't think "Doonesbury" should, either.

The comic plays off two minor controversies. In June, Cheney directed a similar profane comment at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy during a confrontation on the Senate floor while members were having their annual group picture taken.

A spokesman for Kansas City-based Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes "Doonesbury," said at least 20 newspapers have contacted the company to complain about the cartoon for Saturday editions.

"In this particular instance, we have a strip known for strong political satire," said Lee Salem, editor at Universal Press. "In this case, as in many prior instances, we assume editors will make the decision on the local level whether they use it or not."

At The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., features editor Alicia Roberts said profanity isn't allowed in the newspaper, and editors aren't making an exception for Trudeau.

Instead, she said the newspaper would put a note on the comics page telling readers they can see the strip if they come to the newspaper's front desk. It also will direct them to a Web site.

"The frustrating thing about it for us is that it becomes a readers relations issue. We have to justify it either way, and we're always going to make someone unhappy," Roberts said.

Salem said no changes -- such as offering an alternative strip for the day -- have been planned as a result of complaints from the newspapers, which are scattered across the country.

The comic is sent to about 1,400 newspapers, and editors all are aware of the political nature of the strip, he said.

"Historically, we've had myriad complaints about Doonesbury," Salem said. "We fully understand and we respect their right to run it or not run it. You have to recognize that we have a very diverse list of newspapers."