ENGLEWOOD, COLO. ? At first, it seemed like it might go down in history as one of those killer debate moments: Vice President Dick Cheney, who presides over the Senate, said he’d never met Sen. John Edwards until their encounter Tuesday night in Cleveland.

“I’m up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they’re in session,” said Cheney, turning to Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat, whom he faulted for skipping a lot of votes. “The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight.”

But the bon mot backfired. Cheney was wrong.

Within an hour, Democrats circulated photographs and video snippets showing Edwards and Cheney standing next to each other on the dais at the Feb. 1, 2001, National Prayer breakfast.

“Thank you very much. Congressman Watts, Senator Edwards, friends across the country and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world, Lynne and I are honored to be with you all this morning,” Cheney said, according to a transcript.

Edwards also met Cheney at the ceremonial swearing-in of Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., on Jan. 8, 2003, according to newspaper accounts.

It also was a stretch for Cheney to suggest that he frequently presides over the Senate. Cheney wields the gavel only when he’s needed to cast tie-breaking votes, which happened only three times in 2003. He does visit Capitol Hill on Tuesdays, for strategy lunches with Republican senators, but no Democrats are invited.

Cheney aides said Wednesday that his comment wasn’t misleading. It pointed up a larger truth, they said: that Edwards has often been absent from his Senate duties, busy running for president.

In this image from video, originally broadcast by C-SPAN Feb. 1, 2001, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., is seen sitting next to Vice President Dick Cheney at a Senate prayer breakfast in Washington. Cheney said Tuesday night that the debate with Edwards marked the first time they had met. In fact, the two had met at least two times previously.

“The vice president has no recollection of meeting Senator Edwards,” said Anne Womack, Cheney’s campaign spokeswoman. “The important point is during his Senate career, Senator Edwards has failed to establish a record.”

During 2003, as he was beginning his run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Edwards missed 38 percent of the 459 roll-call votes. He’s missed all 45 votes held since Sen. John Kerry named him as his running mate in July.