Now It's Cheney's Turn to Laugh at You

cheney_small.jpg
Dick Cheney, desperately searching back
issues of Martha Stewart Living for
instructions on how to remove
bloodstains from paper money

Give Dick Cheney the benefit of the doubt for just a second. Let's assume that the $178,437 he received from Halliburton in 2003 really was deferred compensation for his services rendered in 1999. Let's also assume for the time being that his claim that this compensation is not tied in any way to performance is also true.

Does that change the fact that Halliburton and its subsidiary, KBR, are still under investigation by military investigators for overcharging the government for oil and meals served to U.S. troops in Iraq? No, it doesn't. At worst, Cheney's compensation is dirty money. At best, he doesn't seem to care about the risk of the appearance of impropriety.

Even if you do take what Dick Cheney says as gospel, the facts clearly show that he has no qualms about taking money from a company that may very well have defrauded the government. Especially when your family has taxable income of over 800 grand, wouldn't it make sense to refuse the $178K from the potentially dirty company?

What this tells me is that Cheney doesn't give a shit what we think. Evidently, he thinks nothing of putting his personal gain above the principles that all government officials should adhere to. Let's toss this asshole and his blood money out of office in November.