We (some of us) believe and often say that the current governmental administration of the USA is greedy, dishonest, manipulative and power-mad, not to put too fine a point on it. It occurred to me that some of our conservative friends may think of it as just rhetoric, rather than fact based. I've run across some information on Cheney that tends to corroborate the perception we have of this particular person.
On Meet the Press (October 2003) VP Cheney said: "Since I left Halliburton to become George Bush's vice president, I've severed all (emphasis mine) my ties with the company, gotten rid of all my financial interests. I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind (emphasis mine) and haven't had now for over three years (emphasis mine)."
Pretty unequivocal statements, right? Then why does his public financial disclosure, filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, show that in 2002, Cheney received $162,392 in deferred salary from Halliburton. In 2001 he received $205,298 in deferred salary from them.
QUOTE: The 2001 salary was more than Cheney's vice presidential salary of $198,600. Cheney is also holding 433,333 stock options.
QUOTE: Cheney spokeswoman Catherine Martin said the vice president will continue to receive about $150,000 a year from Halliburton in 2003, 2004, and 2005. If President Bush wins a second term, that means Cheney will make at least $800,000 from the company while sitting in office (as vice president).
(Ebbie: The 'deferred salary' evidently refers to the fact that Cheney took out an insurance policy that would guarantee the money would be paid to Cheney no matter what happened to the company. So I'm sure he has no financial interest in the company.)
Derick Z. Jackson Liberal Opinion Week October 6, 2003
Don't let the 'Liberal' name take you off the track- this is not about opinion, it is about easily found facts.
Beccy, you say: "Oh- and that pesky little divestment of all of his Haliburton stock that Cheney had to do prior to running for Veep.."
He did not divest himself of his stock, he put it into a "charitable trust". It's still all there, waiting for him. May that be sooner rather than later..