Hang on Bagpuss,

"The fact that you declare payments and links does not prove that you are not acting improperly and with self interest as a motive."

Stikes me as being a damn sight more likely an indication that you are behaving openly and honestly than not, particularly as the payments were passed before the Office of Government Ethics as stated in katlaughing's post.


The Cheney 2002 tax return:

Government Salary $174,475 + DEFERRED COMPENSATION $1,598,977 from a post he relinquished on 16th August, 2000.

The Cheney 2000 tax return:

From Halliburton a cash bonus of $1,451,398 based on calendar year 2000 results.

That does not strike me as being in anyway untoward, considering he was CEO of one of the largest service companies in the oil and gas industry.

Plus an additional $1,184,597 in income resulted from the exercise of stock options and receipt of deferred compensation in January, 2001 as Mr. Cheney disposed of holdings and terminated relationships with companies on whose boards of directors he had served before becoming Vice President.

Again, seems reasonable, I don't know what the man's salary was a Halliburton. I would imagine it was a great deal more than the $174,475 he gets as Vice-President. In order to take up public office he has to resign from his post and dispose of his stock in the company - he deserves to be compensated.