Vice President Dick Cheney has confirmed that U.S. interrogators subjected captured senior al-Qaeda suspects to a controversial interrogation technique called “water-boarding,” which creates a sensation of drowning.
Cheney indicated that the Bush administration doesn’t regard water-boarding as torture, and allows the CIA to use it. “It’s a no-brainer for me,” Cheney said at one point in an interview.
Dick and Lynne Cheney released their 2005 federal income tax returns on Friday. The damage? They are set to receive a refund just shy of $2 million. Yep, a refund!
The Cheneys reported adjusted gross income of nearly $8.82 million, a number largely padded with income they received by exercising stock options that had been set aside in 2001 for charity.
…
After subtracting the charitable contributions, the Cheneys’ income was $1.95 million on which they owed $529,636 in taxes, according to a statement released by the vice president’s office.
Since the Cheneys paid $2.46 million in withholding and estimated taxes over the year, they were entitled to a refund of about $1.93 million.
Ok, they did give a reported $6.87 million to charity, but it’s interesting that the gift was given in the same year that Bush signed into law the new tax breaks on charitable giving — particularly the bill which allowed individuals and corporations to deduct 100% of all charitable contributions in 2005 (previously the ceiling was set to 50%). Lucky break, wouldn’t you say Dick?
Compared to Cheney, Bush made a poor showing with an adjusted gross income of only $735,180.
[via AP]
Dick Cheney ended up “accidentally” shooting his hunting partner over the weekend while out on a quail hunt in Texas.
Cheney’s companion, Harry Whittington, 78, was listed in stable condition after being brought in on Saturday night, said Yvonne Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Christus Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Cheney’s office said Whittington, an Austin lawyer, had been sprayed by birdshot while hunting at the Armstrong Ranch in south Texas.
Cheney’s office has not provided any details on the accident, although I’m convinced Cheney got carried away re-enacting that scene from Wedding Crashers where Jeremy got shot by Sack…
Jeremy Grey: Wow. Mr. Environmental is also a hunter. That’s an interesting combination.
Sack Lodge: I hunt quail, Jeremy. They’re overpopulated in this region and they’re decimating the grubworm population. You got a f*cking problem with that?
Jeremy Grey: Not as much as I do with your attire, or just your general point of view toward everybody here. But hey, lets go kill some birds. I’m psyched.
[via AP]
Vice President Dick Cheney, while visiting Gulfport, Mississippi on a tour of the disaster zone, was told to f##k himself on live television during an interview. Crooks and Liars reports,
Off camera, a protester shouts, “Go f##k yourself, Mr. Cheney. Go f##k yourself.” The camera remains on Cheney while we hear scuffling in the background.
CNN’s reporter asks Cheney, “Are you getting a lot of that Mr. Vice President?”
Cheney replies, “First time I’ve heard it., Must be a friend of John…, er, ah - never mind.”
Cheney laughs it off, but there are many people dead that aren’t laughing right now.
Video: Cheney told to F himself
[via Crooks and Liars]
