What's the deal with Dick Cheney?

[MovieMogul]

At a time like this when everyone in the administration is being called to task to engage directly with the Katrina disaster (W leaves Crawford, Condi leaves NY, etc.), where the heck is Cheney?

A search on the NYT website doesn’t mention a single article in the last week mentioning Cheney having to do with Katrina.

However, I did find this:

The dean of New York’s congressional delegation suggested in a television interview that Vice President Dick Cheney may not be healthy enough to perform his duties…

…“Well, he’s a sick man you know,” Rangel said. “He’s got heart disease, but the disease is not restricted to that part of his body. He grunts a lot, so you never really know what he’s thinking.”

Asked whether he was suggesting that Cheney was not healthy enough to do his job, Rangel said, “Why do you think people are spending so much time praying for President Bush’s health?”

Now I’ll admit that his tone is a bit flip (the article’s dated 8/27), but is he saying what a lot of people (in the beltway and beyond) take for granted…that Cheney may be much sicker than anyone’s willing to officially admit?

As of 8/31, Cheney was still on vacation in Wyoming:

Vice President Cheney, who has spent part of August at his home outside scenic Jackson, Wyo., remains there today – although his spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride, doesn’t call it vacation.

“He’s working from Wyoming today,” McBride told me this morning.

So what is his day like in Jackson? Any fly-fishing on the Snake River during his work day?

“He’s already had his morning briefings,” McBride said. “He’ll have some other internal staff meetings.” Beyond that, McBride said, she would have to check and get back to me. I missed her call back but will try to reach her again.

And when is he coming back? “He will certainly be coming back. I’m not able to tell you the day right now. I don’t have that handy.”

On Huffington post, they get right to the point:

Vacation, my ass. We’ve heard nothing from him for weeks. And now that New Orleans, and the entire Bush administration, is a massive disaster, no word from Cheney at all?

Is that because he’s on super secret double background vacation, or because he’s seriously ill? This is just a hunch, but it would explain why Bush is SO off his game this week, why the administration is falling apart at the seams, essentially leaderless. Because their leader is seriously ill.

NOTE FROM MICHAEL IN NEW YORK (sorry to intrude, boss): And if Cheney IS ill, this is why he and Bush were wrong to lie to the country about the state of Cheney’s health. The worst natural disaster in our history and the vp is too ill to chip in. And though Froomkin pointed this out in WaPo, why has no one else in the MSM asked “Where’s Cheney?” Are they collaborating with Bush to keep an “open secret” out of the public eye because they know Bush will be furious if they do?

So, has the Gulf Coast’s misfortune inadvertently outed a deeper administration secret about the VP’s health? Or is he in the midst of the fray in D.C., and even his assistance isn’t enough to make the administration appear competent in this moment of crisis? Has anyone heard anyone mention the VP in the TV news coverage (I mostly scan the internet)? And if so, what’s the word?

[dalej42]

Even the official White House web site lists the last activity of the Vice President as a speech on August 18.

I was going to start a GQ thread on this very subject. Perhaps this thread should be moved?

[MovieMogul]

Well, I originally thought about putting it in GQ, but since I’m inviting speculation as to his health (and not simply his whereabouts), I put it here instead…

[dalej42]

This thread from last year was in GQ and asked, “Is Ronald Reagan gravely ill?” I think it would work in GQ.

[MovieMogul]

Hmmm, good point (though Reagan’s health, I think, was more in the public record).

We’ll let a mod decide…

[kelly5078]

I just heard him on the radio last week, saying he wasn’t going to run for president. He didn’t sound very sick to me.

I assume he’s putting together no-bid contracts for Halliburton in New Orleans. No, I’m not being flip.

[Zebra]

Seriously, do think you could find Dick comforting? He is doing his behind the scenes stuff that he always does. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m sure he is doing, well, something.

[Shirley_Ujest]

I find it more comforting that Dick is behind the scenes than if Georgie were behind the scenes and Mr. Cardiovascular Awareness were in all that heat in New Orleans right now in full sun. (heart meds can mess up a body and the temp thing.)

[lawoot]

@kelly5078

I just heard him on the radio last week, saying he wasn’t going to run for president. He didn’t sound very sick to me.

I assume he’s putting together no-bid contracts for Halliburton in New Orleans. No, I’m not being flip.

They’ve already been awarded clean-up contracts for bases in Mississippi.

[Chefguy]

As anyone should know, September is the month the VP usually gets his rat blood transfusion. I think they did it early this year, hence his absence from the spotlight. I think he also had several conference calls with Satan, which can eat up a lot of your time.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Cheney was present at the Prsesident’s speech, but stayed quiet on the sidelines with Rove.

STORM AND CRISIS: POLITICAL MEMO; As Anxiety Over Storm Increases, Bush Tries...

[ParentalAdvisory]

He doesn’t really have to do much. He’s a tie breaker.

He’s waiting for the tie. Building up contracts just passes the time. What else can he do?

[Fear_Itself]

I saw him near the 17th Street Levee on Monday night…