Your Cheney Heart...*

Stevieslaw: Your Cheney heart…*
Barely a month and a half after receiving a heart transplant, Dick Cheney was on the stage at the Wyoming Republican Party state convention on Saturday for what some might term his “state of the union” speech. In it he described President Obama as a fair and thoughtful man who is trying to do his best for the country in the face a host of difficult problems and pressures. He warned about the potential for war in Iran or Syria and the need for reasoned and open discussion before committing our nation to war ever again.
Cheney went on to argue that subsidies to oil companies should end immediately and warned about “rushing into” the Keystone pipeline project before serious environmental concerns were thoroughly addressed. Finally, he took President Obama to task for his failure to push for a more extensive health care law—using, for example, the Medicare model—for all Americans. Cheney cited his own health problems, stating at one point, “Americans with heart problems or other physical or mental ailments should not have to worry about how their treatment will be paid for. I’d hope for fewer wars and more universal health care.”
Cheney said that he thought Mitt Romney would be our next president, after a hard fought campaign that concentrated solely on the ideas each of the candidates had for improving the nation. Cheney looked well, although his face reflected a certain bewilderment with what he was saying. Often he would stop and shake his head, as if to say no, no, no.
After the meeting, Smokey Diamond—our intrepid reporter—was able to catch up with a member of Cheney’s transplant team, Dr. F. Stein, who was looking a bit bewildered as well. “What we witnessed today,” he said, “can only be explained as Dick Cheney speaking from his transplanted heart.” “The implications for “off-label” use of heart transplants are simply astounding.” “Imagine if we could have transplanted Hitler,” he said.
*see, Mead Gruver, AP, With new heart, Cheney speaks.