Dick Cheney's No Dick Nixon
In his famous Checkers speech in 1952, Richard Nixon was so aggrieved by allegations he misused $18,000 in political funds that he ran down an itemized list of his personal finances, showing the world that he hadn't grown rich in public life:I have made an average of approximately $1,500 a year from nonpolitical speaking engagements and lectures. And then, fortunately, we've inherited a little money. Pat sold her interest in her father's estate for $3,000 and I inherited $l,500 from my grandfather.
We live rather modestly. For four years we lived in an apartment in Park Fairfax, in Alexandria, Va. The rent was $80 a month. And we saved for the time that we could buy a house.
Now, that was what we took in. What did we do with this money? What do we have today to show for it? This will surprise you, Because it is so little, I suppose, as standards generally go, of people in public life. First of all, we've got a house in Washington which cost $41,000 and on which we owe $20,000. We have a house in Whittier, California, which cost $13,000 and on which we owe $3,000. My folks are living there at the present time.
I have just $4,000 in life insurance, plus my G.I. policy which I've never been able to convert and which will run out in two years. I have no insurance whatever on Pat. I have no life insurance on our our youngsters, Patricia and Julie. I own a 1950 Oldsmobile car. We have our furniture. We have no stocks and bonds of any type. We have no interest of any kind, direct or indirect, in any business.
Now, that's what we have. What do we owe? Well, in addition to the mortgage, the $20,000 mortgage on the house in Washington, the $10,000 one on the house in Whittier, I owe $4,500 to the Riggs Bank in Washington, D.C. with interest 4 1/2 per cent.
I owe $3,500 to my parents and the interest on that loan which I pay regularly, because it's the part of the savings they made through the years they were working so hard, I pay regularly 4 per cent interest. And then I have a $500 loan which I have on my life insurance.
Well, that's about it. That's what we have and that's what we owe. It isn't very much but Pat and I have the satisfaction that every dime that we've got is honestly ours. I should say this -- that Pat doesn't have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat. And I always tell her that she'd look good in anything.
Vice President Cheney, who has spent all but five of the last 35 years as a public servant, has amassed a net worth of $94 million during that time.
That would buy a lot of Republican coats.
Comments
That has bought a lot of Republicans.
The article refers to the assets of both Dick and Lynne together. I am surprised that you so quickly dismiss her contribution to their personal wealth.
Aside from speaking engagements and the early '80s lesbian Western Sisters, I'm not aware that Lynne Cheney had done anything that might give the family a significant push towards nine-figure income. Most of the Cheney millions comes from his Halliburton gig, as far as I know.
Nothing more than pot and kettle politics. How much money do you think long-time democratic politicians such as Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry have amassed? And aside from votes, how many murders will that buy you? In Kennedy's case, at least one.
dddddddddddddddd
In the case of Kerry and Kennedy, the former married wealth and the latter inherited it, both a significant distinction from acquiring it as a so-called "public servant". Chaney's conflict-of-interest with respect to his public office and private corporate ties is blatant and egregious.
See this article:
"Cheney's Halliburton stock options rose 3,281% last year, senator finds"
What is it with liberals and the wealthy? You're okay with people making money as long as they're not Republicans? Why is that? Are Republicans inherently more capable of doing evil with their money?
Don't answer...I know what you'll say.
And by the way...links to claims by a liberal news source carry no weight as far as I'm concerned.
You're okay with people making money as long as they're not Republicans?
I'm not OK with the revolving door where career politicians like Cheney jump into private work, make a gajillion dollars, and then get back into government and help their former employers get even richer.
This was a better country when we had enough suspicion of wealth that a pol like Nixon bragged on his wife's humble coat.
We could use more politicians who aren't megazillionaires, and though you seem to view this entirely from a partisan perspective, I'd include the Kennedys and Kerry in the too-rich crowd.
I prefer pols who have first-hand experience in what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck.
"Vice President Cheney, who has spent all but five of the last 35 years as a public servant, has amassed a net worth of $94 million during that time."
And he ammassed almost all of that wealth during those 5 years at Halliburton where he did a fair job except for saddling the company with asbestos claims from a company Halliburton acquired under Cheney's watch.
Michael Kirsch of Notre Dame points out that Cheney is a major beneficiary of the Hurricane Katrina tax relief act:
"...he claimed $6.8 million of charitable deductions, which is 77% of his AGI--well in excess of the 50% limitation that would have applied absent the Katrina legislation.
Praising the frugality of one of the Democrat's most hated opponents indicates that the muckrakers are scrapping the bottom of the propaganda barrel, in order to continue their political Kristallnacht against the neo-Juden of the 21st Century: Republicans/conservatives.
The evil, rich, righwing fundamentalists should all be thrown in jail for their efforts to destroy our country by freeing millions of Iraqis from a terrorist supporting tyrant!
Even the worst criminal, Republican, government subverting, butt-ugly president (Nixon) didn't make any money before he became president -- see the quotes?
But Cheney DID! (not that he is president but an evil righwing subverter and thief in government -- the neoconservative, money grubbing, fundamentalist CHRISTIAN!
Hey! Why don't you dredge up the Bush-Banking propaganda, Rogers!?
Say... didn't that old patriarch fart have a hooked nose... ?
Workers of the People's Progressive Party Unite against the evil neoconservatives pigs who get rich at the government trough! BE PREPARED FOR BATTLE!
I think what is sad is that politics today are very different from politics years ago. There are many democrats and reupublicans that are millionaires and they claim to represent the bets interest of the little guy.
I am afraid that money brings power to get more money. In the UK we currently have a furore over rich individuals making donations to political parties in order to get honours. Money for honours... or should I say dishonour now that its out.
What an idiot.
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