Cheney and Halliburton...

[TypicalFish 0]

So, in 2001, 2002, and 2003 (not known in 2004 as returns have of course not been filed yet) Dick Cheney has received at least 150K a year from Halliburton in what is being called "deferred compensation"... No, not pension, nor return on stocks... I thought he had supposedly "cut all ties"?

Conflict of interest? Yes or no? Thoughts?

"I gargle no man's balls..." ussfpa on SOCNET

[tunaplanet 0]

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Thoughts?

The only thought of importance is that if Cheney has done something wrong then legal actions will take their course.

Otherwise all of this is just liberals crying and searching for something to whine about because he happens to be a republican.

Forty-two

[TypicalFish 0]

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Thoughts?

The only thought of importance is that if Cheney has done something wrong then legal actions will take their course.

Otherwise all of this is just liberals crying and searching for something to whine about because he happens to be a republican.

No, it's because he happens to be the VICE PRESIDENT. My question was based on the VP of the United States taking compensation from one of the largest government contractors. It is not a partisan issue, it is an ethical one.

You're kidding me, right? You are telling me that if this was Clinton or Gore the Republicans would turn a blind eye and say "Oh, no, it's FINE..."?

That's as much per year as the WHOLE Whitewater deal was worth in the first place.

"I gargle no man's balls..." ussfpa on SOCNET

[tunaplanet 0]

Great! Then if he's guilty he'll stand trial. We'll wait and see what happens.

Forty-two

[narcimund 0]

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Great! Then if he's guilty he'll stand trial. We'll wait and see what happens.

Would you use the same calm words if the VP were a despicable, evil, liberty-hating, america-destroying, scum monster from planet Democrat?

I do notice that the evil, tantrum-throwing, vileness-spewing democrats are remaining quite calm in the face of their mortal enemy's questionable position. Yet I strongly doubt the republicans would be so moderated in their approach were they in the other side.

Yet one more example of democrats (who are 90% wrong about everything) behaving much more civilly than republicans (who are also 90% wrong about everything).

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[jimbarry 0]

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My question was based on the VP of the United States taking compensation from one of the largest government contractors.

Well, technically, if it's deferred compensation then it probably means he's being paid for something he did before becoming VP, and they're just paying him now for it (tax reasons maybe? dunno). Doesn't necessarily mean that they're paying him now for something he did as a sitting VP.

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It is not a partisan issue, it is an ethical one.

Then yeah, it certainly contains a clear appearance of impropriety. Cheney doesn't seem interested in avoiding these appearances. Esp when H'ton gets no-bid contracts.

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You're kidding me, right? You are telling me that if this was Clinton or Gore the Republicans would turn a blind eye and say "Oh, no, it's FINE..."?

As a republican I'm here to say that if the roles were reversed, then the republican machine would be all over it like a swarm. But no, you can't say that the democrats are being nice and silent about it. We've been hearing "Cheneyhalliburton" as one single word in the media for years now.

[mnealtx 0]

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Yet one more example of democrats (who are 90% wrong about everything) behaving much more civilly than republicans (who are also 90% wrong about everything).

Which is why the million moms tore down signs, spit on and otherwise attacked protestors.....

..... which is why halliburton protestors tore down signs and pushed around people defending halliburton....

.....which is why union workers tore down a sign that a 3 year old girl and her father were holding....

Yep...behaving much more civilly, INDEED.....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Ron 10]

OK "deferred compensation"... That means he did something BEFORE he left and they are paying him for it now.

Nothing wrong with that.

Many companies do that fo Tax reasons. A high bonus can be broken down into smaller payouts over several years...

Common practice in big business.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[PhillyKev 0]

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OK "deferred compensation"... That means he did something BEFORE he left and they are paying him for it now.

Yeah, like saying, "Hey, you give me that so called deferrement package, and I'll see what I can do for you when I'm in the whitehouse."

[TheAnvil 0]

No, not really. There are so many unique payment schemes and mechanisms in the compensation plans of high level corporate officials that it doesn't seem odd to me in the least.

With regards to conflict of interest, check out the manner in which Mr. Cheney's detractors pursuing the Halliburton angle operate. A few random thoughts on this topic:

- when pressed to state what role the Office of the VP has with regards to government contracting, they evade the question

- when asked to describe how DoD contracts are awarded, they evade the question (or embarass themselves thoroughly)

- when queried as to which sole source contract issued to Halliburton had a questionable J & A linked in some manner to the office of the VP, they evade the question

- when asked to state why Halliburton should not bid on government contracts - sole source or otherwise - they embarass themselves with illogical answers

- when challenged to find a protest to sole source contracts awarded Halliburton, they fail to do so

- when requested to show a passing knowledge of the sole source contracting criteria, they ignore the question and produce mindless rhetoric

I could go on, but believe I've conveyed my point. I find most of the political attacks linking Mr. Cheney and Halliburton operations rather disingenuous.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[narcimund 0]

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I find most of the political attacks linking Mr. Cheney and Halliburton operations rather disingenuous.

Please tell us exactly how you'd be handling this question if vice president Lieberman or Edwards were in this exact same position.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[tunaplanet 0]

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Yet one more example of democrats (who are 90% wrong about everything) behaving much more civilly than republicans (who are also 90% wrong about everything).

You mean like a liberal ripping a little girl's sign and making her cry hysterically just because she supported her president?

Yeah, that's civil. Get real.

Forty-two

[Ron 10]

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OK "deferred compensation"... That means he did something BEFORE he left and they are paying him for it now.

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Yeah, like saying, "Hey, you give me that so called deferrement package, and I'll see what I can do for you when I'm in the whitehouse."

That quite frankly is the WORST logic I have EVER hear you say. EVER....

It is at best a load of tripe.

Copensation programs like that are VERY common in highly compensated positions. If a VP of a company puts programs into place before he leaves on good terms...It is quite normal if the programs are profitable to continue to get payments from them.

A buddy of mine that was laid off from a company just got a 2200.00 check for profits from a program he was on. He has been gone 2 years from that company.

Programs like that are normal.

Like I said....The worst logic I have ever seen you use.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[narcimund 0]

Ron, ok how about you?

Please tell us exactly how you'd be handling this question if vice president Lieberman or Edwards were in this exact same position.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Casurf1978 0]

From what I've read it Cheney's leaving payment when he left Haliburton. Rather than take a one time lump sum he spread it out over 5 years for tax reasons. Like Ron said its common in big business especaily for top level execs. He has about 8m in options which the profits will be donated to a charity.

Cheney did some questionable things at Haliburton, main one being how the firm accounts for profits from contracts that are in dispute. Kindof sounds familiar to another firm huh?

[skydyvr 0]

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Please tell us exactly how you'd be handling this question if vice president Lieberman or Edwards were in this exact same position.

If cows had purple hair, would you still eat hamburgers?

. . =(_8^(1)

[Ron 10]

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Ron, ok how about you?

Please tell us exactly how you'd be handling this question if vice president Lieberman or Edwards were in this exact same position.

I would say the same thing. Damn, they make alot of money!

For the record I LIKE Lieberman. I do hate Edwards.

BTW do you find it funny that the Kerry/Edwards ticket is running with a platform of medical reform and Edwards was an ambulance chaser? Edwards has sued Doctors several times....Now he is for tort reform? He made his money from medical lawsuits?

Do you find that as funny as I do?

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[TheAnvil 0]

Having worked in defense acquisitions before, I'd say the same way. The arguments being used against Mr. Cheney are absolutely inane.

Now when conservatives were slamming Comrade Gore over the Occidental Petroleum issue, they had something firm on which to stand, because the executive branch DOES have something to do with which oil fields are strategically necessary to remain under gov't control and which ones aren't. Far firmer than what Mr. Cheney has faced - and as would be expected, with far less coverage fromt the left-media.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[jdhill 0]

The simple answer is NO... it is a fixed amount that was part of his package when he left Halliburton... Whether or not he had anything to do with Hallibutron getting contracts has been investigated by Congress, and NOTHING has been found to substantiate such claims... Pure political fodder...

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[Ron 10]

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Would you use the same calm words if the VP were a despicable, evil, liberty-hating, america-destroying, scum monster from planet Democrat?

Yep....But at least you can see what Democrats really are

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I do notice that the evil, tantrum-throwing, vileness-spewing democrats are remaining quite calm in the face of their mortal enemy's questionable position. Yet I strongly doubt the republicans would be so moderated in their approach were they in the other side.

Yet one more example of democrats (who are 90% wrong about everything) behaving much more civilly than republicans (who are also 90% wrong about everything).
--

For this...All I can say is what a load of crap. Please reference this http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1255270;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread to see how peaceful your guys are.

Yes, it was stupid to take a 3YO to a political event like that.

But to claim your "peace lovin Dem's" are so good....Is kinda being short sighted.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[kallend 2,150]

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Great! Then if he's guilty he'll stand trial. We'll wait and see what happens.

Would you approve of appointing a special prosecutor and spending $50M on the investigation, like Whitewater cost US taxpayers?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,150]

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From what I've read it Cheney's leaving payment when he left Haliburton. Rather than take a one time lump sum he spread it out over 5 years for tax reasons. Like Ron said its common in big business especaily for top level execs. He has about 8m in options which the profits will be donated to a charity.

Cheney did some questionable things at Haliburton, main one being how the firm accounts for profits from contracts that are in dispute. Kindof sounds familiar to another firm huh?

One of the things the younger readers won't remember is "income averaging" which allowed anyone with variable income to spread their tax burden over five years. It was eliminated for rank and file taxpayers, but big shots still get to do it.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[PhillyKev 0]

Yeah, but now the rank and file get the AMT

[Botellines 0]

If Cheney and Halliburton made public before Cheney being vicepresident how much money Haliburton owed him, and how it was going to be paid, I don´t see much problem with that as long as he doesn´t get any less/more.
However, if that figure has not been made public, no one could control wether Halliburton is bribing Cheney or not. And we all know how this lobbys work.