Ripped from the Headlines...

Much truly disturbing news from the wire services today...

Twigster's Budget

AP is reporting:

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday the budget going to Congress this week was not prepared with a "meat ax," but that the administration found roughly 150 federal programs it believed can be cut or eliminated.

[. . .]

The budget seeks savings from about 150 programs, including Amtrak, environmental protection, American Indian schools, farmers' subsidies and Medicaid, the federal-state health program for the poor and disabled.

Left untouched, of course, is the campaignistration’s primary objective: maximizing the income for themselves and their butt-buddy sycophants.

Bush designed the roughly $2.5 trillion spending plan for 2006 as a response to a string of record federal deficits. Many proposals face an unclear fate in Congress, where members of both parties are sure to defend favorite initiatives.

The deficits, obviously, are not Twiggy’s fault: after all, he had his “moment of accountability”, so he’s golden. At least in his own mind.

"It's not something we've done with a meat ax, nor are we suddenly turning our back on the most needy people in our society," Cheney told "Fox News Sunday."

[. . .]

"I think you'll find once people sit down and have a chance to look at the budget that it is (a) fair, reasonable, responsible, serious piece of effort," Cheney said.

“After all,” said “He Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken” (aka the dickless one), “We couldn’t very well ask Halliburton to give up any of it’s profits, so we had to make cuts elsewhere. And who really cares if our cuts have a disparate impact on the poor? They didn’t vote for us, so they can go Cheney themselves.”
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Twigster, "He Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken" and Social Security

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday acknowledged trillions of dollars in future borrowing may be needed to cover the cost of private retirement accounts under President Bush's plan to retool the Social Security retirement system.
Cheney told Fox News Sunday that "it is important to manage the fiscal impact of these transitions in an intelligent fashion, and we're well aware of that."

“And as long as that impact doesn’t fall on US, who cares? Screw it, my kids – even that pervert daughter of mine – won’t have to worry, cause they’ll have my Halliburton stock to support them.”

Under Bush's plan, Cheney said the administration would borrow roughly $754 billion over the next 10 years to set up the private accounts.

"We think that's a manageable amount," he said in the interview.

Asked about estimates that trillions of dollars in additional borrowing would be needed in subsequent decades, Cheney said: "That's right. Trillions more after that."

"But the personal accounts will themselves provide a significant return for those who hold them," he added.

“Of course, if the stock market tanks, they’re screwed, but hey, it’s not me or my friends, so they can Cheney themselves.”

Many estimates have pegged the 10-year cost of Bush's plan at $1 trillion to $2 trillion.

But the Bush administration gave a lower estimate of those estimates, at $754 billion. That number includes $90 billion in debt service costs.

The reason that estimate is lower than others is that the Bush plan is phased in, reducing the cost of the private accounts in the first few years.

The other reason the campaignistration’s estimate is lower is because they’re lying about it… as they ALWAYS lie about estimates.

Cheney brushed aside suggestions that the administration, instead of borrowing, raise taxes to cover the transition costs. He said a tax increase now would "do serious damage to the economy."

“The billionaires have already set their budgets for the next four years; they’ve ordered their new yachts, their new private jets, everything. Increasing taxes would put an impermissible burden on the overworked wealthy.”

"The real cost over time is doing nothing. Because if we do nothing, then the system is going to go belly up. It's going to go broke. It won't be there for today's younger generation," Cheney said.

Bush has conceded that he faced a battle in Congress to win over skeptics of his plan to remake the system.

Yeah, like he’s having a hard time getting Republicans to sign on, never mind Democrats.,
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Thank God for Small Favors Dept.

WASHINGTON - Dick Cheney says he won't be running for anything after finishing his term as vice president, except maybe to the river with his grandchildren.

"I've got my plans laid out," Cheney said Sunday. "I'm going to serve this president for the next four years and then I'm out of here."

Cheney said he made it clear when he became George W. Bush's running mate that he would never run for president and nothing could change his mind.

He did not rule out, however, continuing to serve if BlowMonkeyPreznit decides to cancel elections… in the interest of Halliburton – err, national security.

Cheney tried to put the question to rest in the starkest terms possible. "Not only no, but hell no," Cheney told "Fox News Sunday." He quoted Civil War Gen. William Sherman, who answered similar queries in 1884 by saying, "If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve."

“I’m just happy being the man in charge with Junior taking all the flack.”

"By 2009, I'll be 68 years old," Cheney said. "And I've still got a lot of rivers I'd like to fish and time I'd like to spend with my grandkids, and so this is my last tour."

Go now. Your grandkids need you. They really, really need you… right now. Go, please, do us all a favor.
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Of course, if "He Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken" (aka the dickless one) really does retire, that leaves the Rethuglican field wide open in 2008. Some of the names I've seen bandied about include:

• Jeb Bush (which would lead to the first father-son-son presidencies in history), who's even worse than his brother, even though Jeb does speak more better English
• Lizardboy GinGRINCH, the immoralist-in-chief
• Bill ("My last name actually rhymes with Jesus' last name) Frist

How are those for scary thoughts?