You would think that after six and half years of the Bush/Cheney cabal I would be immune to outrage overload – that nothing would surprise me. Of course that is not the case. I briefly discussed Dick Cheney’s most recent psychotic moment here this morning but for the most part it has left me speechless. Yes my friends it would appear that Shooter Dick now thinks he is an independent fourth branch of government and beyond the control of the other three. Now this goes beyond the hubris we are all familiar with. Those of you who have read my rants over at MEJ know I have thought for sometime that Dick Cheney was a very dangerous man because he is both evil and insane. There have been many such men in history and good rarely resulted from anything they did. Over at The Moderate Voice Shaun Mullen thinks he has an explanation for Dick Cheney’s erratic behavior.

The veep’s seeming craziness may have a simple explanation: He isn’t getting enough oxygen to his brain as a result of an astounding number of medical problems.

Don’t laugh.

Cheney is badly damaged goods and is alive because numerous medical procedures. These include a defibrillator implantation because of atherosclerosis stemming from high cholesterol and obesity, four heart attacks, one of which led to a coronary stent and another to a coronary bypass, an angioplasty because of unstable angina, congestive heart failure, a tube prosthesis because of knee aneurysms, an inability to stay awake (see photo) and breathlessness. He takes a suite of powerful medications, including one to control gout.

OK, that explains Shooter but what about those who support him? Also at The Moderate Voice Joe Gandelman takes a look at that question.

This latest controversy is one more manifestation of an executive branch (or, more accurately, now executive BRANCHES) that seems to be making a power grab that would have shocked Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan or their followers years ago. Goldwater and Reagan were conservative icons back in the days of yesteryear when conservatism stood for solid principles that not everyone would agree with — but they were solid principles and conservatives could be counted on to defend them.

These days, in a spectacle that seemingly is bigger than “American Idol,” Americans are witnessing a lemmings’ march to the sea as a segment of the Republican party repeatedly adjusts its principles and jettisons old ones so they are in sync with whatever the official preference is at the White House — or Vice President’s office.

In recent years the Republicans have acted less like a political party and more like a tribe. Those who still support Dick Cheney have taken it a step further – they are part of a cult. They have no principles only blind obedience. This only makes someone like Dick Cheney even more dangerous. He is unfit to hold the office of Vice President and as long as his insanity has power behind it the United States and the entire planet are in grave danger. I’m really not sure the 18 more months of Dick Cheney is something we will survive.

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Other bloggers weigh in — courtesy, in part, to MemeOrandum’s blog roundup (thanks to MemeOrandum for selecting this as a Featured Post, by the way): The Carpetbagger Report; Liberal Values; The Newshoggers; The Gavel; Think Progress; The Impolitic; CREW; The Left Coaster; Drudge Retort; PoliBlog

Thanks kindly to The Left End Of The Dial for linking in -

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