Monday 19 September 2005

Cheney Slated For Surgery; Halliburton Gets No Bid Contract

$26M For Operating Room Clean-up; "Can't have VP's DNA Floating Around" Says White House

The White House announced last Friday, after a breaking story in 'RollCall' by reporter Mary Ann Akers, that Vice President Dick Cheney will undergo elective surgery this weekend to treat and repair an aneurysm in an artery behind his right knee.

The condition was discoved in a routine checkup earlier this year and is considered "elective" and minor, so as not to become a larger problem in the future.

"It will take place next weekend. It will be performed under local anesthetic and involve a short hospital stay. The vice president will return to work shortly thereafter, said Steve Schmidt, the vice president's counselor on Friday.

Mr. Cheney has suffered heart problems for over 25-years, including four heart attacks and, since 2000, having a stent, pacemaker and defibrillator implanted.

In a related matter, Halliburton the company formerly run by the vice-president, has been awarded a $26-Million contract to perform clean-up work in the operating room after the surgery.

Halliburton has come under fire recently, for cost overruns with No-Bid contracts received for work in the Iraqi reconstruction and, reportedly has been awarded additional No-Bid contracts for work related to the clean-up in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan defended the hight cost of the Halliburton contract.

"As what happens in an operating room," said McClellan, "you'll have blood and other hazardous waste materials that must be cleaned-up and and disposed under certain state and federal guidelines. The company that was awarded the contract has the experience, manpower and equipment for the job. It's all very standard work."

"We also have security issues, We can't have any of the vice-president's DNA floating around out there," added McClellan. "Only a select few companies are authorized to handle that."

McClellan would neither confirm or deny the rumor that Vice Admiral Thad Allen will be sent up to Washington to oversee the vice president's operation and clean-up.














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