George and Laura Bush made $735,000 last year and owed $187,000 in taxes. Somehow the Cheney’s made 10 times more ($8.92 million), but were owed a refund of almost $2 million!
Meanwhile back at the ranch, Iraq is going to hell in a handbasket and the GOP is focusing on important issues like what’s going on in your bedroom.
Protection of marriage amendment? Check. Anti-flag burning legislation? Check. New abortion limits? Check.
Between now and the November elections, Republicans are penciling in plans to take action on social issues important to religious conservatives, the foundation of the GOP base, as they defend their congressional majority.
The Cheney refund isn’t at all mysterious or “funny,” and while not clearly spelled out in the article, the reason for it is easy to infer. They excercised and liquidated a whole bunch of stock options, appropriate withholding was made, but when they gave the proceeds to legitimate charities, the money became tax-exempt, so they got a refund.
Cheney is a hateful man, and how he came by his wealth and how he executes his public office in relationship to former business associates are topics well worth investigating. But impugning anyone’s massive charitable contributions because they get a tax advantage doesn’t help anyone. The only even slightly questionable contribution disclosed in the wire article is “Capital Partners for Education, to benefit low-income high school students in the Washington area.” They give scholarships to private school to low income kids, which is not problematic in and of itself. I don’t know the position of this particular organization, but there are a number of similar organizations whose long-term goal is school vouchers, and given that the Cheney’s were such generous donors to this particular organization, it wouldn’t surprise me if Capital Partners for Education shared that goal.