Dick Cheney In Hospital For Chest Pains

WASHINGTON — Former vice president Dick Cheney was hospitalized after experiencing chest pains Monday, an aide said.

Cheney assistant Peter Long issued a statement that the 69-year-old Cheney was resting comfortably at George Washington University Hospital and his doctors were evaluating the situation.

Cheney has a history of heart problems, including four heart attacks starting at age 37.

When doctors rule out an immediate heart attack, the next step in evaluating chest pain usually is an X-ray exam called an angiogram to help uncover the cause. Doctors inject a dye that will highlight narrowed arteries leading to the heart.

Blockages aren't the only explanation for chest pain. But Cheney had bypass surgery in 1988, as well as two later angioplasties to clear narrowed coronary arteries, and bypasses tend to last about a decade before the rerouted blood vessels start to clog.

In 2001, he had a special pacemaker implanted in his chest. In addition, doctors in 2008 restored a normal rhythm to his heart with an electric shock. It was the second time in less than a year that Cheney had experienced and been treated for an atrial fibrillation, an abnormal rhythm involving the upper chambers of the heart.

The former vice president has kept a high profile since leaving the White House. He has sparred with the Obama administration over plans to close the U.S. detention facility for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and hold the trials of several high-profile detainees in civilian courts rather than military tribunals.

He made a surprise appearance last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where he accompanied his daughter Liz. He was greeted with chants of "Run, Dick, Run," but said "I am not going to do it."

Among his extensive government service, Cheney served as defense secretary under President George H.W. Bush.

Comments

[AmericanDreamWarrior]

07:32 AM on 02/25/2010

So not too long ago, Rush had a scare. This is a man that fully holds as his truth the "let them eat cake" philosophy and fathered the "if they don't think like us, beat them, literally" movement that he promotes on his radio show everyday. Now his fellow neoconserv­ative Cheney has had a similar scare. This is a man that orchestrat­ed the biggest lie told to the American people and proudly revels in his public promotion of torture. What's truly ironic here is these men belong to the party that seems to think that they co-opted God. Well maybe this is God tapping them on the shoulder trying to get their attention.­.. "Ahem, oh boys..."

Obviously Rush's scare didn't humble him in the least bit. Wonder if Cheney will take the hint?

Either way I hope he gets better soon. Going out like this is much too dignified for someone of Dr Claws caliber of ev!l. As long as he's alive, there's still hope that the American people will get to see justice carried out against one of the men responsibl­e for his acts of treason against the us and humanity itself.

[Loveforlife]

09:31 PM on 02/23/2010

Be well Dick Cheney. My prayers are with you.

[ProFormaArtista]

07:03 PM on 02/23/2010

Let's take a poll, and in the in a few days I will tally the results:

Universal Single Payer is like Medicare with the age requiremen­t reduced to birth. Who is in favor of this form of Universal Single Payer?

Say "Aye" or "Nay."

[Jeff Cunningham]

10:09 PM on 02/23/2010

AYE!

[ThirdSection]

11:48 PM on 02/23/2010

Aye!!!!

[Swatantra]

02:33 PM on 02/23/2010

According to CNN, the latest eval says he did suffer a mild attack, which often
can repeat shortly afterward, so he still might have a fatal one soon.

[Siebenstein]

07:05 AM on 03/24/2010

...waiting­.....

[thecreeksedge]

12:24 PM on 02/23/2010

It's always tempting these days to throw rocks at the "other side." Obviously, the former Vice President believes that he will get the kind of care his condition requires at Walter Reed. We should all be aware that these fine military medical institutio­ns are part of a military establishm­ent that is composed of highly skilled and extraordin­arily individual­s who choose to serve our country. They have been unfairly criticized by many in the war of words that characteri­zes public discourse in America today. The comments posted on this website hurling invectives back and forth is typical and demonstrat­es why it is so difficult, if not impossible­, to arrive at reasonable approaches to dealing with the many challenges facing our society. There is no effort here or among our public officials to find any common ground upon which to build consensus about anything. Whatever I feel about Mr. Cheney's politics, I certainly do not wish him ill.

[mage]

12:07 PM on 02/23/2010

So many innocent people died in this war. half a million civilians, millions of refugees, over 4000 of our finest young people. I wish mr. Cheney a speedy recovery, but I hope he reads all these comments and stops defending his actions, and his torture tactics. He should spend his time reflecting on all what happened. It was a nightmare!­!!

[totaldisbelief]

12:11 PM on 02/23/2010

It will be easier for him to simply rewrite history as he sees it.

[Justdontgetit]

12:14 PM on 02/23/2010

It IS a nightmare.

[johntheredstate]

12:04 PM on 02/23/2010

How come HP viewers do not slam democrats that voted for the war?

When Ted Kennedy passed I offered my sympathy to the family. Just because you don't agree with ones politics you dont slam them for it. Be respectful

[Dr. Sam]

12:04 PM on 02/23/2010

CHENEY’S WARS

We wish Cheney well. However, we cannot ignore the nasty hue of his current politics and the stress that possibly triggered his current health problems. Over the weekend, in searing strokes, two highly respected Generals (Powell and Petraeus) demolished the thesis of Cheney’s up-coming revisionis­t book on his role in the Bush White House and his touted credential­s on national security. On Monday, the Justice Department released a damaging analysis debunking Cheney’s claims that harsh interrogat­ion methods worked. Cheney did not get the vindicatio­n he sought! Cheney does not have in his bone the idealism of a Mother Terera. Indeed, a case can be made that he lived on the dark side of power that needs fear to sustain it. Like many neo-cons, he employs deficient “facts” and arguments to confuse the masses. They hope that repeated falsehood would result in fulfillmen­t just as corporatio­ns do in advertisin­g. These two tricks (power through fear, and use of subliminal propaganda­) Cheney learned well in the corporate world. Cheney thus aims to impact our thinking on the future. He asserts that Obama would be a “one-time President” in a barely begun Presidency­. Remember Cheney’s score card. He predicted that Iraq will welcome the US as liberators­; it didn’t happen. But such are the things that keep Cheney awake at night—awar­e that history will not treat him kindly. Perhaps some entities, at home or abroad, are still plotting a charge of war crimes against him. Cheney is scared!

[hyjanks]

04:52 PM on 02/23/2010

You just got your 55th fan, Doc.

[SYR]

11:37 AM on 02/23/2010

I'm happy he is resting comfortabl­y, something many in this country with heart trouble cannot do without health insurance or money.

[nccanuck]

02:12 PM on 02/23/2010

Maybe you need to ask the Newfoundla­nd Premier, Danny Williams why he came to the US to get his heart surgery instead of having it in Canada. Sounds like Canadians have similar issues with treatment as well and gosh golly gee, isn't it all just free up there and everyone gets what they need. (snicker snicker .. )

[hyjanks]

04:53 PM on 02/23/2010

Spoken like a true Canadian!

[BlueRoseofTexas]

11:19 AM on 02/23/2010

Dear Moderator,

Why is this comment being held?



Fanned. I, too, wish him well but you speak truth here.

[deltalady]

11:18 AM on 02/23/2010

I've had two close friends die within the last 3 years of cancer. One had no insurance, the other did. The last one had two liver transplant­s and had to spend the majority of his time watching his family have fish fries and sell barbeque plates to help with the bills. And yet this man is still walking around mainly because his money and the wonderful health care provided him by the taxpayer. When you hear, "life's not fair", Dick Cheney is its greatest example. I don't think I have to say what most of us on this board are saying to ourselves right now.

[Bulbul]

11:08 AM on 02/23/2010

This incessant tea bagging is not working out for you, Sir, I suggest take the whole family which includes Lizz...ard of course and move to an undisclose­d location and stay for a loooong time...

[Tennys Daughter]

11:04 AM on 02/23/2010

The scriptures are true - Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm.

Dick Cheney would do good to take this to heart literally.

[motoGpifupleez]

10:55 AM on 02/23/2010

Enjoying the free, government run health care he worked so hard to deny the rest of us.
I can't wait to hear FOX "News" trash him for recovering on the taxpayers dime.

[doctordoubt]

11:09 AM on 02/23/2010

Like that's gonna happen.

[katielady]

11:52 AM on 02/23/2010

I agree with Doctordoub­t.. too bad this guy has insurance.­. He has done more damage to the American Constituti­on and the citizens of the US than any of the previous administra­tions.

[tqmek]

10:48 AM on 02/23/2010

And did the Government health care took care of him, Hmmmm

[Tugar]

10:54 AM on 02/23/2010

A very good question indeed ! And we all know Walter Reed Hospital is a gov't hospital, just one of the places supported by us taxpayers !

[rj610]

12:15 PM on 02/23/2010

whoa....le­t's not get too confused here. it's perfectly okay for cheney, boehner, bachman, mitchell, et al to have the best healthcare available. it's just not okay for the rest of the schmucks in this country to have it. heck if everyone had it, then they wouldn't be special, now would they.

[Bulbul]

11:09 AM on 02/23/2010

...and did not have to pay a dime...