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Former Vice President Cheney Hits the Road for First Public Events Since July Heart Surgery

October 11, 2010 10:35 AM

 ABC News’ Karen Travers reports:

Former Vice President Cheney is starting to emerge in public again after spending the summer recuperating from heart surgery.

Over the weekend Cheney participated in an event at the Bakersfield (CA) Business Conference where he took questions from his wife, Lynne.

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“She's been my nurse, my negotiator with the medical community, and in return for all of that great help she's given me, today I've agreed to let her interview me," the vice president said according to news reports.

The former vice president appeared “frail” according to reports from the event and in pictures he appeared noticeably thinner than his White House days.

Cheney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cheney has been on the mend since early July when he underwent a procedure to implant a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) into his heart to treat his recurring heart disease. He said at the time that it became clear that he was "entering a new phase of the disease" when he began to "experience increasing congestive heart failure."

"After a series of recent tests and discussions with my doctors, I decided to take advantage of one of the new technologies available,” he said of the cardiac pump.

The former vice president was in the hospital until August 9.

Except for a few statements from his office over the summer with updates on his health, Cheney has been off the radar.

The California event was Cheney’s second appearance this month - last week he spoke at a closed press event for the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers in Colorado Springs.

Cheney has a long history of heart problems. He has had five heart attacks, the first in 1978 when he was just 37 years old, and the most recent in February.

That winter hospital stay forced the former vice president to miss a breakfast in Washington with his former boss, George W. Bush, and hundreds of former White House and campaign staffers.

The event, sponsored by the Bush-Cheney Alumni Association, was to be the first time the two met in person since they left office in January 2009.

Instead, Bush dropped by to visit Cheney at his home in Virginia on Feb. 25. Cheney and Bush, both sporting dark suits, shook hands and exchanged grins on the steps of Cheney's residence in McLean, Va., before turning to wave to the ABC News camera.

When Bush told Cheney he was “lookin’ good,” the former vice president wryly noted, “Could be worse.”

In the first year after he left the White House, Cheney stayed firmly in the public spotlight, selectively choosing interviews and appearances to deliver stinging rebukes of the Obama Administration.

In February of 2009, the former vice president predicted that Obama will be a "one-term president."

After the thwarted Christmas Day bomb plot last year, Cheney said that Obama was "trying to pretend we are not at war" with terrorists.

But since then, the former vice president’s health issues have kept him largely out of the public eye.

October 11, 2010 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (40)

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The Saddam Husein of America. Complete Madman.

Posted by: P Collins | Oct 11, 2010 12:59:51 PM

Just in time for Halloween.

IT.....IS.....ALIVE!!!!!

Posted by: Searambler | Oct 11, 2010 1:06:31 PM

Where there's life, there's hope. There's still time for cheney to perform retribution for his actions.
The list is long and sad.
It's up to him how he leaves this world.
Absolved through acts of resolution or damned through acts of apathy.

Posted by: Wayne | Oct 11, 2010 1:15:48 PM

Cheney obviously receives the best government run healthcare available to keep his heart ticking. Too bad Cheney and his party would prefer to keep millions of Americans from having the same level of healthcare as do the rich and privledged in this country.

Posted by: A.Lincoln | Oct 11, 2010 1:19:09 PM

Cheney sits up in his coffin just in time for Halloween!

Posted by: tstorm | Oct 11, 2010 1:48:35 PM

Lincoln:Cheney obviously receives the best government run healthcare available to keep his heart ticking. Too bad Cheney and his party would prefer to keep millions of Americans from having the same level of healthcare as do the rich and privledged in this country.

I think you have your parties screwed up. It is the dimocrats that got hoodwinked and bribed into voting for Obamacare. Health insurance companies are slobbering at the mouth and can't get rates raised fast enough. Of course the Oblamer has told them they face the Justice Department for telling you that this is all caused by Obamacare, but it really matters less to them. They have Obama feeding them money at the back door, and the insured feeding them money at the front. Thanks you Obama for bribing all those in Congress to not read the bill, just pass it. It will certainly go down in history as one of the stupidist thing you have done.

Posted by: Todd | Oct 11, 2010 2:23:10 PM

Third world Obamacare for all. Health care for none. Except congress.

Posted by: Todd | Oct 11, 2010 2:25:13 PM

this is truly one of The Greatest Wonders in the world--- That one man could live without a heart for so many years --- Truly marvelous!!!

Posted by: brian | Oct 11, 2010 3:08:56 PM

Please keep this clown front and center....

Posted by: Denise | Oct 11, 2010 3:13:39 PM

The old dude looks like he has got one foot in the grave and the other on a bannana peel. I bet he is going never having any regrets. Sad!

Posted by: Anthony | Oct 11, 2010 3:36:50 PM

Tales from the Crypt...

Posted by: W. Wallace | Oct 11, 2010 3:42:02 PM

Todd you are delusional... We have the poorest health care system among the industrialized world. It's a disgrace and an embarrassment. And if the Republicans have their way, we will go back to status qua and worse. They had 8 years to tackle the issue and didn't and never will. Because they believe in corporate domination and money. Our lives and health have become a commodity to the discretion of the insurance industry. Our health shouldn't be for sale. The few changes that have occurred will help millions of people retain insurance coverage and save lives. That's a fact. But most of us believe in a more aggressive approach to health care. Like the rest of the world.

Posted by: Bea | Oct 11, 2010 3:57:32 PM

This is the face of evil, it scares me that people actually thought this man was anything but a robber baron and crook. He and bush ruined the country. We reap with this man spewed out. I never wish death on anyone, I just wish him hell on earth or the old do unto others...

Posted by: Jo in Minneapolis | Oct 11, 2010 3:58:45 PM

Now how many heart attacks has he survived.....?

Posted by: JOHN | Oct 11, 2010 4:00:01 PM

Such a dweeb! Heart surgery for a non-existant heart. Maybe they put one in him.

Posted by: Parah Salin | Oct 11, 2010 4:07:03 PM

Darth Vader lives.

Posted by: Troy Street | Oct 11, 2010 5:22:18 PM

Hey Todd... Congress ALREADY enjoys "Obamacare"... What was passed in congress was the mere shadow of compromises. How do you think Cheney has survived so long? Under old law or new law...if that was you or me, we'd be dead.

Posted by: Troy Street | Oct 11, 2010 5:25:04 PM

All you dems are sad and pathetic. Still cant stand it unless you are calling people names and degrading people way to go you show your intelligence once again.

Posted by: Melsvictor | Oct 11, 2010 5:43:30 PM

I think he's, "going down slow". - ITWARZ

Posted by: ITWARZ | Oct 11, 2010 5:45:04 PM

Bea--Why would the Saudi Royal family fly to the US to have their medical needs taken care of if our system is as you say? Do you truly believe that a piece of government issued paper translates into fantastic medical care for you and your family? As with most things, you get what you pay for....

Posted by: EGBOK321 | Oct 11, 2010 5:50:07 PM

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