A simple explanation regarding VP Cheney's mental condition.

If Mr. Cheney had said that for crass self-serving political reasons he pandered and catered to his extraction industry friends and moneyed elite when he dismissed conservation as an essential part of a sound energy policy then his mental health would not be questioned.

He would stand out only as a self-centered self-serving political hack, appealing to a narrow base of the moneyed elite, having little or no respect or concern for anything but his solitary goal: a second term for George.

He could have said: "because the non-renewable resource petroleum is a vital and essential element in the survival of the United States, conservation should be an essential part of a national energy policy." But the recorded words of Mr. Cheney show he did not say that.

Mr. Cheney said:

"Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy."

Consequently, his mental condition is in question.