Cheney Hauls In More Gifts Than Bush

Reporting Gifts, President Received $12K, VP $22K; Both Are Millionaires

(CBS/AP)  President Bush likes to fish, so people aiming to impress him often go that direction. Last year alone, he was given three rods and three reels along with assorted other equipment to the tune of more than $2,600. That's in addition to at least eight other rods he's received as gifts during his presidency.

On the other hand, Mr. Bush is only an occasional golfer. But that didn't stop his friend and 2004 campaign finance chairman, Mercer Reynolds, from giving the president a $915 set of new clubs and covers last year.

Mr. Bush turned 60 in 2006, which helped him clean up in the gift department.

He received at least 20 worth a total of $12,364, according to the financial disclosure forms the president and vice president are required by law to file each year. The reports, made public Tuesday, give a broad picture of officials' wealth — listing assets, non-governmental income, transactions and financial arrangements as well as gifts in an attempt to provide some transparency about potential conflicts of interest.

"And how about this from the White House Medical Unit?" asks CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller: A book titled "Lightly on the Land: The Sea Trail Building and Maintenance Manual." It came with a shirt, hoes and chainsaw sharpener. Total value: $440.

There is no limit on the size of gifts a president or vice president can receive from a U.S. citizen. They must report only those valued at $305 or more — as well as multiple presents over $100 from the same giver, if their cumulative total exceeds $305.

The president's take might look familiar to many men: a pile of ties, shirts and socks, plus a lot of sports equipment. Athletic shoes, jackets and shirts were popular buys for Mr. Bush in 2006.

His staff gave him two wooden benches, made for $1,600 from trees on his Texas ranch, for Christmas as well as cufflinks on his birthday in July.

Vice President Dick Cheney sprung for a $658 wireless weather station as a Christmas present for his boss, known to enjoy getting outdoors to hack at brush or ride trails. The president received another of the devices, this one a $157 model, from Bush mega-fundraiser James Francis Jr. and his wife, Debbie, a longtime friend of Laura Bush. Knowing where the commander in chief gets his thrills — on his bike — Cheney also gave President Bush a $400 personal trainer and cycle computer for his birthday.

Apparently the president and his No. 2 were thinking alike. At Christmas, Mr. Bush presented Cheney with $667 worth of instruments to measure temperature, barometric pressure and tides.

Cheney's gift haul was sizably bigger than the president's.

He received at least 15 presents totaling $21,674 in 2006, many reflecting the vice president's Wyoming roots and love of outdoor pursuits. They included three fishing rods of his own worth $2,975, $615 leather hunting boots, a $400 cowboy hat and a $7,200 bronze sculpture of a Cheyenne warrior. That was the most expensive gift reported by either President Bush or Cheney, says Knoller. The White House's senior staff ponied up $778 to buy him an iPod and compact disc collection.

It is unclear from the reports whether President Bush or Cheney are much better or worse off financially than a year ago because officials are required to list each asset's value only in very wide ranges, rather than precise numbers. But the documents suggest little substantial change in 2006 from years past, in both the value and type of their holdings.

Mr. Bush earns about $400,000 a year as president, while the vice president makes slightly more than $200,000. Both are wealthy men outside those generous salaries, but Cheney is far richer.

The president and his wife, Laura, are worth at least $7.54 million, including the 1,583-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, valued at $1 million to $5 million.

President Bush reported having at least $3.6 million in Treasury notes, $710,000 in certificates of deposits, $168,000 in checking and money market accounts, $151,000 in retirement accounts and at least $1 million in investments held in a blind trust. He disclosed owning GWB Rangers Corp., worth $116,000, a tree farm worth $776,000 and mineral rights valued at up to $15,000 on property in Reeves County, Texas.

Cheney and his wife, Lynne, listed assets including at least $10.5 million in bond funds and more than $5.1 million in equity funds. The vice president reported more than $1.5 million in checking and money-market accounts, as well as an undeveloped property in McLean, Va., outside Washington, worth $1 million to $5 million.

He also reported at least $3.7 million in retirement benefits and stock options.

[torocaca]

"The Clinton's backed up the U-haul to the White House when they left, taking hundreds of items that legally were the property of the U.S. and all of us. These hillbillies were caught in the act and forced to return the items. THIEVES."
Posted by mbcsmith at 09:47 AM : May 16, 2007

Yeah, right! If you believe that then you will believe that, while at Halliburton, Cheney was a client of the escort service of DC Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey.

It's appearing in several blogs and was mentioned on the Letterman show tonight. It would be poetic justice that, after all the criminal ***** this pair has pulled, this proves to be true. LOL!! At least it will be entertaining.

Search on "cheney prost titute" (take out the space).

[colonieny]

This is a shocking non story reported to fill air, negatively. Can you imagine CBS doing the same to Clinton and Gore. They surely had gifts, and must have had one more than the other.

CBS reports. "GORE HORDE OUTSHINES THE PREZ ! MRS. CLINTON FUMES AS THE TRUCKS LOAD PRESIDENTIAL GIFTS." NEWS AT 6 WITH KATIE CURSIVE.
FOLLOW BY...PIZZA BOMBERS WERE JUST A RAG TAG BUNCH, WHAT'S THE FUSS ? AS MS. PELOSI AND CBS.
FOLLOWED BY...SINGLE SHOOTER KILLS 36 AT UNIVERSITY. IS IT TIME TO BAN ALL GUNS ? WHAT WENT WRONG AT THE WHITE HOUSE TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN ? WHO WAS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ?

For the single shooter, banning guns. For a whole bunch of ISLAMIC Terrorist in our neighborhood with tons of guns, no threat. Just Pizza guys. Wow. Downplay those terrorist. (sung to the tune of Swing LOW SWEET TERRORISTS)

THE KEY::: READ THIS """""""


It is very difficult to confront real EVIL for liberals, lefties and CBS, better to confront guns, second hand smoke and transfats.

[randalds]

"Reporting Gifts, President Received $12K, VP $22K; Both Are Millionaires"

Of course neither of them are reporting all of the "gifts" from the oil companies, war contractors and pharmaceutical companies deposited in off-shore bank accounts. I mean surely no one thinks they did this job just for their paltry salary! Not when there are kickbacks and bribes to be had at the expense of the American taxpayers like the prescription drug hand out to the drug companies, the "Energy Policy" which was nothing more then multi-billion dollar corporate welfare and worst of all this whipped up war for profit in Iraq! Hell that last one alone probably netted them $100 million each easy!

[randalds]

The Clinton's backed up the U-haul to the White House when they left, taking hundreds of items that legally were the property of the U.S. and all of us. These hillbillies were caught in the act and forced to return the items. THIEVES.
Posted by mbcsmith at 09:47 AM : May 16, 2007

This is one of the biggest right wing urban legends. Of course like most urban legends there's not even one shred of truth to it. The Clinton's took nothing that wasn't theirs and any myths to the contrary are just that, myths.

[colonieny]

this is a news story ?

How about talking about the Kennedy Family Trust FUND in TAHITI, where they hide all their fortune from the death tax ? They will not lose the farm over taxes, will you ?

The BIAS of the CBS news people is , well ... astouding.

CAIR is pushing through a bill via DEMOCrats to make us all subject to CIVIL liablity if we report a suspect MUSLIM who may be ? planning to kill us in a terrorist attack. Say, scouting out a nuclear site. Report, and we get sued ? This is not right. We need to be the eyes the ears of our own security. What would they have the KINKO guy do, be arrested ? That is why we can not trust the Democrats with our security.

[infidel_us]

The bias of this organization and the MSM in general is amazing.....and sickening!

Kerry, Pelosi, Kennedy....they're all millionaires. How came we never hear about their personal finances or gifts?

Also, to all you "blood for oil" nitwits who believe Bush & Chaney are profiting from the war......ummmmm, it doesn't seeem like it to me.

[dssans]

bogusbones -

Very worthy words from an extraordinary President...but if we paid the elected officials what they could be getting in "private practice" would we have all thses problems or is it just a fact of nature that certain people will screw you for what ever they can get?

[dssans]

gasp3 -

I would if I was young enough...but I'm just beyond their age requirements of 41 years old...and my step-son and my wife have both served in the Armed Services, my wife served in both the Army AND the Air Force (one of few people in the world to serve in 2 branches of the Armed Serives which I'm proud of!!!) so don't chastise a fellow blogger about sacrifice for the nation until you have done the same.

[bogusbones]

I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to Count Diodati, 1807
3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

How appropriate.

[infidel_us]

Another CBS hit piece disguised as newsworthy. The bias of this organization and the MSM in general is amazing.....and sickening!

Kerry, Pelosi, Kennedy....they're all millionaires. How came we never hear about their personal finances or gifts?

Also, to all you "blood for oil" nitwits who believe Bush & Chaney are profiting from the war......ummmmm, it doesn't seeem like it to me.