Cheney is to Halliburton as Rummy is to...

...Gilead!


Okay…so…let's get caught up, here. There is an outbreak of avian flu. Among birds. And people have been infected, too. But, as of yet, the virus can not spread from person to person, only bird to person. So there is really not much reason for panic. Still, panic has ensued. A panic fueled by the Bush maladmin and its department of propoganda -- err, the media. And come to find out, at least one top official in the Bush regime stands to rake in a ton of money if the panic is kept up and the federal government (among others) snaps up the vaccine produced by a company which was formerly headed by, and still pays out to, said top official. Furthermore, said top official (or Rumsfeld…I'm getting tired of typing "said top official") just can't seem to find a person in the world who will advise him to sell his shares, much as it would probably be the right thing to do and much as he appears to really, really (honest!) wants to do so. (By the way, no one will accuse Rummy of insider trading if he sells his stocks and the price continues to rise. The whole point of insider trading is to sell when the shares peak. And it's doubtful that the good fortune of Gilead will end soon, what with so many people continuing to panic about the flu and clamoring for vaccines).

Hmm…somehow I just can't work up any amount of shock or surprise over Rummy's involvement.