Cheney's Doctor Had a Little Drug Problem

You know, if he were a normal mortal, John Ashcroft would have executed him by now as a drug fiend straight out of "Reefer Madness". Still, in all seriousness, medical professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) have a very high rate of substance abuse simply because of the reasonable availability of the meds so it's not much of a joking matter.

However, one good indicator that the man was on drugs is that he suggested Mr. Cheney had a heart. ;-)

Vice President Dick Cheney's personal doctor, who four years ago declared Mr. Cheney "up to the task of the most sensitive public office" despite a history of heart disease, was battling an addiction to prescription drugs at the time and has recently been dropped from the vice president's medical team, according to officials at the hospital where he practiced.

The doctor, Gary Malakoff of George Washington University Medical Center, had treated Mr. Cheney since 1995 and been a prominent spokesman on the vice president's health. He also reviewed the medical records of Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 campaign, but did not see Mr. Gore as a patient.

Hospital officials said Sunday that they had known since 1999 of Dr. Malakoff's problem, and that Dr. Malakoff informed the vice president at that time or in 2000. But he was permitted to continue working, they said, while undergoing treatment and monitoring, including urine tests, by an independent board.

But in May, when the board concluded that Dr. Malakoff was too impaired to care for patients, he was relieved of his position as director of the medical center's general internal medicine division, they said. He is on leave until September, and could not be reached Sunday for comment.