Is Cheney ill?

Vacation, my ass. We've heard nothing from him for weeks. And now that New Orleans, and the entire Bush administration, is a massive disaster, no word from Cheney at all?

Is that because he's on super secret double background vacation, or because he's seriously ill? This is just a hunch, but it would explain why Bush is SO off his game this week, why the administration is falling apart at the seams, essentially leaderless. Because their leader is seriously ill.

NOTE FROM MICHAEL IN NEW YORK (sorry to intrude, boss): And if Cheney IS ill, this is why he and Bush were wrong to lie to the country about the state of Cheney's health. The worst natural disaster in our history and the vp is too ill to chip in. And though Froomkin pointed this out in WaPo, why has no one else in the MSM asked "Where's Cheney?" Are they collaborating with Bush to keep an "open secret" out of the public eye because they know Bush will be furious if they do? Does everyone in DC know Cheney is ill but only Charlie Rangel of NYC has the guts to say it? (Thanks Jo Public for the link.)