Charles Krauthammer has a column about an upcoming article in The New Republic speculating that Dick Cheney’s heart disease has left him "demented and mentally disordered." I haven’t been able to find the article on TNR’s site so I’ll have to go by Krauthammer’s account but I am looking forward to reading the actual article when published.

Krauthammer does have a valid point that the fact that circulatory disorders can affect the brain proves nothing specifically about Dick Cheney. It is no more valid to diagnose Dick Cheney from afar than it was for Bill Frist to diagnose Terri Schiavo based upon video tapes, only to be proven wrong on autopsy.

Being reluctant to diagnose any psychiatric or medical conditions with regards to Dick Cheney without actually examining him I have an alternative theory to throw out. Maybe he’s just an evil bastard.

Update: Found the article here. The author notes warnings against making a "pop diagnosis of this sort." She concludes by noting that the medical causes are a possibility and warns, "So, the next time you see Cheney behaving oddly, just automatically assume that he’s a bad man." Warning noted. He might be an evil bastard, or he might be demented or both. Neither possibility makes me feel good about the amount of power he has.