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Title: Cheney -- Most Powerful US Vice President - VOA Story View count: 615 Rating: 5.00 (4 ratings) Description: Vice President Dick Cheney is widely considered to be the most powerful vice president in American history. He was a key architect on the war on terror and the Iraq war and -- according to recent news reports -- has played a significant role in shaping domestic policy. As President Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney has brought a wealth of experience to the job. A former White House chief of staff, a former congressman, and defense secretary under the first President Bush, Cheney knows how Washington works. And this may be why, when he ran for president in 2000, Mr. Bush chose Cheney to be his running mate. The American Constitution assigns no specific role for the vice president, except to preside over the Senate and cast a vote when there is a tie. Past vice presidents have tended to travel a lot, representing the president overseas. But Cheney is especially influential and powerful. A recent series in The Washington Post newspaper described the extent of his power. The Washington Post articles also described Cheney's impact on domestic issues, including intervening in a dispute over water use in Oregon that led to the deaths of tens of thousands of salmon. The personal relationship between President Bush and his vice president is unknown. But White House spokeswoman Dana Perino recently described it this way: "I think that the president thinks of the vice president as a very close and trusted advisor -- somebody who has nothing but the country's best interests at heart." But the Post series and a widely-publicized attempt by Cheney to ignore an executive order on handling classified information have prompted criticism. His reputation also suffered following the conviction of his top aide, Lewis "Scooter" Libby on perjury charges in the CIA leak case. But as long as he retains the trust of the president, Dick Cheney seems likely to continue to work the levers of power in Washington. Tags: cheney, dick, history, iraq, politics, president, vice, war, Author: MyEarbot |
