Dick Cheney, Role Model?

In a New York Times editorial, an anonymous writer explores Republican Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin's sentiments towards our nation's current V.P. Dick Cheney. This editorial is aimed towards anyone such as myself who rightfully questions Palin's legitimacy as a Vice Presidential Candidiate. During the V.P. Debate aired this past week, Palin was asked to describe the Vice President's role in government. She supported Cheney's views suggesting that the Constitution allows a lot of flexibility in the Vice Presidency and expressed her thanks towards the document for providing that. The author raises a great question asking if Palin has any idea of the lengths that Bush and Cheney went to in order to allow the V.P. to trample all over the Constitution. A clear piece of evidence suggesting how clueless she is was broadcast during an interview between Palin and reporter Katie Couric. Couric asked Palin to describe the best and worst aspects of Cheney's time in office. Attempting to dodge the real issue, Palin joked about Cheney's hunting accident then went on to say that he expressed great support for our troops. The author provides more evidence and logic suggesting that Palin either does not know, or refuses to believe that Cheney mislead Americans about weapons of mass destruction, set up illegal detainment prisons where captives were tortured, enforced wire tapping, and created an energy policy favoring the oil industry that made him rich. The author then described Ms. Couric's interview with Democratic V.P. Nominee Joseph Biden. When asked the same question as Palin, Biden let loose by saying Mr. Cheney’s theory of the “unitary executive” held that “Congress and the people have no power in a time of war." During the debate, Biden also described Cheney as the “the most dangerous vice president we’ve had in American history.” More logical evidence is presented by the author explaining that the Constitution does not imply any sort of flexibility in the Vice Presidency. It gives the vice president no legislative responsibilities other than casting a tie-breaking vote in the Senate when needed and no executive powers at all. The vice president’s constitutional role is to be ready to serve if the president dies or becomes incapacitated. The editorial ends with the line: So far, Ms. Palin has it exactly, frighteningly wrong. I agree one hundred percent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/opinion/04sat1.html