by Aj Frost

Created on: November 30, 2008

I would not go so far as to pronounce that Richard Bruce Cheney (known more commonly as Dick) is a separate branch of government in himself. I would say he has taken the vague statements of the Second Article of the Constitution and warped it to his worldview.

But is that legal, or in hindsight moral? It is hard to say. On the whole, Cheney has proven himself to be a man of contradiction: the powerful vice president in the history of the United States, and the most reclusive; the most intellectually curious individual in government and the most ideological rigid. It would be a mistake to say that Cheney is an imbecile, quite the contrary; his governing skills are far superior to George Bush's myopic policy agendas. But has been stated before, Vice President Cheney is an enigma of Executive Branch and to America at large, even though he is the incumbent power.

Make no distinction that he has not done various decisions that have benefited the good of the nation in the eyes of the international community. His stalwart position on harsh "interrogation techniques" and his obsequiousness to the mood of the American populace do provide insight into his shortcomings as a Vice President. Yet, he is still an incredibly powerful and intellectually gifted man.

There are a lot of readers who will suspect that the author is simply tying to endorse this administration and lay blame to others. That is not the case. The author is quite critical of many Bush Administration policies, having come of age in the era after September 11. But there has been an attempt by this author to at least try to understand the underlying motives and prerogatives behind many of the decisions that the Bush-Cheney White House has laid upon the American people for the last eight years or so.

But on the other hand, it is preposterous to say that Cheney is an extracurricular figure within government. That is not the case. Yes, he may be trying to avoid indictment and prosecution, but one-day history may vindicate him and his policies. The short-term prognosis is that will not happen, but we can never know the future.

Cheney is not part of a separate branch of government, but is a powerful presence within a limited range of his constitutional duties. He has expanded any previous notions of what the Vice President's job is; the incoming Vice President, Joe Biden, will have to rectify the harsh perception of the office of the Vice President in the years to come.

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