The whole story in a nut:
“Dick’s major concern, one of them was, and I agree, that there needs to be a greater and more effective role for the vice president,” Marsh, a longtime Cheney friend, said in an interview. “He holds the view, as do I, that the vice president should be the chief of staff in effect, that everything should run through his office.”
In Bush, Cheney found the perfect partner. The president’s willingness to delegate left plenty of room for his more detail-oriented vice president.
“My impression is that the president thinks that the Reagan style of leadership is best — guiding the ship of state from high up on the mast,” said former White House lawyer Bradford A. Berenson. “It seems to me that the vice president is more willing to get down in the wheelhouse below the decks.”
That “decider” line sounded awfully defensive, didn’t it? For some reason I keep coming back to this. Why The Onion uses psychics for news and not for winning the lottery I will never know.
Cyrus
If only the czar knew.
ThymeZone
He’s describing a role that serves the president. But Cheney’s execution seems to be aimed at serving only his own basis for, and use of, power.
Evinfuilt
Because they warned the editors if they do, Dick Cheney will take them hunting.
Rome Again
Deflection will get you everywhere.
ThymeZone
Apparently that is the thinking in the White House and its cousin, the President of the Senate’s Office (since Cheney is no longer part of the Excecutive).
What I am having a problem with is, when we challenged Cheney’s secrecy on energy policy, he claimed “Executive Privilege.” When he explains himself, he wants to be the de facto Chief of Staff to the President.
When we ask for oversight, he is “not a member of the executive branch.”
If this guy were a County Treasurer, he’d get recalled from office. But as Vice President, he can just say anything, and get away with it.
I am changing my stand on impeachment (unalterably opposed until now). Now, I say, impeach this piece of shit Vice President. Impeach him now. I don’t care if we don’t get the conviction, just tie him up in impeachment proceedings for the next year and a half. Fuck him and fuck him very much.
Mary
I have Cheney fatigue, but I loved that title, Tim.
Tax Analyst
TZ – To borrow a phrase from the murky past – “Right On!” Outside of keeping this amoral, dishonest S.O.B. tied up and under the spotlight it would also be an opportunity to see which, if any, Republicans actually give even the smallest shit about the Constitution. Let ’em vote “No” on impeachment and then explain it to the folks back home.
Tony J
The problem being that, while the view might be great from up there, in any kind of hard blow it’s damned near impossible to command said ship-of-state until you get your feet back on the deck and start giving orders.
Oh, and if you’ve crewed your ship with a bunch of landlubbers who think even acknowledging the existance of bad weather is the exact same thing as doing a rain-dance while whistling like mad, you’re fucked anyway.
Tony J
Since I’m clinically metaphoriphilic, and since this is a thread about Cheney, we can extend said metaphor to include the observation that; if you’re a Captain up in the rigging during a big blow and your ship-of-stae’s First-Mate is to Captain Ahab as Superman is to Mighty Mouse, not only are you fucked, but you’re even more fucked if you ever do try to clamber down and seize the wheel.
That crazy fucker’ll chop your arms off and shoot you in the face. He’s got form.
Tax Analyst
That would be a whale of a problem, indeed.
Chad N. Freude
Let’s not overlook
Tax Analyst
Ahoy vey!
ATS
“guiding the ship of state from high up on the mast,” said former White House lawyer Bradford A. Berenson. ”
Clearly written by someone who has never shinnied up mast on a moving sailboat.
Rome Again
I say we put him up on the mast behind a camera on one of the fishing boats hunting Opelio crab on Deadliest Catch.
Ray
More like he’s been running the ship of state from the tuna tower and none of the controls there are actually connected (including the GPS.)
cvcobb01
As many have touched on before, Berenson’s analogy has an odd quality to it. If he knows nothing about sailing, then it’s a somewhat inaccurate attempt to show a division of labor.
If he does know how to sail, then he is wink-wink-nudge-nudge telling us that Bush is the lookout (a crew job), while Cheney is the pilot or perhaps even the captain.
I for one think the man knows how to sail.