Dick Cheney-"2009 Conservative of the Year"

Hey Vice-Precedence Blog Readers!

Well, here it is-the final blog of 2009. Its been an amazing year here on the blog, breaking the news about the Palin resignation and meeting her at her book signing, keeping track of all the events of the first year of the Biden vice-presidency, marking the VP's birthdays, alerting you to VP Cheneys surgery and the protests at the U. of Wyoming, and updating you-our readers-of every major and minor bit of news in regards to the vice-presidency that occurred throughout the year. Its all been a blast.

So, as a fitting end to the year-former VP Richard Cheney has been named "Conservative of the Year" by influential conservative internet magazine HumanEvents.com

Human Events was one of the late President Ronald Reagan's favorite newspapers when he was President, (back when newspapers and magazines still mattered) and it has now blossomed in our new Internet Age into one of the most influential online conservative magazines out there.

The unique thing about Cheney being the Conservative of the Year over other such prominent conservatives like Senator Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader John Boehner, or even (in an upset in a way) Sarah Palin, is that he did not hold any office in 2009. Unlike other possible candidates like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh, he has no radio show or TV show of his own. He doesn't have the looks or has published a book this year like Ann Coulter.

Cheney is simply a citizen of the U.S. (who happens to be a former VP of the United States)who has taken every opportunity he can at every speaking engagement or media appearance he has made, to defend his and President Bush's record over the majority of this decade and to attack the Obama Administration which he sees as making many mistakes, and being especially weak in "The War on Terror" and on national security issues. By doing so, Cheney has become the gadfly of the Obama White House and opened himself to even more attacks by Democrats and liberals who for years have cursed Cheney as "Darth Cheney" and all. As I have stated on this blog, the one thing you have to admire about Mr.Cheney is that he has no fear of being unpopular, but in this last year with all the Tea-Partiers and Birthers and conservatives gnashing their teeth-his views and statements are finding a bigger audience then when he was VP.

Along with his criticism of the current administration, he made news with another surgery, by simply cutting meat for his family, found himself embroiled in controversies as we reported here on the blog-like the protests about the International Student Center named for him at his alma mater-the University of Wyoming, and the birth of a new grandchild by his lesbian daughter and his defense of gay rights-making him unique among his conservatives, something that is not brought up in article about him being Conservative of the Year incidentally. To go along with all this-his own book should be coming out soon and is highly anticipated by many wondering what went on behind the scenes in the White House during some of the most important years in American history.

In the article where he was named Conservative of the Year written by Bush Administration Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, he cites the similarities and differences between Cheney and current VP Biden, and even former VP Spiro Agnew, Cheneys legacy as a former VP, addresses the reports of strife between Bush and Cheney in their last days in office (as reported in TIME Magazine and here on the blog) and how Cheney is now one of the major voices of conservatism in the U.S. today. Here is some of Boltons article:

To have a former Vice President willing to go on the record once he leaves office is a huge service to us and our nation, helping to illuminate and explain key factors affecting our national security.

Perhaps most galling to Democrats is how closely Joe Biden’s role as Vice President has tracked that of Cheney’s, which these same Democrats criticized so vociferously while Cheney was in office. The main difference, of course, is that Cheney is much quieter than Biden, which objective observers have to score as a plus for Cheney.

Desperate to distinguish themselves from Cheney, Biden’s media flacks say that he and his staff have worked well with Obama’s White House staff, in contrast to the rancor and in-fighting of the Bush-Cheney years. This effort to re-write history, however, simply will not fly. Especially on national-security policy, the Bush and Cheney staffs worked well and closely together. If, at the end of eight years, the staff relationships were not as close as at the beginning, that was hardly Cheney’s fault. Having worked as a White House summer intern for Vice President Spiro Agnew in 1972, I can recount from personal experience what it’s like when the President’s people are at knife’s-edge with the Veep’s. That’s not what it was like in the Bush years, certainly not in the first term. Bush’s second term was different for many reasons, marked notably in foreign affairs by the overwhelming predominance of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But even then, Cheney’s relations with the NSC staff remained close, in large part because Rice’s successor as National Security Adviser, Steve Hadley, had worked for Cheney at the Pentagon during the Bush 41 Administration.

Perhaps most importantly of all, Cheney knows that the personal attacks on him, as offensive as they are, in reality constitute stark evidence that Obama and his supporters are simply unable to match him in the substantive policy debate. An old lawyers’ cliché says: “If the law is against you, pound on the facts; if the facts are against you, pound on the law; if the law and the facts are against you, pound on the table.” Obama and his supporters are doing the political equivalent of continuous table-pounding, because that’s basically all they have to offer. Cheney’s unwillingness to be deterred by the media assaults on his character, his judgment and his performance in office are therefore his most impressive force multiplier with the general public. Outside-the-Beltway Americans see him for exactly what he is: a very experienced, very dedicated patriot, giving his fellow citizens his best analysis on how to keep them and their country safe.

Cheney’s quiet, inner-directed motivation is simply impervious to the attacks orchestrated against him by the Chicago machine-style politicians at the White House, a fact also plainly visible to his fellow citizens. And it is yet another important reason to have confidence that Cheney’s solid policy analysis will yet prevail in the national political arena. Of course he is the conservative of the year!

So there you have it-well, congratulations to former VP Cheney! Thanks for your support over this year VP readers! In 2010 we expect to have some big developments with Vice-Precedence and we will be sure to keep you-our loyal readers informed. Please, in this upcoming new year of 2010 make sure to keep following us here on the blog, post comments both here and on Facebook (they mean so much to both Jason and myself), and let your friends and family know about Vice-Precedence-keep spreading the word and help us to build an even larger fan base and with your support we will succeed in bringing Vice-Precedence to the big screen.

Join the Race for Second Place in 2010! Here's to a Happy New Year to all of you from us at Vice-Precedence! Thanks for everything.

Matt Saxe

To Save a Health Care Bill

Merry Christmas, Vice-Presidenters. Meet Joe Biden, the harbinger of all things Christmasy. And healthcare reform.

The debate rages on as a seemingly unrecognizable health care bill blazes up Capital Hill for the sake of passing a healthcare bill before Christmas to make the Administration look passionate. Joe himself, in a NY Times op-ed yesterday, pleaded with Congress to push this thing through, despite the fact that it is nowhere near what was promised. The biggest hit - there is no public option.

That said, in terms of Vice-Presidenting, Biden has brought it up a notch. In that he's giving op-eds, in office, about reforms he deems important. The language of the piece speaks to both sides of this invisible and incredibly useless aisle. Here are some incredibly truncated, but choice, bits from the piece.

...one of the most historic votes of my 36 years in the Senate...
...fundamental, essential change that opponents of reform have resisted for generations...
...Theodore Roosevelt...
...it does not contain every measure President Obama and I wanted...
...it is very good.
...this country’s single largest deficit-reduction measure in a dozen years.

It's easy to pick apart the soft language of politics, so I won't bother with it. What I will point out is that this bill has been doomed to fail from the beginning - perhaps rightly so. Any challenge to an administration that promises not to deal with lobbyists, then makes a back-room/public/back-room deal with Big Pharma is a positive one, even if it starts us at square one. Yes, the Administration would like a magical health care bill under everyone's Christmas tree. But the bill's imperfect nature began when the Administration of Change promised "Universal Healthcare" with no qualifiers and then shook hands with Pharma.

Regardless, Biden is a handy mouthpiece for getting this legislation through. And the Obama Administration has stressed the importance of baby steps, especially in something so sweeping. So, in terms of Vice Presidents, Biden is doing a fair job, and I'm sure they edited out all of his crazy gaffes from the op-ed, so he comes across well-spoken, intelligent and thoughtful. Not to say that other white people aren't well-spoken, it was just an observation. Seriously.

Jason C. Klamm, B.A.

Vice-Precedence Brings Attention to Famed VP's TV Show

On July 11, 2007, I discovered an historical oversight on the Internet Movie Database. Nowhere was there ANY mention of a show from 1953 called "Meet the Veep." Historical for many reasons, including being the only show to ever be hosted by a former Vice President, Alben Barkley, it was frustrating to see that no one had seen this interesting fact and submitted it for IMDB's approval. And then, it was rejected.

How and why, I couldn't be sure. I was frustrated, to say the least, but I've argued with IMDB before, and they bend only mentions in major publications. I recall submitting a Time magazine article - the only online mention I could find (yet another weakness of IMDB's regulations), but to no avail.

Then today, I checked my IMDB account JUST to see how some of my old submitted titles were doing. Old submitted titles usually gather dust, so I expected nothing. Then I saw these words:

In the time since you originally added "Meet the Veep" (1953) via this update, it has been approved by the new title managers and is live on the site.

Finally, a teeny-tiny bit of vindication - web vindication, but hey, this is a medium that prides itself on having all the information you could ever want - for a man who is arguably one of the greatest speakers in Senate history, and one of only a handful of VPs to ever go back to the Senate as a Senator, Alben W. Barkley. You can find the page here.

- Jason C. Klamm

(And a quick congrats to Matt on the kind of dedication only us VP-obsessives can muster. Great article, and great job.)

Vice-Precedence Meets Sarah Palin

Hey Vice-Precedence Blog readers! Here's the story I promised you yesterday. My meeting with former Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin of the great state of Alaska!

It started the night before, when I went and picked up my copy of her new autobiography-"Going Rogue" at the Barnes and Noble at the Mall of America. I had pre-ordered it 3 weeks before while taking my daughter Caitlin to the mall for her birthday-luckily its just across from the Build-A-Bear there, so it was just a quick detour. So on Sunday the 6th I went to the Mall where I was met by friend of the film-Chris Mogel, who took some pictures of me with the book-after we were told that we couldn't take pics in the store-we took them outside. Unlike at certain stores where people camped out overnight to be first in line to get autographs, the Mall of America does NOT allow people to do this. Fans would have to wait until the next morning at 5AM before they could get in line to go into the mall for the signing-that would start at 12noon! So I thanked Chris, who promised me he would send the pics of me with the book that night (which he did) and I would be back the next morning. When I got home-I started reading "Going Rogue". Its pretty easy reading-and I will talk about it more in another blog, and then went to sleep so I could get up early for the next day.

I woke at around 4:35 AM and got dressed, took some vitamins and juice, and went out the door to make the 25 minute drive to the Mall-there was no traffic and it was pitch black-but in my own neighborhood I drove slowly-good thing too-because I saw a big doe to the right of my car-so I turned on my brights and stopped. Good thing too-since another deer ran up to my car-within about 7 feet, and turned around and ran in the opposite direction just as I did. Too close for comfort. I proceeded to drive slowly and carefully looking for deer and other animals on the road to avoid hitting them until I got on the highway-where I turned on the speed.

When I arrived outside the Malls east entrance I could see the line already forming outside in 18 degree cold going around the corner of the mall. So I parked my car, and grabbed my copy of the book and joined the line-the time was 5:15 AM. The cold was simply bone-chilling. I could feel my feet slowly freezing and tried to move my toes as much as I could and press against my ears with my hands to keep them warm. Other people in line also did their best to keep warm and made small talk about how excited they were to be there. I mostly just made jokes about the cold and looked around. I decided I wouldn't ask questions about Gov. Palin and vice-presidents or politics until I'd gotten to know the people around me a little better and more importantly-until we were indoors, warmer, and in a better mood, as the crowd was beginning to get a little antsy about it. Many were outright angry when they saw a young family with a small child-about 1 year old-maybe younger-crying and screaming in the cold.
"Like that kid is going to remember anything about this." I heard one man mutter.

TV crews and reporters were running around-shooting the line and commenting for the early morning news. People waved to the cameras and cheered.

I too was getting impatient about the cold-and my feet by now were numb. When I overheard a guy in a homemade t-shirt with a donkey on it say:

"Its named Don Quixote-you know-for that Mexican philosopher." and no one corrected him-except me to the people around me-I just wanted to do whatever I could to get out of the cold.

Finally, slowly, the line began to move-we all knew from the rules passed out that they wouldn't open the door to let us in until 6AM. So I constantly looked at my watch. Slowly at around 5 after 6AM the line began to move. Finally I and the people around me got near the front. They let people in in groups of 20, and wouldn't you know it...as a group of people were led in-I was told I was #21 and wouldn't get in until the next group. So I had to wait an extra 10-15 minutes outside before being allowed in. Finally at around 6:50 or so, I was allowed in. We were led into the mall-me and the 19 people behind me, led by security all through the mall to the back of the line.

The signing would start at noon-5 hours more to wait.

As this line moved slowly once again to get the bracelets we needed for autographs, I began to warm up and as I got warmer and talked with the people around me, I began to feel comfortable enough to ask questions. I decided that I would ask people the same 4 to 5 questions-letting their answers lead into more if necessary.

1. What brought you out this morning-why do you like Gov. Palin so much?

2. Is there any specific policy stand of hers you truly believe in?

3. Were you going to vote for Senator McCain regardless of who he tapped as his VP candidate? Did Gov. Palin make a difference to you?

4. What vice-presidents who NEVER became President can you name besides our 2 most recent-Cheney and Gore?

5. What do you think of the Vice-Presidency in general?

I asked about a dozen different people these questions-always telling them that I was doing it for my book, blog and movie about the Vice-Presidency. Most people laughed at that-but agreed to answer my questions. I asked young people-college kids, an older couple who had driven all the way from Duluth for the signing, an attractive 20-something blonde and her boyfriend (who smirked during the questions and didn't answer them himself), and a few other people-trying to get as wide a spectrum of people as possible. I looked for any minority people=but to be honest, I saw only one Asian girl in her twenties, and absolutely no African Americans or Hispanics in line. Everyone there was mostly Caucasian-though there was a wide range of ages-from children to their 70's.

For Question 1 most people said that they just found her incredibly charismatic-that they liked her style and straight-talk and found her as one woman put it-"An amazing woman."

For Question 2 most people couldn't cite anything specific. Although one man in his late 20's, who said he considered himself a "conservative with libertarian beliefs in government." said he liked how she modeled her small govt. principles on Ronald Reagan. The 20-something blonde said it was Palins pro-life beliefs that she identified with the most-"She's just an incredible model for pro-life values and a smart, strong, conservative woman." she said.

For Question 3 every single person said they were going to vote for McCain anyway-regardless of who he chose for his VP. Though two people did say that they weren't excited about him, until he chose Gov. Palin as his running mate-and as they learned more about her, the more they liked her and got enthusiastic about the ticket. The blonde became a McCain/Palin volunteer and went out and raised money and actively campaigned. Almost everyone said they couldn't stand President Obama. One said that they thought President Obama-"a disease" who "needs to be destroyed-and no I don't mean that I want him assassinated."

For Question 4, no one could name a VP besides Gore and Cheney who wasn't president at first. One man said-"Hopefully never that idiot Biden."

Another man asked me-"Who was Eisenhower's vice-president? He was never President right?" When I informed him it was Richard Nixon, he paused and said-"Oh yeah, I forgot-well he became President so I guess he doesn't count." Finally the husband of a couple in their late 60's said: "Dan Quayle". I then said to a group of 4 people-

"You know you're all Minnesotans and you're forgetting a couple." I was then told by a different blonde 20-something from the first one that she was from Wisconsin, but then a young man blurted out:

"Oh! Walter Mondale!"

Then a woman in her early 70's said "Oh, and Humphrey, of course." I confirmed these two correct answers and reminded them that both of these former VP's had also been their party's nominee for President. They asked me to name some others, and I immediately responded with Aaron Burr and the story of the election of 1800 with the tie between him and Jefferson and the order of ascension which led into Question 5.

For Question 5, most people said the Vice-Presidency was something that was necessary, but not important at all. No one wanted to do away with it, but almost all agreed that it really didn't matter much at all.

While asking the questions and waiting and waiting, I flipped through the book, made small talk, and observed the surroundings: I saw many different sweatshirts with messages such as:

Palin 2012
Palin/Bachmann 2012
Palin/Pawlenty 2012
Veterans for Palin
Hockey Moms for Palin
PH.d Moms for Palin
Cougar Hunters for Palin.

I don't think anymore needs to be said about that last one.

The hours passed and I showed my book and receipt from Barnes and Noble to the clerks in front of the table at the rotunda in the East Part of the Mall in front of and to the left of the bookstore where a stage had been set up between two huge Christmas trees decorated in white, blue, and silver. It was on this stage that Gov. Palin would do the signing. I then had a blue bracelet placed on my left wrist, and was lead around to the line again. Reporters and others with blue "MEDIA" stickers shot footage of the line, and even interviewed some in line. By this time it was 11:35 or so, and all of a sudden some applause started, and I saw a older couple with a slightly younger woman walk into the area. Buzz started around us. I looked at the couple carefully, and then flipped to one of the two color photo sections of "Going Rogue" and looked for a specific picture. Yes. I was right, not 15 feet away from me, Palins parents-Chuck and Sally Heath, along with a woman who turned out to be "Sarah's Aunt Kate" as she said, were posing for pictures and shaking hands. I had agreed to get an extra book signed for a young man who was in line with me, since you were limited to two, and in exchange he would take some pictures for me with his camera-since I am too poor to have one except my cell phone cam-which, frankly, sucks. So his aunt held my book, and this young man-Bryan Herschbach, and I went over and I waited patiently and then walked up and stuck out my hand and said:

"Hi Mr. Heath. Thanks for coming out here today."

"Hi, its great to be here. Nice to meet you. Whats your name?"

"Matt, sir. Thanks for doing this."

"You're very welcome Matt, thanks for coming out and I hope you have a great day."
and he shook my hand. He couldn't have been friendlier. We got two photos. I was thrilled and after I got back to the line called Jason to let him know the good news.

So, we knew she'd be arriving shortly. We overheard some girls nearer to the front of us began to chant:

"We love Sarah yes we do, we love Sarah how 'bout you?!"

Then there was a quick burst of applause and we knew she had arrived. The line began to move very quickly and orderly-despite a few people cutting-we knew that where we were and the fact that she would be signing from Noon to 4PM, that we would get autographs. We made our way to the main line, and went thru a quick security check. By this time, we could clearly see Gov. Palin and next to her, her husband Todd. She was wearing her classic red outfit, and her hair was up-right out of "SNL"-she was standing up, signing with a flourish, and giving out handshakes and hugs as cameras flashed all around her. The line moved quickly, and all of a sudden I was putting my cell phone in a little basket and getting ready to go on the stage and meet the governor and former VP candidate.

Bryan and his aunt Renee moved ahead of me up the stairs, after handing their books to someone to be passed up to be signed. Meaning that you may not get the book that you bought signed, but you would definitely get a signed book. They hugged Mrs. Palin and moved across the stage and down the stairs. Finally I was given the go-ahead and made my way across the stage to right in front of the first woman to receive the Republican nomination for Vice-President of the United States, one of the most polarizing and popular women in the history of American politics.

"Hey how are ya'?! Whats your name?" I heard in that distinctive voice as she looked and smiled right at me and stuck out her hand. I have to admit; she is a very attractive woman in person. She seemed honestly happy to be there and to be doing this. The woman has charisma in person. No doubt about it. Still, it did feel a little surreal. But there she was in the flesh-and there was no going back now.

"I'm Matt Saxe governor, and its an honor to meet you," and I shook her hand, it was very light and dry with a gentle but firm grip. "and you too Mr. Palin." and here I quickly moved my hand to the left and shook hands with Todd Palin-strong and sure.

"I'm producing a documentary about the vice-presidency called "Vice-Precedence" and I would love to interview you for it."

"Oh wow, thats a great idea! How interesting." she said with a big smile as she signed my book with a red marker. Todd then said-"Wow. That's a very cool idea." The assistant to her left then quickly said to me:

"Put in a request at SarahPac dot com."

"SarahPac dot com?" I quickly asked as I was moving across the stage. More people were of course moving in behind me to take my place.

"Thats right-SarahPac dot com." he said.

"Thank you, and thank you Governor and Todd." I said-slipping up by not calling him Mr. Palin. I regretted that.

"You're very welcome. Thanks for coming out Matt!" they both said almost together with big smiles, and Todd waved goodbye as the governor began to sign another book.

That was it, about 5 seconds or so of face time. I got my cell back and looked at the time-1:15 on the dot. She was moving quickly thru the line. But still, it was all worth it. I had met a VP candidate and told her about our film, and I had an autograph to go with it. Awesome. I met up with Bryan and exchanged email addresses to get the pictures. Then went up to the Disney Store to get a few Chanukah gifts for Caitlin, and then went home and had a brief lunch and went to bed. I had been practically on my feet for over 7 hours and was exhausted. I later sent an email requesting an interview to SarahPac that night. Of course I got an automatic message saying that due to the volume of email, it may take awhile to get a reply, so we will see. Now I have written about the whole thing.

There you have it folks. Pictures from Bryan Herschbach and Chris Mogel are above and I am thankful to them for them. I hope you readers will write some comments about this blog, and continue to support Vice-Precedence as we move forward, slowly yes-but forward still to making our film. Please become Fans on Facebook, go to YouTube and rate our videos and post comments on both pages. We really appreciate it. Thanks.

In response to those of you who find this a little too admiring of Governor Palin-let me state this for the record: Sarah Palin MADE HISTORY. That is undeniable truth.

I was impressed by her charisma=not her policies. I am impressed that she can get that many people to buy her book and support her. Just want to say clearly-I'm NOT a supporter of her for higher office or most of her political beliefs-some of the people there who I overheard said abhorrent things that I very much disagreed with-but I was there to observe and report and tried to stay balanced and not confrontational-though in retrospect-I wish I had asked the guy who called Biden an idiot what he thought of Dan Quayle-he was the same guy-if he thinks Biden is an idiot-I wonder what he thinks of Quayle.

I don't admire all of Gov. Palins political beliefs, but I do admire the fact that she has faced a lot of heavy criticism-some fair, some not, and that she has come out swinging. I went to the signing as research and for the experience-and I can truly say, it was all worth it. Also, she was polite-and in this day and age, I admire that in anyone. Thanks for reading.

Matt Saxe

Courtesy of The Onion - Biden's Latest Gaffe

Thanks again to The Onion for another great slap to the media's face - this time pointing out the media's obsession with calling every little thing Biden does a "gaffe." Watch this great video here.

By the way, brief blog means "working hard on getting the first Vice-Precedence publication finished." More soon.

- Jason C. K lamm, B.A.

Going Rouge...

If you're any kind of internet user who enjoys the sadness of other people's lives, you've been to Regretsy.com. The site's author, April Winchell (who goes by the name Helen Killer), and her readers, scour Etsy.com, a site that sells all manner of hand-crafted items, for items that should never have been conceived, let alone put on sale. Well, a couple weeks back she posted this gem.

There's little I can say, so I'll let April's caption do its own magic. The best part is the seller's justification of the spelling by posting a picture of The Nation's parody book, indeed entitled "Going Rouge." That said, I still want The Nation's Book, so thanks to Regretsy for pointing me to it, if indirectly.

On another note, Matt and I are on the first draft of our first VP-related publication. Though it isn't "Vice-Precedence proper," it will be a good taste of what's to come. Also, congratulations to April Winchell, as she's pulled off what our blog is hoping for - she has a book deal with Random House.

- Jason C. Klamm

Happy Birthday, Joe

As Vice President Joe Biden celebrates his 67th birthday today, we'd like to wish him a happy one of those.

As he celebrates his birth, he's also celebrating art, which will magically whisk you away to... Delaware. The Vice President, according to this light news piece by DelawareOnline.com, populates his residence at 1 Observatory Circle with paintings by a number of artists from his home state. They range from still-lifes of flowers to a portrait of John F. Kennedy and are currently on display on the Veep's walls.

As Biden hangs art, his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, starts some clean-up work. After a year tour as a military attorney in Iraq, he's returned to his job, apparently to find it mired in accusations of legal misconduct and the ramifications of budget cuts and staff shortages. At least in Delaware he's not getting shot at. During this period of evaluation, though, rumors abound that the younger Biden might be considering taking his father's old senate seat. And it could work out for him, if his folksy approach to making the decision to run or not:

"It's a private decision. Ultimately my wife and I will sit down, probably over the breakfast table, and decide. But we've got time to make that decision.”

Aww. Over the breakfast table. He's so quaint. Daddy taught him well.

Happy Birthday, Joe. Happy Birthday.

- Jason C. Klamm, B.A.

Palins Book Tour Continues-Cheney Grandchild Born

Hey Vice-Precedence Fans!

Yesterday morning former VP Cheney became a grandfather once again as his daughter Mary and her partner of 18 years Heather Poe welcomed their new daughter-Sarah Lynne Cheney was born at 8:17 a.m., weighing 6lbs., 14 oz. at Sibley Hospital in Washington, DC. Mary was the birth mother of this child. So "Congratulations" to Mr. Cheney and his family!


In other news, the Sarah Palin book tour for "Going Rogue" is going strong. People camped out overnight to get her autograph at the Barnes and Noble at the Woodland Mall in Kentwood, Michigan. Thousands of people were there cheering, waving flags, wearing Palin hats and shirts, singing along to her theme songs-"Only in America" (which the McCain-Palin ticket used in the campaign) and "Red High Heels" by Kelly Pickler, where the chorus goes:

"I'll bet you want me back now don't you, don't you? I'm about to show you just how missin' me feels. In my red high heels."

Pretty strong message she's sending there eh?

All of them chanting "Sarah! Sarah!" When they saw the CNN truck pull up with Andrea Mitchell and crew, many people booed furiously-but quickly got back into the spirit of the event cheering for their idol.

Palin briefly addressed the crowd saying: "Thank you so much for showing up so that you can read my words unfiltered by the media,"

People who stood and camped out in line overnight for hours got about 5 seconds of face time with their new patron saint when she signed their books. In interviews with British newspaper The Guardian, fans of Palin had the following comments:

"She's about truth, integrity and working for the people. People just have to let her be who she is. That's what she is about," said Robin Case, 44, who is now caring for her in-laws full-time after losing her job in the auto industry, a similar situation for many people in Michigan which has been hit extremely hard in this economic crisis. People like Mrs. Case are sincerely worried about their futures-they see Palin as one of them

"I am here because Sarah Palin gives me hope," said Michael Cesar.

"I didn't vote for him (Obama). But I don't dislike him. He's got a great family," said Mandi Sutton, 19, who is about to join the military.

As for Gov. Palin? "There is no other person in the world I would rather meet. I just love her," Sutton said.

Today thousands more Americans showed up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Noblesville, Indiana, and more are expected tomorrow in Cincinnati and Columbus. Here is the latest message from former Gov. Palin on her Facebook page:

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in every stop on the tour, but I'm especially looking forward to meeting our brave men and women in uniform at Fort Hood. I'm joining the efforts of many others by donating my royalties from the book sales during our stop at Fort Hood to the families of the victims whose lives have been forever changed by the tragic events of November 5th. I am humbled to be able to join the larger effort called "Community Response to 11/5," which was established by the Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter of the Association of the US Army (AUSA). You can read more about their great efforts here:

http://www.forthoodausa.org/.

As I mentioned last week, I'm going back on Twitter, so you can follow our path on SarahPalinUSA. Below are dates, times, and locations of the venues that I'll be referencing. Some other stops are still to be determined. Please contact each venue for more information. I'll see you soon!

- Sarah Palin

These people who are flocking to see Sarah Palin and read her book don't care that Tina Fey made Palin a laughing-stock to the liberal left, they don't care that Stephen Colbert called her book "a steaming pile of shit" on his show last night-or that he also hollowed it out to store his Eggo waffles in during the current Eggo shortage. They consider her one of them-a "Pro-American" who sees the U.S.A. sliding into socialism under President Obama. A lot of people on the left consider Palin a joke-but to millions of Americans-she represents what Obama did years ago-hope for the future. It would be wrong to dismiss her, as her influence is strong and she will be around for quite awhile. Also, I will say this-I applaud what she said about supporting the people at Ft. Hood-good for her for spreading the word on that.

Stay tuned for more VP Blog readers. Thanks for your support.
Matt Saxe

Quick Post-Biden on "The Daily Show" Tonight!

Hey Vice-Precedence Readers!

Just a quick update Blog Readers. The day after Palins landmark appearance on OPRAH, tonight Vice-President Joseph Biden is on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"! This will be his sixth appearance on "The Daily Show". Biden will be the first sitting Vice-President to appear on the show in the 10 year history of "The Daily Show." So make sure to tune in. Thanks!

Palin on OPRAH TODAY! Cheney/Palin 2012?

REMINDER Vice-Precedence Fans: Sarah Palins interview on OPRAH is today! Set your Tivos' or leave work early, you don't want to miss this highly anticipated interview.

Also, Liz Cheney was on FOX NEWS SUNDAY yesterday with Chris Wallace and Bill Kristol, Juan Williams and other pundits-the topic of discussion was the non-story of Obama's bowing to the Emperor of Japan. Apparently conservatives are saying that this is a sign of weakness. Since when is following proper protocol a sign of weakness? Does President Obama bowing to the Emperor mean we retroactively lost World War II? No of course not. I don't want to go off on a jeremiad here-but this is a sign of conservatives nitpicking at any little thing the President does to try and make him look weak-when all he was doing was following proper protocol. Having good manners is a good thing in my opinion folks-not a sign of weakness. Its just making a mountain out of a molehill.

Chris Wallace showed the clip and said that the internet was "abuzz" with chatter about it, he then commented about how when VP Cheney visited Japan, he did not bow to the Emperor. However back then, both liberals and conservatives didn't wonder if Cheney's failure to bow was a breach of protocol that offended the Emperor and the Japanese people and created an international incident effecting policy and diplomacy. No one commented on it at all-though maybe they should have, since bowing is what you are supposed to do as a sign of respect and tradition going back thousands of years, and Cheney didn't follow that tradition. Wallaces observation led to the following exchange:

Liz Cheney: "You could ... look at the comparison and think, Cheney 2012,"

Chris Wallace: "Really? How far do you want to go with that?"

Bill Kristol: "Let Liz make news ... Cheney/Palin,"

Wallace: "Or Palin/Cheney -- don't be sexist."

Liz Cheney: “Whatever Republican takes the mantle of our party in 2012 they’re going to have to be able to address these incredibly grave challenges we’re facing as a nation,”

Hmmm. Anyway, don't forget folks-Sarah Palin today on Oprah, and "Going Rogue" hits bookstores tomorrow! Thanks for your support and let us know what you think!

Matt Saxe

Palin! On Oprah! Levi in Playgirl! Going Rogue is Coming and Vice-Precedence will be there!

Hey Vice-Precedence blog readers!

Wow! With Sarah Palins book "Going Rogue" coming out on November 17th and already #1 on both Barnes & Noble and Amazon and her book tour already planned, the publicity blitz is on!

To be honest, I'm kind of impressed that in just 4 months, Palin and her co-author (some would say ghost-writer, but that may not be accurate) Lynn Vincent have written the Number One book in the country.

Palin has already taped her appearance on "Oprah" to air on Monday November 16th-the day before her book hits the shelves. Palin posted this on her Facebook page after the interview:

Willow, Piper, and I are in Chicago and just wanted to let you know that I had a great conversation with Oprah today. We taped the show for Monday, November 16th, and enjoyed it so much that we went way over on time. The rest will air on Oprah.com. Oprah was very hospitable and gracious, and her audience was full of warm, energized and (no doubt) curious viewers.

In her interview with Winfrey, Palin responds to a question about Levi Johnston, the father of her grandchild, who has since the split with Palin's daughter Bristol has said some interesting and harsh things about the Palins (I wrote about his interview with GQ in an earlier blog-check it out), and recently posed nude for Playgirl.

"Will he be invited to Thanksgiving dinner?" Oprah inquired.

"You know, that's a great question," Palin said, adding, "I think he needs to know that he is loved and he has the most beautiful child and this can all work out for good. It really can. We don't have to keep going down this road of controversy and drama all the time. We're not really into the drama. We don't really like that. We're more productive. We have other things to concentrate on."

Which is a very interesting answer considering that back on October 27th Johnston said on CBS's The Early Show that she referred to her infant son Trig, who became a living symbol of the former Alaska governors pro-life beliefs, and has Down syndrome, as "retarded."

He also implied that he has some seriously damaging dirt that could put a nasty scar on the public image of the mother of his former squeeze, and his childs grandmother, saying:
"You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could very easily. But there's – I'm not gonna do it."

At the time, former Gov. Palin responded sharply with the following:

"We have purposefully ignored the mean spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family," Palin says in a statement. "We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied. Trig is our 'blessed little angel' who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life."

She also was extremely harsh on Johnstons Playgirl pictorial saying his credibility is in question:
"Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies," she says. "Those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention."

Speaking of that pictorial, Johnston worked out and dieted extremely hard for the shoot. According to his trainer Marvin Jones in PEOPLE Magazine, Johnston has a diet secret-moose meat that he hunts himself.

"Moose meat is very good for you, high in protein and very lean, and he's an avid hunter, so he has his own."

Johnston worked out three hours a day in the gym, six days a week, followed by cardio training and then a rest in the sauna, said Jones.

"I'm not trying to give him a body builder's look. He's going to be more toned and more defined," says Jones.

"I'd like to see him with rounder and more muscular shoulders, with a fuller chest. We're going to firm his abs up, [and give him a] smaller waist."

Jones says Johnston was committed to the training sessions, which even caused Johnston get sick during his second week of working out. Still, Johnston was determined to be in great shape for the shoot.

"I know that's something he wants to do and we're having fun training," says Jones, who is training him in Anchorage, Alaska. "We're looking forward to revealing all his hard work!"

So from practically calling Levi a whore to inviting him to Thanksgiving on Oprah-one wonders how Gov. Palin actually feels about Levi.

Oprah also asked former Gov. Palin about the infamous Katie Couric interview that convinced many uncommitted voters and a lot of Americans that Palin was unqualified for the Vice-Presidency.

"Do you think that was a seminal, defining moment for you, that interview?" Winfrey asks.

"I did not," Palin responds. "And neither did the campaign. In fact, that is why Segment 2 and 3 and 4 and maybe 5 were scheduled. The campaign said, right on. Good. You're showing your independence."

Meanwhile it was released in USA TODAY that Palin will be coming here to MN. where I currently live! She will be here on Monday Dec. 7th, at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in the world-famous Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. I will be in attendance. However, I'm afraid that I won't be able to get a picture of myself with her, or interview her, or anything. The Palin publicity team has released an intense set of rules for the book signings. Here is the official list as shown on The Sarah Palin Blog:

Palin will be signing books at Barnes & Noble in The Mall of America, beginning at noon. You need a wristband to get in line to get your book autographed.

Wristbands will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 7 a.m. that day. You must be present in order to get a wristband.

You must present your Barnes & Noble or Barnes and Noble.com receipt for “Going Rogue” in order to get a wristband.

Maximum of two copies of “Going Rogue” per person will be signed.

A parent or guardian must accompany all minors.

No posed photos.

No personalization of books.

No large bags will be allowed through the signing line.

Cell phones and cameras will have to be turned off and put away before customers approach the signing table.

Whew! It may be possible to get her to sign my copy of the Sarah Palin comic book. So we will see. I plan on ordering my copy of "Going Rogue" ASAP. I can't believe the things I have to do to for this film. I do it all for you viewers and readers. So your support is appreciated!

As more information comes, we will be here to report it to you! Thanks for your support and keep viewing all the "Vice-Precedence" material on YouTube and here! Rate them, post comments, let us know what you like here on the blog-feel free to read older posts and respond to them. Spread the word to more people! We're grateful to you-our fans! One final note-Happy 6th Birthday to my daughter Caitlin Justine Saxe! Talk to you soon!

Sarah Palin Doesn't Want Me to Buy Her Book

And sadly, I'd do it. But on her upcoming book tour later this month, according to a CNN blog, she is avoiding most major American cities, like New York and San Francisco (she's probably afraid of catching Bleeding Heart or Gay), not to mention Los Angeles (my homebase, where she could catch Mexican) and, perhaps, the most American of them all (and Matt's HQ) Minneapolis (where she could catch cold).

I say we all stand up and demand that Sarah Palin add some stops to her book tour that include places that WOULDN'T be friendly to her. She would undoubtedly get a healthy turn-out. Maybe she knows that sales on irony and kitsch alone will make up for her lack of personal presence in big liberal meccas like LA and NY.

All I know is, I'm excited to see what her ghost-writer or co-writer helped her say to explain certain things, or if those certain things, like her choice to be so straight-up folksy as to cause cringing fits across the country, won't be explained at all. Will it be her unofficial announcement for 2020 presidential candidacy? Maybe for some other office? Maybe she'll blow all our minds and tell everyone that, after she had so much fun writing "Going Rogue," she'd like to make a career out of writing autobiographies.

- Jason C. Klamm

Cheney and the FBI-The Report and The Numbers.

Hey Vice-Precedence readers. Well, as I reported here on the blog, VP Cheney has defended his former Chief-of-Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby vigorously about his role in the outing of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame after her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson wrote critiques of the Administrations reasoning and evidence for the war in Iraq. When Libby was convicted of felony perjury and obstruction of justice, and sentenced to jail, Cheney was relentless in pressing then President Bush to fully pardon his good friend. However, President Bush determined that Libby was guilty, and only commuted his sentence so he wouldn't have to do jail time. Cheney has always maintained Libby's innocence and was reportedly furious that President Bush wouldn't pardon Libby. You can read all about this here on the blog, and I encourage you to do so. Cheney has always maintained that he didn't tell Libby to out Plame or even know about it. However, recent revelations have thrown serious doubt on what the Vice-President knew and did.

Last week the FBI released the transcript of Cheney's May 8th 2004 interview with them, which was released only after a long-fought legal battle waged by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Patrick Fitzgerald,the special prosecutor investigating the Valerie Plame outing said at the time that "there is a cloud over the vice president." This interview has exposed that cloud.

On questions both big and small regarding his role and what he knew about the Valerie Plame outing, Cheney responded 72 times that he wasn't certain about events or issues. Cheney told the FBI he "did not recall" discussing Plame with Libby prior to her name being published in a column by reporter Robert Novak in July 2003, and said he had no knowledge of Libby's meeting with New York Times reporter Judith Miller before Plame was identified in that paper.

According to the FBI summary, Cheney said there was no discussion of using Plame's employment with the CIA to counter her husband's criticism that the Bush administration had manipulated prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. There was no discussion, Cheney insisted, of "pushing back" on Joseph Wilson's credibility by raising the issue of nepotism, the fact that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, the same agency that dispatched him to the African nation of Niger to run down the report of an agreement to supply uranium "yellowcake" to Iraq. Cheney also called Wilsons report "amateur hour at the CIA".

It was one example of Cheney being straight-forward and Libby being unsure.

"In a prior FBI interview, you indicated it was possible that you may have talked to the Vice President on Air Force Two ... about whether you should share the information with the press about Wilson's wife?" Fitzgerald asked Libby in his grand jury testimony.

"It's possible that would have been one of the times I could have talked to him about what I had learned," Libby answered.

"As you sit here today, do you recall whether you had such a conversation with the vice president on Air Force Two?" the prosecutor asked.

"No, sir. My, my best recollection of that conversation was what I had on my note card which we have produced which doesn't reflect anything about that," Libby replied.


Meanwhile, Cheney was with his denials of remembering these discussions-evasive. Cheney said he could not recall whether he discussed Plame with infamous White House political genius Karl Rove, Libby and others, he was certain he did not discuss her with former Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage (the original source of the leak).

Among the most basic questions for Cheney in the Plame probe: How did Libby find out that the wife of Bush administration war critic Joseph Wilson worked at the CIA?

Libby's own handwritten notes suggest Libby found out from Cheney. When Libby discovered Cheney's reference to Plame and the CIA in his notes – notes that Libby knew he would soon have to turn over to the FBI – the chief of staff went to the vice president, probably in late September or early October 2003.

According to Nick Baumann of Mother Jones Magazine-a very liberal magazine-there were 22 things the Vice-President "forgot" about the Valerie Plame outing in the report-and this is backed up by reading the full report.

1. Whether the Wilson trip was discussed during any of the visits he made to the CIA with his Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby.
2. Any reaction he had to Nicholas Kristof's New York Times' article about the Wilson visit at the time the article was published.
3. Whether he discussed the Wilson situation with George Tenet at their meeting on June 10, 2003.
4. Who he spoke to about Joe Wilson's July 6, 2003 editorial (he did remember speaking to someone, but not who it was).
5. What happened to the Joe Wilson op-ed after he wrote on it suggesting that Valerie Plame Wilson had sent Joe Wilson on a "junket," and put it in his outbox.
6. Any specific advice he gave his press people in the May-June 2003 timeframe regarding the Wilson trip to Niger.
7. Whether he discussed the Wilson situation with Eric Edelman, one of his national security advisers.
8. Whether Cathie Martin, his press secretary, entered his office while both he and Scooter Libby were present and advised both of them that Joe Wilson's wife was employed by the CIA.
9. Discussing Joe Wilson or Wilson's wife with his former press secretary Mary Matalin, although he said it was possible.
10. Ever discussing Valerie Plame Wilson with Libby prior to the publication of Novak's column.
11. Whether Scooter Libby knew about Valerie Plame Wilson on July 12, the day before the publication of the Novak column.
12. If Libby ever told Cheney he had independent knowledge of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert identity
13. Dictating notes to Libby on July 12, 2003 that Cheney said looked and sounded like something he might have dictated to Libby.
14. Discussing the Novak column or any of its contents with anyone at the time it was published.
15. Whether he discussed the Wilson trip with Libby as a sort of "boondoggle" or "junket," although he believed it possible that he had such a conversation.
16. If Libby told him that Libby was not Novak's source.
17. Libby telling him how he first learned that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA operative.
18. Whether he told Libby that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA operative.
19. Waving off Libby when Libby offered to tell him everything he knew about the Wilson matter.
20. Anyone on his staff, including Libby, ever meeting with Judith Miller during the week of July 7, 2003.
21. Having a conversation with Libby during which Libby said he wanted to share the judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate with Judith Miller.
22. Whether Libby told him that certain material in the NIE had to be declassified before it could be shared.

"For years the American people have wondered what role Vice President Cheney played in outing former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics the organization that got the interview released under the Freedom of Information Act. Now, she said, "we're one step closer" to finding out.

Lots of gaps, lots of forgotten things, lots of questions. So far, no response from the former VP. It would seem from this report that there is a lot the public was unaware of. I myself am wondering what all this will lead to? What will happen next? Will anything happen at all? Has the American public already moved on? Stay tuned here for more on this breaking story. Don't forget to be sure to go to our Facebook page and become a fan and Rate our videos on YouTube.

Thanks!

Watch Joe Biden Slam Sarah Palin

As you might guess, today's blog is about word choice. At least partially. In the middle of an article discussing the face-slapping Biden and Palin have done lately over a congressional election on my home turf of New York State, the title of this blog appears. And it's obviously a link to a video. Anyone with my sensibilities - and I know you're out there - thought something else entirely. Just saying - think before you write. At least they didn't say "pound."

Anyhow, apparently Palin is still trying to keep herself visible, and people are still accepting her endorsements. Somehow. Most of the party, including her former running-mate, have at least somewhat trashed her, but there's some force - not just her - trying to keep her in the public eye. The fear, of course, is that that force also has enough money to help her run her own campaign.

In other, more interesting news (and, oddly, the only part of this blog relating to the main image), there is a man out there who has sculpted a tiny Joe Biden. And an Aaron Burr, among a few other VPs. He's been recreating the famed Marx figurines from the 50s and 60s hat portrayed political figures of the past and (then) present for a while now, and they are wonderful. Oh, and did I mention he's a writer on Futurama? Patric Verrone's work can be found here, and you can check out a few choice VPs here and here. He'll also do custom figurines - I may be the first and only person to pay a man to sculpt Charles Curtis, but its my God-given right and I won't let anyone take that away from me.

Jason C. Klamm

Sweet Treats from the Cheneys

Hey Vice-Precedence Readers! I hope you are all having a great Friday and have fun plans for Halloween this weekend. Also, don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour on Sat. Night for an extra hour of Halloween debauchery.

Well, in Cheney news, the Vice-President was a little alarmed by a "tirade" on the show Morning Joe by one of the hosts, Mika Brzezisnski about him. Brezezisnski (God thats a complicated name to type) was commenting on Cheney's speech at the Center for Security Policy that he made on winning their "Keeper of the Flame" Award, that I wrote about in my last blog on Tuesday, where he accused President Obama of "dithering" in Afghanistan:

BRZEZINSKI: You really think is was a good idea for the former vice-president, who was one of the architects of the war we are still in, because they didn't finish it up correctly...you really think it was good of him to say the President is dithering, and you really think that our White House right now, the administration, shouldn't fire back at the former vice president for these ridiculous low blows?


Apparently the Cheney's thought Brezezisnski was "a little cranky" that morning with those comments, so the next day they sent a delivery of gourmet cupcakes to the set. Nice huh? Who knew the Cheneys were in on that whole cupcake trend thats' been going on over the last few years?


In other Cheney news, the former VP has also decided to give a "treat" to one of the candidates in the race for Governor of Texas. He has decided to endorse Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for the Republican nomination for Governor of Texas in her campaign against current governor Rick Perry. Cheney will officially endorse Hutchison at a Houston fundraiser on Nov. 17, Hutchisons' campaign confirmed Wednesday.

“Kay Bailey Hutchison is pleased to have Vice President Cheney’s endorsement,” said Hutchison spokeswoman Jennifer Baker. “He knows she’s a conservative who walks the walk, not just talks the talk."

Political scientist Adam Schiffer of TCU-Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, TX. said Cheney’s support should help Hutchison “chip off that core Republican primary constituency” that Perry has been concentrating on to help win re-election.

“Cheney is an extremely polarizing figure, overall very unpopular, but he’s very popular among this small subset that is the most likely to turn out in a normal gubernatorial primary,” Schiffer said about this election-which is truly dividing the Texas Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Mark Miner of the Perry campaign brushed off Cheney's endorsement by calling Cheney part of the “Washington establishment”.

“The Washington establishment likes to stick together,” Miner is quoted as saying. Perry and his campaign have been trying to portray Hutchison as a Washington insider who is out of touch with how "real Texans" live and work and think.

I guess thats why Perry went out and got his own endorsement from a definite Washington outsider- Sarah Palin! I guess Perry got Palins endorsement because he thinks Alaskans know how Texans think better than a Senator from Texas.

One wonders how this election will effect the GOP in this reddest of Red States (except for Austin-of course) and whose endorsement will help or hurt more-Cheney's or Palin's. What do you think Vice-Precedence readers? Let us know, become a Fan of us on Facebook and Thanks for reading! Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Biden Slips Up Again

Fox News is reporting that the Vice President "unwittingly revealed" the plans of automotive newcomer Fisker Automotive to create a full line of plug-in hybrids. He revealed this at a speech to the workers at Fisker's plant. It was then laughingly played off by Fisker's CEO on Fox News later on.

The CEO, Henrik Fisker, then went on to detail the line, giving us model names and specs. Ahh, Fox News - where even a playful attempt to help the economy and aid the image of an automotive manufacturer will be met with a little slap at Joe. Maybe its a cutesy slap, but come on. Both the Administration and Joe himself know how to play on his image as The Man Who Said Too Much, so, actually, why even play along? You'd think they'd slap Biden for being so obvious in his deviousness. But, then again, that's what they liked about George Bush.

In other news, Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady, is attending the World Series with Michelle Obama. Okay, it's not news, but how often do you hear about Jill? And where's her comic book, Bluewater?

Good things on the horizon for Vice-Precedence, everyone. I can't announce the details yet, but we will be publishing a Vice-Precedence-related item within the next few months, which should be available on Amazon.com pretty much right away.

Good night, and good Vice-Presidenting.

- Jason C. Klamm, B.A.

Cheney Wins Award, Gets Called a Cannibal, and Makes News

Hey Vice-Precedence Fans! Well, there's been a lot of Cheney news recently. No big developments in the CIA investigation, or about his book, but general news. So I thought I would give you an overview of what he's been up to and whats been said about him.

First of all, Cheney was named #9 in GQ Magazine's "50 Most Powerful People in D.C."* (* And to eliminate the obvious, all people with the last name Obama or Biden have been stricken from the list).

Last Wed. VP Cheney won the "Keeper of the Flame" award from the Center for Security Policy in Washington-a national security think tank that says it is non-partisan but advocates neoconservative policies based on the philosophy of the late Democratic Senator from Washington State-Henry "Scoop" Jackson-which can be boiled down to the expression, "Peace through Strength". Previous winners of this award include Senator Joe Lieberman, Paul Wolfowitz, and extremely right-wing Senator James Inhofe from Oklahoma. Cheney used his acceptance speech to rip on President Obama and the present administration on their Afghanistan policy.

Among the former Vice-Presidents many charges against the administration, was that the President is "dithering" in his decision on whether or not to send more soldiers and marines to Afghanistan. Cheney's direct quote is:

"Having announced his Afghanistan strategy in March, President Obama now seems afraid to make a decision, and unable to provide his commander on the ground with the troops he needs to complete the mission,"

Vice-President Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel have responded to this charge by saying that they were left with a flawed Afghanistan policy and an undermanned military effort there. Mr. Emanuel says that the former Afghan commander, Gen. David McKiernan, had requested 30,000 more troops last year, a request the Bush administration failed to fulfill. "Everybody knows resources got moved to Iraq, and Afghanistan suffered for it," Mr. Emanuel says. Now, Vice-President Biden says, Mr. Obama is simply waiting to make sure to get the next steps right after an Afghan presidential election covered with charges of corruption.

It's true that Gen. McKiernan asked for troop increases amounting to 30,000 additional forces last fall, Pentagon officials say. The Bush Administration initially hoped that allied countries would step up to fill some of that need. When that didn't happen, the administration began sending small numbers of additional forces in its final months. Finally, President Obama dispatched 21,000 additional troops in March.

Cheney's most damning charge is that the Obama Administration is soft on national security and that by ceasing the "harsh interrogation techniques"-called "torture" by some-that resulted in some valuable information. By stopping these tactics, Cheney said the Obama Administration is giving in to "the angry left". To this, Chief of Staff Ehmanuel said:
"We just disrupted what was seen as the most serious homeland-security threat since 9/11,"
This is in reference to a plot by an Afghan citizen to detonate bombs in New York City after receiving al Qaeda training in Pakistan.

Mr. Cheney's remarks that night not only fired up the White House's attack dogs, but also radio commentators on the Left. Mike Malloy even went so far as to accuse the former Vice-President of cannibalism:

Cheney, by the way looks very ruddy; I couldn't get over that like he must have feasted on a Jewish baby, or a Muslim baby; he must have sent his people out to get one and bring it back so he could drink its blood, because that's what somebody like Cheney does to get that ruddy look.

It was scary to see. This was not makeup; and the weird part is there were no dribbles of blood down his tux. But it was very clear that he had been eating the blood of a Jewish or a Muslim baby. He wouldn't eat a Christian baby. If he ate the blood of a Christian baby, there's something in the old writings that said that instantly the trap door to Hell opens and you disappear into the smoke, so it's got to be a Muslim or a Jewish baby; and you drink the blood and you're healthy again if you're somebody like Dick Cheney.

I'm thinking, oh my God, he just won't away! There's no way to stop him, and now his spawn, his daughter, is picking up the cudgel, so to speak; and now they have this new organization, something to do with more right-wing warmongering, death and destruction. How do you stop Dick Cheney?

Wow. Baby eating. Wow.

Ronald P. Reagan son of the late former President, who has been pilloried by the Right for "betraying" his fathers party and what he stood for, also took his shots at his fathers former ally:

Politics over security? Would that be anything like ideology over truth? Private profit over patriotism? Hidden agendas over the precious lives of young American men and women who are willing to put service to country over personal safety, something that Dick Cheney by the way never had the guts to do in the days in when he chose to pursue, quote, ‘other priorities’?

Dick Cheney is a nose-blowing incompetent! When faced with the most important decisions any elected leader choice ever confront, choices about to send American citizens to war, he consistently, inevitably got it wrong, each and every time.

The former VP is by now, used to being called "The Dark Lord" and "Darth Cheney" and all, and has almost from the beginning of the Obama Administration, been unafraid to voice his concerns and level criticisms against the current Administration. His being a thorn in the Obama Administrations side is what earned him that #9 ranking from GQ. This has also opened him up to more criticism-as shown in a post by Lance Simmens on The Huffington Post where he compares Mr. Cheney to another not so illustrious VP:

"Not since Spiro T. Agnew have we been so publicly assaulted by an individual so bereft of integrity and decorum."

Simmens, for one, is tired of hearing the former Vice-Presidents blasts at the current White House occupants and their policy. As he makes clear with his closing comment:

"Write a book, go fishing, shoot something other than another human, read, travel, see a shrink, or just connect with your family. But for goodness sakes, work out your demons on your own time; do not force us to agonize over your tortured conscience. Don't go away mad, just go away."

Personally, I seriously doubt Mr.Cheney is going away at all. All his comments and the attention they get just lead to more anticipation of what he will say next and what he'll be saying in his book. Mr. Cheney has just as much right as any other American to voice his opinions, and his experience and knowledge of geo-politics and American politics and policy make him more qualified than most to talk about them. It may be true that people don't like what he's saying, but its my theory that Cheney doesn't care about that at all, and may in fact, enjoy the fact that he gets the Left so riled up and furious. In any case, Mr. Cheney seems to be determined to voice his opinions on whats going on, and I know that people posting on the Huffington Post or left wing radio pundits won't stop him. Even if they do call him a baby eater.

Remember to encourage your friends and family to become Fans of Vice-Precedence on Facebook and to watch our videos on YouTube. Thanks for your support.

Biden Comic Review and October Veep Birthdays

Hey Vice-Precedence Blog readers. Its been awhile since I posted something, but I wanted to wait until there was something to really write about. Jason already posted his review of the Joe Biden comic published by Bluewater Comics, so now its my turn.

First of all, like Jason I am glad that someone had the guts to write and publish a comic about a vice-president. It means that someone has decided that there is an audience for this. That's great news for Vice-Precedence and I am happy to see it. I certainly hope that the comic sells well. At least better than Bo Obama's. Although I can understand why dogs would be more popular than politicians.

I just finished it a few minutes ago and I have to say overall....I'm disappointed. Aside from the typos and mistakes that Jason already mentioned its very hard to follow. It jumps around from time to time. It opens with Bidens' brush with death-to the point of his receiving last rites and that is portrayed in a powerful way. His upset victory in the Delaware Senate race as a 29 year old upstart during the Nixon Administration is also shown and his struggles to make it all happen are done in a interesting noir style-complete with the dirty union boss with a cloud of smoke over his head. The book also does a good job of illustrating Bidens pain at the loss of his first wife and daughter. The writer does a good job in showing how these trials shaped Biden's life and effected him emotionally. These stories are important, and make for interesting reading and I certainly understand why they are here in the book. I have to give kudos to writer Wey-Yuih Loh on at least this.

My main complaint with the book is how it seems almost jagged-it jumps back and forth in time and seems haphazard about it. It makes it hard to follow. Also, the art style is not to my liking. It seems a little rushed and the coloring is a little too pale to my liking. The cover is well done by artist Vinnie Tartamella. Like Jason, I wish it had spent some time on his work in Washington and how he became such a powerful presence there. While Bidens personal struggles do make for dramatic stories, more than passing legislation, it seems like that was the only thing this book was interested in. Still, I'd like to learn more about how Biden developed his way of making things happen in Washington and how he got to the Vice-Presidency. Like Jason, it makes me want to read Bidens autobiography "Promises to Keep-On Life and Politics".

Still, the fact that this book has been published is great. I am glad that it was written, and I hope you Vice-Precedence fans will at least give it a try. Darren G. Davis and Bluewater are to be applauded for creating this book.

On another note-October is a big month for VP birthdays-so happy belated birthdays to the following VP's!

Happy Birthday Chester Alan Arthur-Born October 5th 1829.

Happy Birthday Henry Agard Wallace-Born October 7th 1888.

Happy Birthday Richard Mentor Johnson-Born October 17th 1780-"The most vulgar man of all vulgar men in this world." according to the Doorkeeper of the U.S. Senate.

and Happy Birthday John Adams-Born October 19th 1735.

Keep tuned here on the Vice-Precedence blog for all the latest and greatest news in Vice-Presidents. Thanks for reading.

Biden Comic Review

This is the first time - not likely the last - that I'll be able to say I just read a comic book about one of our Vice Presidents. It'll be at least three years before I can say that it's about a sitting VP. The fact that I can say it, though, says some good things about growing public awareness of the office. As Vice-Precedence, whether book, movie or blog form proves - its about damn time.

The book is unexpected, in many ways. I haven't yet read Joe's autobiography, if only because I tend to reserve political pre-campaign bios of any sort for light afternoon reading. The comic book, it seems, is considerably based off of Joe's book "Promises to Keep," and, sadly, makes me want to read the Veep's book now. The tone of the whole thing is like that of an action comic. To be more accurate, though, its the drama in Joe's life that gets the beams-of-light and low-key noir shadows treatment. From the death of his wife to his political struggles, the book gives you a strong look at Biden up to the Vice Presidency. Sure, it kind of skips the 20 years between his marriage to Jill Biden and his election to his current office, but it's compelling nonetheless.

The comic has its weak points, though - the sketches often seem a little too rough and a few of the typos make it obvious Bluewater Productions (the comic's producer) needed to rush the book out to its (hopefully) growing audience. We could use some of those twenty years, even if they aren't dripping with drama - a few points along the way showing the good Joe has done politically. It's still worth a look, though, and there's something to be said for the risk Bluewater was willing to take by making the comic in the first place. Pick it up, if you can find it in your shop. Though stores ordered almost 2,000 of the Biden comic books (a little short of the First Lady's record of 65,000+ units sold), you'll be more likely to find a copy of Bluewater's other recent book in your local comic shop - the issue that sold almost 4,000 units - the Obama comic book.

That is, the book about the life of Bo Obama, the First Dog.

- Jason C. Klamm

Biden a Cover Boy

Newsweek's cover story this week is none other than The Veep himself. Big Joe Biden, decked out in sunglasses and smiles, is part of an article that actually examines the office. He's also the subject of a photo piece on the site.

I'm going to spend my research tomorrow actually reading the article to see how well Newsweek assesses Biden in comparison to other VPs (not just Cheney) and within the context of what it means to actually be a Vice President.

The fact that they've sexed Joe up - the first I've personally come across any evidence of an actual Vice President being played up as living the good life and being handsome since Dan Quayle was pointed out to look somewhat Kennedy-esque (and honestly, never before that have I seen it) - is not a good sign for their journalistic skill, but it is Newsweek. I'm willing to give them a chance.

It's either a sign of the state of the media - desperate to sex things up regardless of the subject matter - or a sign that Biden needs a new image. Or both. What with Biden taking his own strong positions on Afghanistan and having something of a say in Iraq, it seems appropriate to make sure the guy who could follow in the steps of a Nobel-Prize-Winning handsome black progressive president looks as hip and interesting as possible.

I'm not uncomfortable saying that as far as 66-year-old Vice Presidents go, Joe's a looker. And maybe he deserves it. I won't say he does, because I can't be sure anyone deserves the play that celebrities and politicians get, but I will say the office deserves it. I just hope this kind of play, this kind of free-wheeling attitude toward the office, doesn't distract from the central theme of Vice-Precedence - the office needs a purpose.

The last thing an office with one duty needs is another excuse to let the man who could potentially be our next president get used to being too pampered and not having real duties. Not that that's what's happening - this is a clear attempt to make people understand that the Obama Administration works and is still working, even in the Vice President's office - but its something to watch for.

It's also nice to have an article that doesn't focus on Biden's verbal diarrhea. Keep it in mind, but lets see how the Veep plays out as a human being.

- Jason C. Klamm

P.S. - Don't forget to check back for my review of the Biden comic book on Wednesday!

Cheney's Lesbian Daughter Giving Dick Another Grandchild

Hey Vice-Precedence readers. Breaking news today: former VP Dick Cheney's daughter Mary, who I hope you all know by now, because I've written about her about 3 or 4 times here on the blog-is an out lesbian who has been with her partner Heather Poe for years, is pregnant for the second time! So the former VP will be a grandfather once again.

So once again, conservatives around the country who love the former VP's criticisms of the Obama Administration, will be gnashing their teeth and cursing the heavens as Mary Cheney once again undermines the "traditional" family values of the United States of America by giving birth to a baby with a baster as the daddy. Of course, liberals will be once again pointing out the hypocrisy of the Right on Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights as Cheney has offered his full support to his daughter. Get ready for the screaming heads to really get at one another on MSNBC and FOX and for some really stupid and insensitive remarks to come flying. Boy oh Boy!

Mary and Heather had a child-son Samuel David Cheney back in 2007. The happy grandparents are pictured above with their new grandson. After the 2004 election Mary had sort of gone off the radar after creating some headlines, until her first pregnancy stirred up controversy across the country receiving criticism from such prominent right-wing Christian icons like Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson who wrote an article for TIME called "Two Mommies is One Too Many". According to reports, Mary plans to go on maternity leave soon, and then start a political consulting firm with her sister Liz-perhaps to aid her in her possible run for Congress in Virginia? We'll see.

So once again the Cheney family will go into the breach of one of the most controversial issues in today's America. So get ready Vice-Precedence readers-because with his lesbian daughter having another baby, the possibility of his being called to testify about the CIA assassination squad and torture issues, and of course-his still untitled book coming out-it looks like its going to be a hell of a year for the polarizing former VP. Stay tuned here for all the latest news and thanks for your support!

Matt Saxe

Whose Book Will Rule and Veeps for Halloween

It seems in todays culture that everyone writes a book. As we have reported on this blog, former President Bush, former Vice-President Dick Cheney, and former VP candidate Sarah Palin are all writing books. While there is still no title for Cheney's book, we know former Gov. Palins book will be called "Going Rogue". Now the question becomes-of these three upcoming Republican biographies-whose will sell the most?

Its an interesting question-in that sales may show who is more popular, and that it may reflect which way the GOP is going ideologically. I don't think its sexist to say that a LOT of women are going to want to read Palin's book. That alone may put her above the sales of both Bush and Cheney, but at the same time, a lot of women may want to read Bush and Cheney's books too.

Readers all hope that these books will answer questions that people want to know. Such as:

"What were their emotions on 9/11?"

"How did you deal with all the stress and attention?"

"What are your beliefs on the complicated issues that currently divide the country?"

and about a million others. Which book are you most interested in reading? Let us know.

Also, with Halloween coming up, you know that there'll be some costumes out there about political figures, and I found the one at the top of the blog-available for $59.99 advertised with the following:

Deadeye Dick-Our Dick Cheney costume features a Dick Cheney mask, full hunting jumpsuit with wire hoop, top vest, target and cap. The costume also comes with an automatic membership in the Deadeye Dick Gun Club. Anyway, you know how the song goes, "Save A Quail, Shoot A Lawyer", or something like that.

Also, of course there's lots of Sarah Palin costumes out there too-including instructions on how to dress as Palin for under $100-For you who are interested-it involves a brown wig or your own brown hair put up in either a ponytail or with a banana clip, lots and lots of bronzer, glossy muave lipstick, a power suit with no pantyhose (gotta show off those hunting in snowshoes stems), dangly earrings, and of course-some simple drugstore rectangular frame glasses (red is a good choice) and VOILA!

For those of you into using Halloween as an excuse to "slut it up" as the kids say these days, who may want to put an ironic twist on it, there is of course the "Sexy Sarah Palin Costume". Which basically consists of you putting your hair up in the ponytail or clip in that Palin style, squeezing into your hottest bikini, putting on your best stiletto heels, grabbing yours or your husbands/boyfriends or kids best hunting rifle, throwing a sash saying "Mrs. Alaska" or "Hockey Mom" over yourself, and of course don't forget the glasses. For hints you can see the pic above. I'm betting you Republican guys who are reading this blog (you are out there right?) are drooling about now.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned here for all the latest news on the Veeps!

Matt Saxe

Cheney and the CIA Plot-Part 3.

Well Vice-Precedence readers-its all coming together. As you know, I have been following the issues with Vice-President Cheney and the CIA. Its ranged from how furious the former VP is over Attorney General Holders investigation into the controversy of torture, the revelation of the CIA Assassination Squad, to lingering issues about the Valerie Plame outing.

I've posted previous blogs on all these since we started it back in June, and I encourage you to go back and re-read those. Now another break in this story-yesterday Federal Judge Emmett Sullivan ruled that the FBI must publicly reveal the majority of its interview with Cheney during the investigation into who leaked the identity of Valerie Plame. He said that limited parts could be withheld to protect national security or personal privacy, but 67 pages will be revealed. Plames name was leaked after her husband former Ambassador Joe Wilson wrote an article critical of the Bush Administrations intelligence reports justifying launching the war in Iraq.


As many of you remember the only person who was exposed and punished for having anything to do with the Valerie Plame leak to the press was Cheney's top aide and dear friend I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. During his trial, jurors found that Libby lied to the FBI and a grand jury about his conversations with reporters. Libby never served a day in jail since President Bush commuted his sentence-but he refused to pardon him and decided he was guilty, as was revealed in the TIME cover story I reported on here on July 29th-"The Final Days of Bush and Cheney".

Now with the court ordering the release of the former Vice-Presidents interview we can only speculate what will happen next. Libby told the FBI that it was "possible" that the Vice-President ordered him to reveal Plames name. Will Special Investigative Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald be put back to work? Will there be more hearings, what will these 67 pages expose? Thanks for reading, and I recommend going back and reading some of our previous blogs to learn more about this issue. Stay tuned here for the latest news on this and other breaking news on the Vice-Presidents.

Matt Saxe