Hey "Vice-Precedence" blog readers! Thanks for becoming Fans of us on Facebook, we really appreciate it. Please encourage family and friends you know to become Fans as well. Also, please post some comments here on the blog-we want to know what you think and if you have suggestions for stories or interviews you'd like to see here.
As I mentioned in my first blog posting here; former VP Cheney is writing a book about his years as Vice-President. Al Kamen at the Washington Post recently wrote about how its coming along, and posted the picture you see of Cheney here in the blog taken on Air Force Two-the Veeps official plane-last year. The picture shows the Vice-President hard at work, with a copy of Bart Gellmans book Angler, on his desk opened but face down with some pages even bookmarked. Gellmans book rips and shreds at Cheney like a tiger on cocaine attacking a baby deer. Apparently the Vice-President was interested in what people were saying about him back in early 2008. Imagine that. Cheney got a $2 million dollar advance on his book-so in case you were worrying about his financial situation-no need! In the interview Cheney claims his book "won't be a screed" and that it's not about "trying to settle grudges." Well, we'll see, but, either way, I will be reading it. Hope he's working hard on it.
Remember to become a Fan of "Vice-Precedence" on Facebook if you haven't already and thanks for reading!
Today, former comedian Al Franken was finally certified - whatever side you're on, it's been a long haul - as the winner of a months-long recount, as Minnesota's newest little Senator. Once Minnesota's non-wrestling Governor officially declares it so, Franken will be the best actor outside of Fred Thompson to ever hold an elected office. Scratch that - best professional actor.
Franken's fight has been long, but he's had support as high, at least, as the President. Of the Senate. Joe Biden, whose last name still isn't recognized in Blogger's dictionary, has had even-tempered, well-reasoned things to say for awhile on the situation. Back in May, though, he finally exploded with-
"The election process and recount in Minnesota have lived up to the state's reputation for organization, transparency, and bipartisanship. The officials have been meticulous and every ruling has been unanimous."
Really, Joe?
Okay, it's not that I'm expecting Biden to explode, or that I'm disinterested in the general even tone slowly, but evenly pouring out of the White House of late. Like most people, I am expecting something so honest and poorly-thought-out as to practically be charming. Still, after delving a bit into Joe's political past, starting as one of the youngest Senators in the body's history, I'm curious as to where the fire has gone and why. Maybe he's mellowed out. Maybe it's diplomatic. Maybe that's a good thing?
The Obama Administration announced today that Joe Biden is being sent to Iraq. Six years and three months after the tremendously successful invasion that Joe Biden voted in the majority for, he's being sent there... in a capacity of some kind. "I would hesitate to use the term 'mediator,' " said Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary. Understandable. The Veep, who actually wrote an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times three years ago proposing that we
"...establish three largely autonomous regions with a viable central government in Baghdad. The Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite regions would each be responsible for their own domestic laws, administration and internal security."
doesn't necessarily bring to mind "temperate." He's being involved in Iraq to, as the White House put it, "oversee that we are making progress...." Fair enough. The majority seem to be characterizing it as a natural choice, given his stint on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 1997, during which time he, among other things, paired with - of all people - Jesse Helms to save the United States' right to vote in the United Nations. And maybe they're right. His foreign policy experience, and his 1 for 2 voting record on Wars Involving Iraq, were undoubtedly things that the Obama Administration looked at when deciding how to use Biden.
Let's think about that for a second... An administration not just FINDING a use for a VP, but thinking about one ahead of time? This isn't unprecedented, but it's certainly a good sign. Maybe he won't just be a ribbon-cutter. Only time will tell.
Looking back at one particular article from The Evening Independent in St. Petersburg, Florida (thank you Google News Archives) that one doesn't assume has any particular reason to stump for Biden in the middle of the summer, I read a brief excerpt of what I'd like to hope Joe Biden was really like at one point. For one, the article begins by calling him 'Fiery Joe' Biden, calling him "The Last of the Red-Hot Angry Democrats," comparing him, appropriately enough, if only now, to Hubert Humphrey.
It describes, in detail, Biden tearing up the Reagan Administration for turning a blind eye to embattled South Africa. There's a heated debate between then-Senator Biden and Secretary of State George Shultz, during which Biden said:
"I'm ashamed of this country that puts out a policy like this, that says nothing, nothing. I'm ashamed of the lack of Moral backbone in this policy... let the South Africa blacks know we stand behind them foursquare."
At which point he was met, rather ineffectively, by Shultz:
"(It's) a complicated situation. Obviously the blacks are repressed... But I don't turn my back on the whites. They are also people."
Biden, then, coolly responded "I speak for the oppressed, whatever they happen to be."
Though a simple "did you hear what you just said?" might have sufficed, the lofty button to Biden's end of the argument had to have hit home, at least a little. The article goes on to describe Biden's "presidential problem" as having "a style too feverish for the cool television age." Needless to say, the article got me really pumped. About Joe Biden in 1986, anyway.
The question then remains - is that fire still there? Is it the same fire that seems to come out in badly-timed or ill-conceived spurts? Perhaps a chance to put a country back together - a country, it's important to point out, that he's had a somewhat unprecedented chance to affect in a large way over the years - is the thing to bring back 'Fiery Joe.' If he's learned the lesson of his vote for the war in Iraq, and if he still, indeed "speaks for the oppressed," maybe Joe Biden will be, if not the glue, at least the clamps that hold it together until the glue dries. Yes, I just compared modern-day, war-torn Iraq to a woodshop project.
Hey Vice-Precedence Blog Readers! First of all, big thanks to Paul Zaloom for his praise for "Vice-Precedence" we truly appreciate this incredible compliment from such a talented and accomplished man. Also, Thank You to all of you who have become Fans of "Vice-Precedence" on Facebook, we really appreciate it. If you haven't yet-what are you waiting for? Join the Race for Second Place! As we like to say.
Today, June 30th is the birthday of Vice-President William A. Wheeler, Vice-President under Rutherford B. Hayes from 1877-1881. Born June 30th, 1819 in Malone, NY.
Wheeler has been called "the most boring Republican Vice-President, of all the boring Republican Vice-Presidents in history." by "Bland Ambition" author and "Vice-Precedence" contributor Steve Tally. However, not to disagree with Steve-because Wheeler was not exactly a live-wire its true, I don't know how exciting or vibrant I would be if I were a widower who was given the Vice-Presidential nomination as a joke.
While Wheeler was undoubtedly boring, personally I prefer to think of Wheeler as one of the most honest and incorruptible men to ever serve in the Executive Branch. At this time in our nations history, political scandal ran wild with the spoils system, in the Reconstruction of the South after the Civil War, and most notoriously in the Credit Mobilier scandal which ruined many politicians on both sides of the aisle. New York Republicans were ruled by the all-powerful Senator Roscoe Conkling and his "Stalwarts"-if you wanted to be a Republican politician in New York-you had to work with Conkling and do what he said. Period. Yet Wheeler was never tarnished by any hint of scandal and refused to simply go along with Conkling. His stubborn independence and scrupulous honesty was legendary among his fellow Congressmen.
The only thing Wheeler may be known for...oh he's not known for this either-but it interesting at least, is for the story told about him in a book by a little known Massachusetts senator about acts of courage in politics that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and make Senator John F. Kennedy a national political figure-"Profiles in Courage". In the foreword by historian Allan Nevins, Nevins gives the most famous example of Wheelers commitment to honesty and political courage in this exchange between Wheeler and Senator Conkling:
Senator Conkling-Wheeler, if you act with us, there is nothing in the gift of the state of New York to which you may not reasonably aspire.
Congressman Wheeler-Mr. Conkling, there is nothing in the gift of the state of New York which will compensate me for the forfeiture of my self-respect.
Pretty impressive if you ask me.
So join us as we sayHappy Birthday Vice-President Wheeler!
I got one of the greatest compliments of my life a couple days ago. And so did Vice-Precedence… get one of the greatest compliments of… my life…
The trailer for "Vice-Precedence" knocked my socks off. The film deftly mixes the genuine history of the VPs, much of it astounding and weird as hell, with witty commentary, the best combination for a film on a serious and absurd and seriously absurd subject. I laughed out loud a bunch of times; that doesn't happen often enough in documentaries. I cannot wait to see the finished project."
The quote is from an icon of my childhood, a man who mixed humor and science in the most creative way since Mr. Wizard and who has inspired some of my best-received material. Paul Zaloom, a well-established political satirist, played the title character on the comedic children’s science program “Beakman’s World” in the nineties, and was kind enough, recently, to check out the existing materials for Vice-Precedence. Needless to say, I was floored.
After all, this is the guy who made science funny, after Mr. Wizard made it fun. This is a guy who The New York Times called "One of the most original and talented political satirists working in the theater." Part of Paul's kind quote about our film begs a particular question – why don’t documentaries make you laugh often enough? Surely, Michael Moore is a genius at making pointed, dark statements in such a way that you can’t help but laugh, even given his typical dark subject matter. But does a documentary, in general, need to be “dramatic?” Most historicals are, but there’s an understandable level of success as a result of the serious tone most docs take on. Ken Burns wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for the existence of somberness. Yet, at the same time, he’s also been known to brilliantly work some irony out of history that makes you wince and laugh at the same time. (Irony, despite what some might have you think, is a tool exclusive to comedy. You’re being funny, if you’re being truly ironic, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.)
The question is why can’t you laugh fairly consistently through a documentary and have it punctuated by moments of somberness? Surely, you could make a documentary with a comedic bent about any subject, provided it was called for, provided those somber moments hit at the appropriate time. And that’s been our goal all along. We want to create the first “Slapstick Documentary,” without forgetting the basic skeleton of the entire project – facts. Not just facts, mind you, but some of the most hilarious, staggering historical facts you’re likely to hear bunched up in one place. This is why I think documentarians generally can’t but be somber. Rarely are the facts on any one subject, sweeping or pointed, as strange as they are about the Vice Presidency, most likely because these facts are new to the majority of Americans. We all know that more Americans were killed during the Civil War than in all other American Wars combined, but few of us are aware that the Vice Presidency has been vacant for 16 percent of its existence as an office.
It’s about time that documentaries were made to really fit their subjects. Instead of denying a bias, filmmakers should examine those biases as they make the film. In making our “sizzle reel” for Vice-Precedence on William Rufus De Vane King, we played with the fact that the first thing to stand out about the man was his likely homosexuality. We took the opportunity, then, to make the whole sequence SEEM as though it were one big gay joke. But if you pay attention to intentional over-acting and effeminate portrayal, you’ll notice that we’ve actually just assailed you with brand-new facts. Hopefully you’ll be laughing, but, equally as hopefully, not because King was probably gay. Ideally, you'll be laughing around it. You can see for yourself below.
The sooner you embrace your bias and examine it, the sooner you will probably see your subject matter for what it is - as flawed as you are. People are people, even when they have larger-than-life or superhuman titles. The American Presidents have been America's Supermen, standing for truth, justice and the American Way for over 200 years. And its time for the story of the Vice Presidents because they've been the bumbling, silly, human face of potential power that no one ever sees. They've pretty much been Clark Kent the entire time. And not just because you never see the two of them in the same place at the same time.
A few weeks ago, President Obama asked you to share your personal story about how the health care crisis has affected you and the ones you love. Hundreds of thousands of stories poured in from every corner of the country. The President and I have read through many of them ourselves -- and now I'm encouraging you to do so as well.
Read these powerful, personal stories from people in your area and around the country:
And after you do, please forward this note on to as many people as you can.
For folks who don't yet understand why health care reform is such an urgent priority, these stories make the case far better than any statistics ever could.
For those who support health care reform but haven't yet found the time to join our campaign, these stories provide more motivation than any speech any politician could ever give.
So please read these stories, pass this note on to everyone in your address book, and help us show everyone in America why fixing our broken health care system is a necessity that just can't wait:
A few years back, Matt Saxe and I asked ourselves why it was that the Vice-Presidency is so misunderstood by the very people who sort of vote for him. Thirty-three men who never became president have somehow slipped through the fickle fingers of history and into near oblivion simply because they were the ones who were stuck waiting. Matt and I have read all of their stories ourselves -- and now I'm encouraging you to join the team.
Read the stories of these interesting men, constantly on the brink of power in our nation's capital:
And after you do, please forward this note on to as many people as you can. And we know you know a lot of people. You're the damned VP.
For folks who don't yet get why understanding the Vice Presidency is necessary to understanding the very processes and people that govern them, this blog should make the case that a VP deserves just as strong a vote as his president.
For those who already support learning more about the VP but haven't yet followed a particular Vice President-based blog, our blog provides more motivation than things like "books" or "newspapers."
So please read this blog, pass this memo on to everyone in your MASSIVE, country-wide address book, and help us show the American people why understanding the most misunderstood office in the country's history is a necessity of understanding Democracy itself. And please, if you want the people to understand the truth, give us a call and grant us an interview. We'll be waiting:
No word back yet, but fingers are crossed. In case you think he didn't get it, feel free to help the effort along by sending the letter to info@barackobama.com
First of all big thanks to Mr. Darren G. Davis of Bluewater Productions for his interview with Jason Klamm on the upcoming Joe Biden comic-make sure to pick it up at your local comic book store-if they aren't carrying Bluewater's books, ask them to. If you haven't read Jasons fascinating interview with him here on the blog-be sure to do so.
Recently former VP Cheney has been very critical of the Obama administrations handling of issues in the "War on Terror". Mr. Cheney has not been afraid to give these criticisms at every opportunity he gets. This led to a response from new CIA Director Leon Panetta that has drawn sharp criticism from both the right and left. Some have called Director Panetta a "partisan hack", and his comments "loathsome". Meanwhile, Cheney is also (as usual) receiving his fair share of barbs.
Read more about it here. Let us know what you think.
You can’t possibly imagine how excited Matt and I were the other day to discover that Bluewater Productions, the company behind the smash hit Sara Palin and Michelle Obama comic books, has decided to produce a comic about none other than Joe Biden as part of their “Political Power” series. After Colin Powell in July and a Barack Obama comic some time after, Joe Biden’s comic comes off the presses in September of this year. We’ll both be first in line.
I sat down with the Darren G. Davis, President of Bluewater Productions – that is, I assume he was sitting down as well, since I was interviewing him over the phone from LA while he was in his office in Washington State – and talked with him about making politics palatable to the youth, and making the Vice Presidency just generally palatable.
Jason Klamm: How long has the company been around? Darren Davis: We’ve been self-publishing for three years now. I’ve been producing comics for ten. I worked for DC comics and I published for Image.
JK: When was the decision made to go political? DD: We decided just right before the election, right after Hillary Clinton didn’t get nominated. People were really starting to slam Hillary, Sara Palin, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. They were making their decisions just based on headlines. We thought – we have a voice in comics. We have twenty-two pages, why not tell a story? I’ve learned a lot about politics from doing this.
JK: What were the first ideas thrown around for political comics? DD: Those were the ones we wanted to start out with. From there, that’s when we decided to expand the line. The books turned out to be about female empowerment. Then we decided to spin off to everyone in politics, starting in July with Colin Powell.
JK: How well has the Palin comic done? DD: We’re on our third printing, we’ve sold 20,000 copies. Michelle sold over 55,000, it’s now the top-selling independent comic.
JK: What is it about Palin’s comic that is selling so well? Kitsch factor? DD: I think it’s a bunch of different things. One, they became, in a sense, about female empowerment. We didn’t know the demo at first. A lot of women who want to learn about these women, might not like them, but respect where they come from and what they do. We’re also getting people collecting political memorabilia. People who just want to know. Like kids.
Bios can technically be really boring. We didn’t want them to be stale. Added extra little characters in it. The writer is the narrator. In the Clinton book, the writer hates her. After doing the research on her, the writer begins to respect her. That’s the point of the series – the journey of knowledge. She is dressed up as the devil, but we also have the narrator talking to this Jiminy Cricket character.
JK: When did you decide on making a Biden comic? DD: We were trying to think along the lines of who to do, and you there’s been a Barack Obama comic book, but no one’s ever done Joe Biden. We should honor that. As I said, people may not like them, but you have to respect them.
JK: How much do you know about the Vice Presidency? DD: I’m gonna’ learn a lot from my Bo Obama (the First Family's dog) book – he talks about the VP, too. Once again, I’m the demo – I don’t know a whole lot, I got frustrated. I got passionate about this election, as many people did for the first time. So with the VP – I am a part of American society that doesn’t know. The VP does have a role, he’s just on another plane.
JK: What is it about Biden that makes him a good character in a comic? DD: I think his personality kind of lends to it. As Sara Palin has a strong personality, Joe Biden – some of the things he does and says goes along those lines. Palin’s a bit more out there than Joe Biden, shooting wolves and having a turkey killed in the background… Joe Biden has said some pretty harsh things, like in the election when he was saying if Obama was elected there would be a crisis in six to eight months.
We really want kids to pick these things up. We want kids to think “I could be the Vice President,” or Secretary of State, etc.
JK: Do you know much about other VPs? DD: No. Basically I know what there is in headlines, the Dan Quayleisms… I think Al Gore has become more vocal after being Vice President. One reason people are so tough on him is because of what he’s done in the world.
JK:Let me give you three VPs. You tell me which would make the best comic book. First, Charles Curtis. His sister said the Depression was over simply because she didn’t see the effects of it. He called the Marines on protesting ex-soldiers. Or William King, who was likely our only gay Vice President. He lived with James Buchanan for 16 years. He was sworn in in Cuba, and died just days after arriving in the US. John Breckinridge was VP before the Civil War, then when the war broke out, he joined the Confederacy. When the war was over, he was a traitor, so he had to run, hijacked a boat, got out onto the ocean and was hijacked by actual pirates. DD: I’d say that one, because in this day and age I don’t think people think being gay is relevant – it has to be something that teaches us about them. But then look at who we’re probably doing. I don’t see myself doing a Dan Quayle comic. Maybe Cheney.
JK: Are there any plans to do historical figures? DD: We are thinking about that. It really depends how “Political Power” takes off. We’re starting with Abe Lincoln in February.
---------- Needless to say, September couldn’t be further away. It’s likely to be worth the wait, however. I haven’t read any of the comics yet (Matt has, and speaks highly of them), but I have hope when I hear that a comic book company is going out of its way to use its medium to educate. Not only that, they’re geared towards keeping it interesting, without patronizing its audience, regardless of age – they’re a company after our own hearts.
We’d like to sincerely thank Darren G. Davis of Bluewater Productions for giving us the interview and the opportunity to meet a like mind in a business equally as tough as ours. In case you're as excited as we are, though, don't line up for the Biden comic right after the Obama book comes out. Biden's doesn't come out until after Bo's.
