(10) Vice-President

(10) Vice-President

1. Powers of the VP

   • Presiding officer of the Senate - rarely performs. Usually junior members of it chamber.
   • VP can vote in the senate when tied. Dick Cheney voted in April 2001 to get Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cut though. From 1981 to 2009 happened 19 times: 8 cheney, 7 Bush, 4 Gore.
   • Count's and announces the Electoral College vote. Al Gore had to announces his own defeat in 2001. Biden announced his re-election.
   • VP becomes president on the disablement of the President. Used 3 times: 13/7/85 Regan was hospitalised briefly, 29/6/02+21/7/07 Bush under went colonoscopy Cheney president for 2 hours.
   • VP becomes president upon death, resignation or removal. Happened 9 times: 4 times assassination, 4 times follow natural death, 1 resignation.
   • John Adam 1st VP:"In this I am nothing; but I may be eveything"

2. Increasing importance of the VP

   • In first 2 decades of USA the VP was the person who came 2nd in the Balloting of the Electoral College (John Adam and Thomas Hefferson dominated position). 12th Amd (1804) changed this - elected on a joint ticket with the presidential candiate. So for 150 years filled by nonentities.
   • Grown in importance for several reasons
     • President saw VP as source of help running departments. Eisenhower-Nixon admin, VP Nixon was given high profile tasks and Presidents advise. Been members of the Cabinet. Walter Mondale 1st VP to be shown the presidential daily briefing (intelligence briefing). Mondale also got a office in the West wing.
       • Leasions role will the "lesser" Burocracy, due to the huge size of the Service
     • Reforms have attacted influential people to the VP - alway occupied. Of the 11 vp who held office between 1953-2008 4 went on to become president and 3 where selected as presidential candidate.
     • Many have played a key role in legislative liaison with Congress. Dick Cheney played with role in Bush Presidency, Joe Biden played role in Obama admin.
       • This role has become more important for Biden with a republican dominated Congress
     • VP often becomes party workers, electioneer and fund-raiser. Cheney played role in 2002 mid-term elections, as did Biden during both the 2010 and 2012 election cycle
     • VP major spokesperson for the admin. Al Gore became - enviromental issues, government efficiency planes. Dick Cheney - foreign policy. Joe Biden - foreign policy
     • VP play the Washington Insider role, guiding the president around the potential pitfalls of Washington politics. Mondale, Bush Sr, Gore, Cheney and Biden all experinced insiders.

3. Selection, election and appointment

   • VP candidate is made by the parties presidential candidate before the opening of the PNC. They run together on a "joint ticket". People elected the VP along side the president.
   • A Balanced ticket is often important. Look for "balance" in terms of race, region, experience, age, ideology, religion. In 2008, Obama choice Senator Biden: 47 year to 65, 4 years to 36 years as senator, Biden's strong foreign policy (Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) and Race a balance.
   • 25th Amd (1967) meant that if VP position is vacant he/she can appoint a new one with is confirmed with simple majority in both houses. Happened in 1973 VP Spiro Agnew resigned, Ford appointed Congressman Gerald Ford as VP confired by 93-3 and 387-55. In 1974 with Ford as President Ex Governor Nelson Rockefeller as VP confirmed 90-7 and 287-128

4. Joe Biden as Vice-president

   • He has a wealth of experience (36 years in the Senate), which he uses on Obama lack of political experience. Acted as the unofficial Senate ambassador.
   • Critical role for the President in big ticket issues: Economic Stimulus Package, middle-class taskforce, tax relief, the Unemployment Reauthorisation Act and negotiationing debt ceiling crises in 2011
   • Biden was mediator in Dec 2012 for the "fiscal cliff". Obama put Biden in charge of drawing up proposals on gun control measures following the Connecticut school shooting in December 2012.
   • Biden's strenghts has been devil's advocates in policy and ask the difficult questions.
   • Biden's weakness is his verbal gaffes, most laughed of though by Biden and colleagues. He is more a help than a hindrance.
   • Biden "maybe the most influential vice-president ever" in terms of the sheer number of policy he as influenced.
   • Biden may run as president in 2016. Asked by media in 2012 if he would be the lasted time he vote for himself (presidential vote) he replyied "No, I don't think so"
   • Biden intended to be a "trusted backup, some on who won't be mistaken for a co-president, single-handedly crafting and promoting policy."

5. Dick Cheney as vice-president

   • Influence of Domestic policy
     • Chency was the salesman for tax cut plans, and when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2003 the VP made the Critial decisions about the furture of manned space flight
     • Cheney had a prominant role in the appointment of chief Justice, with Cheney asking the tough questions on judicial philosophies and case histories. The president interviews were more relaxed, focused on personal matters. The VP managed to reduced the 11 potential nominees to a short list of 5.
     • With Roberts nominated for Chief Justice, a second appoitment had to be made, Bush nominated Alberto Gonzles and then Harriet Miers both were not on the list of 5. They both withdrew and Bush then nominated Samuel Alito which was on Cheneys recommended 5
   • Influence of Foreign Policy
     • Cheney in 9/11
       • Cheney was the highs ranking official in Washington (president was in florida)
       • Cheney told the president not to return to Washington, and later recommeded that the presdient authorise the military to shoot down any plan under hijacker control. There is disagreement as to whether Cheney authorised the shooting down of Flight 93 or whether he checked 1st with the president.
       • Cheney insisted there was a credible terrorist threat to Air Force One which prevented the President's return to Washington. Other belived it was Cheney invention (to maintain control)
     • War on terror
       • Cheney recommended the interception of communications to and from the United States without a warrant (forbidden since 1978) - extraordinary bypass of both Congress and the Courts
       • The vp is your point of contact in the White House for the Senate Intelligence Committee
       • The vp pioneered the distinction between forbidden torture and the permitted "cruel inhuman or degrading" methods for questioning terrorist suspects
         • The Senate fought back with the Detainee Treatment Act which included the language of the Geneva Convention concerning torture.
       • Cheney put in place the military commissions to conduct the questions of terrorists suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. He was the first to voice that terrorist don't "deserve to be treated as prisoners of war."
         • The Supreme Court fought back with the case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld which said the president had to lawful power to try alleged terrorists in military commisions
   • Legacy
     • Chency had a tendency to increase presidential power, but got set-back by congress and courts. He was the most powerful vice-president
     • Did he permanty changed the office - probaly not
       • He had no presidential ambitions of his own. so the president self not threatened by him. Unlikely in futurn admins
       • There a huge mismatch between the political experience of the president and vp. Bush had a political cv representing an old still president,Cheney was too qualifyed buss relyed on him
       • The events of 9/11 allowed Cheney to use is foreign affairs knowlegde to the max "all the stars aligned correctly for cheney" Republican House member Ray LaHood of Illinois.
     • Cheney not the first vice president to be significant
       • Walter mondale was the 1st vp to have lots of privates chats with the president
   • The new relationship
     • Previous vp would usaly do international travelling, political fundraising and go to funerals. Cheney had a new aggrement surrogate chief of staff.
     • Tradtional model was to give the vp a particular field of interest to look after - Quale Council on Competitiveness, Gore National Partnership for Reinventing Government.
       • Cheney access to "every table and every meeting", making his voice heard.
     • 1st vp to attend weekly meetings of his party's caucus in the Senate and has his own office in the House of Representatives