This Just In — When history is written about some of America’s most influential leaders, it says that they drove movements of tectonic change. History recognizes the effect of vision and policy while setting aside the perch from which these events unfolded.
Benjamin Franklin is an easy example. He was elected to the Continental Congress, sure, but his influence in crafting the origin story of our republic and how it moved forward through a tumultuous, bloody revolution cannot be overstated. He recognized the unique and complicated character of Americans 250 years ago.
Franklin was never President of the United States, but he is of a stature that places him at the right hand of Washington, Adams and Jefferson. He was adjacent to that power and knew what to do with it, to defy a king and create a new nation and a new way of being a citizen.
This week we find ourselves examining the life of Former Vice President Dick Cheney of Wyoming. Before anyone spits out their coffee, I don’t hold Cheney in the same category of leadership as Franklin. Not exactly.
Cheney’s climb to power and influence was one that included washing out of Yale as an undergrad and eventually getting his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming – not quite the Ivy League. He worked as an intern for a member of Congress then hopped right into the Nixon White House. He became Deputy Chief then Chief of Staff for Gerald Ford’s time in the presidency. All before he was 35 years old.
Cheney was elected to Congress and served in the House for a decade before becoming Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. There, he played a key role in prosecuting the Gulf War.
When Cheney was summoned to help George W. Bush by running the selection process to choose a running mate, he seized on an opportunity to stand beside the seat of American power and craft the future of the presidency. He chose himself, as we know, and was elected Vice President. The perfect job. No real responsibilities and a President who relied heavily on Cheney’s vast experience in maneuvering through Congress.
Cheney exploited Bush’s lack of experience, getting a substantial portfolio of responsibilities brought under the VP’s oversight. He began his campaign to reshape the American presidency into that of an imperialist —the “Plenary Presidency”. The Executive branch, he thought, conceded far too much authority to the Congress. With all eyes on Bush, Cheney went about his work, including deceiving the world with false justifications for invading Iraq, by way of misleading leaks and misdirection via the New York Times.
From endorsing waterboarding and other forms of torture to rendition practices, Cheney justified civil right abuses in the name of securing America. As Franklin’s quote about giving up liberty for safety (and deserving neither) echoes in my mind, I’m brought to the harsh reality that another young conservative who no one elected is acting as puppet master with a president much more dimwitted that Dubyah.
Steven Miller’s puppet is a bulb so dim that Dick Cheney warned against restoring him to power, endorsing Kamala Harris and supporting her campaign.
I give Cheney (and his daughter, Liz) much deserved credit for speaking up against their own party for the sake of the country. Neither of them is without blame for the damage to our body politic, but I appreciate the attempt at redemption.
Now, it’s all eyes on Steven Miller and his autocratic maneuvering. Let’s hope this week’s BlueNami wave has given some heartburn to the remaining GOP officials to encourage them to either retire now or move back to the center of the spectrum if only to save themselves.
Dick Cheney knew that he only needed to stand next to the center of power to get things done. Right now, the center of power in the United States is in the middle of a big crowd of people with “#NoKings” signs. I know this for sure, because in the last three weeks, that’s exactly where you’ll find Marjorie Taylor Green.
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – jean@penandinc.com and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
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