CHEYENNE - To supporters, he is a brilliant political tactician and great American patriot, who helped deliver the nation through the aftermath of 9/11 and played a key role in preventing further terrorist attacks.

To critics, he is Darth Vader, a villain who used his political savvy, and the nation's post-9/11 fear, to spark unnecessary war, torture enemy prisoners and tap the phones of innocent Americans.

But back home in Wyoming, where some of his oldest and truest friends reside, he still just goes by "Dick."

When Vice President Richard B. Cheney leaves office next month, it will mark the end of what is undoubtedly the most ascendant, and perhaps controversial, political career by any Wyoming resident.

It's a career that spans 40 years, from his first political job as an intern in the Wyoming Legislature, to Wyoming's long-serving congressman, to vice president under a wartime commander in chief, President George W. Bush.

But the Natrona County High School graduate, who once worked as an electrical company lineman and twice had run-ins with the law for drunken driving as a young man, not only carved out a place for himself at the upper tier of global politics; he also transformed politics, law and the office of vice president.

Along the way, he took considerable heat, especially in the administration's response to the terrorist attacks and the Iraq War. But in an interview with the Star-Tribune last week, Cheney insisted that he and Bush did what had to be done.

He made no apologies, and he alluded to a time when history might vindicate the administration's tough decisions.

"I don't think the criticism is warranted," Cheney said in the telephone interview from his home in Jackson Hole.

"And I don't think anybody who has spent time looking specifically at the threat, and contemplating the fact that the next attack on one of our cities might not be just with airline tickets and box cutters as was true on 9/11, but rather with a biological and nuclear weapon.

"That's what we had to guard against, and that's what we had to take steps to prevent," Cheney added. "Doing that has obviously generated a lot of controversy, but it goes with the turf."

40 years in politics

Born in Lincoln, Neb., Cheney, now 67, moved to Wyoming at about age 13.

He graduated from high school in 1959, married his high school sweetheart, Lynne Ann Vincent, and the couple had two daughters.

By his own account, Cheney planned to become an academic. He studied at the University of Wyoming and completed the coursework for a doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but he never finished his dissertation.

At the time, the Vietnam War was raging, and Cheney received a series of draft exemptions that later provided ammunition for critics who accused him of dodging the war.

In 1969, Cheney went to Washington, D.C., for what was supposed to be a 12-month job as an intern. He never looked back.

He worked as White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford and was elected six times as Wyoming's congressman, achieving the title of House minority whip.

Cheney later served as defense secretary under President George H. W. Bush, where he oversaw the first Gulf War.

He left Washington during the Clinton administration and built his fortune as chief executive officer of Halliburton, the oil service company.

In early 2000, Cheney agreed to lead the search for a running mate for George W. Bush. He emerged the surprise pick for the vice presidential nomination.

A 'different understanding'

After the controversial 2000 presidential election, Cheney took to his role as vice president in a manner unlike his predecessors in modern times.

Rather than traveling internationally or raising political funds, as had been the custom for previous vice presidents, Cheney stayed home and dug into policy matters.

As he reportedly told former Vice President Dan Quayle shortly after he was sworn in: "I have a different understanding with the president" about what his role would be.

Cheney is credited with playing a part in the Bush tax cuts, emissions and global warming policy and expanding presidential powers after 9/11.

After the terrorist attacks, he coordinated the national response while Bush was aboard Air Force One, and was reportedly involved in the so-called "Terrorist Surveillance Program" that included taps on communications by American citizens.

Cheney recently told a journalist that his office played a role in designing the interrogation methods used on those closely involved with the 9/11 attacks, including simulated downing, or waterboarding. But Cheney denied that the United States employs torture of any kind.

Cheney said the proof of the success of the surveillance and interrogation programs is the lack of a major terrorist attack on the United States in the last seven and a half years.

"I think that anybody who looked at the situation the morning after the 9/11 attacks would never have bet that we would be able to go this long without another attack," Cheney recently said in an interview with ABC News.

"We've been able to defeat or disrupt all further attempts to attack our homeland. It's enormously important, and I think those programs are crucial,' he added.

A force of change

By all accounts, Cheney possesses a bright intellect. He also possesses skills that set him apart from previous vice presidents, and likely helped him earn the reputation as the most powerful No. 2 in history.

Having served as a White House chief of staff, a congressman and secretary of defense, Cheney had a keen understanding of how Washington worked and how to get things done.

He also used his deep Beltway connections, and his "understanding" with Bush, to connect his office to the office of president and other important agencies, making himself a major player in big decisions, according to published accounts.

Leaks from the White House during the first term painted Cheney as a powerful influence on Bush's decision making. But details about what the vice president was up to were hard to glean. Secrecy became a trademark.

Cheney's reticence came into focus when he prepared his energy plan in secret and then fought hard to keep the information from public view.

Cheney's connections to Halliburton, which stood to make money in wartime, and his hawkish views on foreign policy provided other easy targets for critics.

In the buildup to the Iraq War, Cheney took a lead role in asserting Al-Qaeda's connection to, and weapons of mass destruction in, Iraq. He remained steadfast in his support for the war even when both proved basically untrue.

Cheney also became embroiled in a high-level scandal involving his former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who, in 2007, was convicted for perjury and obstruction of justice related to the leak of the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame. Cheney was never officially linked to the debacle.

Cheney was also noted for his health problems. He suffered a series of heart attacks, the first at age 37, and endured numerous other surgeries and health scares related to cardiovascular disease.

He also took heat for his party's position on same-sex marriage, given his own daughter's lesbianism and long-term relationship with another woman.

History will show

While President Bush in recent press interviews has admitted some regrets about his time in office, Cheney has remained steadfast about the decisions the administration made.

In his defense, Cheney cited former President Gerald Ford, who was "universally condemned" for pardoning President Richard Nixon, but was ultimately praised for his decision.

Ford "made a very, very tough decision when he decided to pardon Nixon, something that was extremely unpopular, universally condemned," Cheney told the Star-Tribune. "But 30 years later, he was praised as having done the right thing.

"So I think you need to have that kind of approach to it rather than watch the polls on any given day."

Cheney's national reputation has been tumultuous, but he remains popular in Wyoming.

In 2007, Cheney's national approval rating was around 30 percent. But a Star-Tribune poll at about the same time showed 53 percent of registered Wyoming voters regarded Cheney's performance as either "excellent" or "good."

Cheney's national poll numbers probably contributed to his low profile during the 2008 political campaign season. One of the few places he did take the stump was Wyoming, where he promoted the three Republicans running for congress.

Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal, in an interview this fall on NBC's "Meet the Press," said Cheney's standing in Wyoming has dropped somewhat, but he will ultimately be remembered with pride.

'I think his standing here has declined like it has elsewhere, but he's still a native son,' Freudenthal said.

Love-hate relationship

Wyoming residents are deeply divided over Cheney's legacy.

Chuck Teske, a Republican who lives in Teton County, said people in Jackson, where the vice president has a home, tend to either love Cheney or hate him.

"The Republicans are kind of honored that he lives here, and that he's a Republican and the vice president," Teske said. "Some of the more liberal people hate his guts."

Personally, Teske said, he has always been impressed with Cheney for his ability to serve as a high-level political figure and as a successful leader in the commercial world while at Halliburton.

"My hat's off to anybody who can do that,' said Teske, a retired Ford employee.

Betty Christy, a retired coal miner who lives in Diamondville, said she liked Cheney as Wyoming's congressman, even if he was a "little too conservative" for her taste.

"But I had no idea that he was going to be such a terrible embarrassment to the country," said Christy, a political independent. "He put Wyoming on the map, and not in a good way."

'Whipping boy'

Cheney's friends in Wyoming remain deeply loyal.

Alan Simpson, the former Republican U.S. senator from Cody, said he has been personally dismayed to see Cheney transformed from the "toast of the town" after the first Gulf War to a "whipping boy."

Simpson largely blames the news media for Cheney's tarnished reputation.

"That is very sad for those of us who know him as a bright, thoughtful, wonderful man," Simpson said.

Simpson, who has had his own turbulent relationship with news media, said Cheney never had much patience for ill-prepared reporters, or those who employed trickery in their interviews. So he simply didn't talk much.

After the 9/11 attacks, when Cheney went into hiding, Simpson said, reporters loved to employ inflammatory phrases like "undisclosed location."

They called him Darth Vader for his comment about the "dark side" of the battle against terrorists, and took him to task on issues including torture and domestic wire tapping.

When Cheney accidentally shot 78-year-old Texas lawyer Harry Whittington while hunting in 2006, the "news media just couldn't have enough fun," Simpson said.

"Then they just ganged up on him," he added. "There wasn't anything he could do right."

State Treasurer Joe Meyer, one of Cheney's oldest friends in Wyoming, said Cheney has served an extraordinary career, and that the state and the nation have been "fortunate to have him."

On Cheney's flagging reputation, Meyer said his friend is simply taking heat for tough decisions that had to be made.

"Dick, I think, has turned out to be the resident spear catcher," Meyer said.

State Rep. Kermit Brown, R-Laramie, an old friend of both Dick and Lynne Cheney, said that despite the accusations that have been made, and the rocks that have been thrown, Cheney is basically the same guy he was before he went to the White House.

"I don't think he changed, as much as the country changed," Brown said. "I don' think he's ever had anything but the welfare of the country in mind."

Stepping aside

Others in Wyoming offer pointed criticism of the vice president.

Warren Murphy, director of the Wyoming Association of Churches, said Cheney's "tremendous secrecy,' and the administration's unwillingness to listen to and consider alternate viewpoints, were a chief stumbling block for the Bush administration.

The results, Murphy said, were missed opportunities to elevate America's prestige and moral leadership in the world.

"He had such an opportunity to do some wonderful things for the country," Murphy said. "As history will show, I think, that was squandered."

Linda Burt, executive director of the ACLU in Wyoming, said Cheney's involvement in "some of the most egregious areas of Bush administration policy" such as torture, extraordinary rendition, Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib say a lot about his term in office.

Burt also said Cheney was a big player in the expansion of executive power and the building of an "imperial presidency," which has been bad for the country. She also blames the current economic crisis in large part on Bush administration policies.

"At this point in time, President Bush and Cheney are going down as the worst administration in modern times, and I think that's a huge statement," Burt said.

Cheney will return to Wyoming immediately after leaving office for a gathering of friends in Casper on Jan. 20. He's scheduled to visit the Wyoming Legislature on Jan. 21.

Cheney said he plans to keep his home in Jackson Hole, where he'll live about half the year. He also has a home on the East Coast, where his daughters and their families live.

Cheney said he's out of elected politics for good, though he'll help occasionally if he is needed. He's looking forward to his return to Wyoming.

'We've always considered Wyoming home. It's where we vote and pay taxes,' Cheney said. 'It's always been an important part of our lives. Now we'll have the opportunity to spend more time here.'

Contact capital bureau reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at jared.miller@trib.com.What Wyoming thinksDespite his low national approval ratings, Vice President Dick Cheney remains fairly popular among residents of his home state. Here's what a few Wyoming voters had to say about Cheney at the end of his political career:Walt Geis, Republican from Shoshoni; state brand inspector"That was the one real highlight with this administration was that Dick Cheney was a Wyoming boy. He's always seemed to make us proud. When he was secretary of defense for President Bush's dad, he made some tough decisions, and I was always very proud of his decisions in (Operation) Desert Storm… I think his service as vice president has been very good.'Jim Burnett, independent from Diamondville; works in the energy industry"I respect him in a lot of ways. When he was secretary of defense, he really did a good job. As the vice president, I haven't been real impressed with him, and

I think his legacy will go down with the Bush presidency as one of the worst in history.'Jean Vignaroli, Republican; rancher from Buffalo"When the president and he were elected I was thinking that was good, but as things kind of progressed, and we got into war and things, I'm not so sure. I'm still a Republican, but I kind of lost faith in Cheney's image and so forth."Betty Christy, Diamondville; independent; retired coal miner"I liked Cheney when he was our representative. I thought he was a little too conservative for my taste. But I had no idea that he was going to be such a terrible embarrassment to the country. He put Wyoming on the map not in a good way.'Lewis Newman, Casper Republican; retired"I think he's a war criminal. And I think [President] Bush is a war criminal. And I think they destroyed the United States and the whole world with what they're doing to our people. I think he's an evil man."Jacqueline Boice, homemaker and Republican; Cheyenne"I

don't know Dick very well. I know his wife better, and like her very well. What I've seen of him I like him, too."Kay Wilkinson, Mountain View Republican; retired"I always thought he was good in Wyoming, and think he's a smart man … I think that he has done fine in office. He's been behind the scenes, but he's given advice to the president, and think that most things he's done have been OK."Warren Jones, Thayne; engineer and Baptist pastor; tends to vote Republican"I think he has been an asset to America since 9/11, just in his approach to national defense and his strong stand on protecting America's freedom. He's been willing to marginalize himself within his own party because of his strong stand, but I think he was an asset to the president at a time when he was badly needed."Bryant Lewallen, Cheyenne Republican; works for Wyoming-Montana Safety Council"There are some things he's done in the past that I have disagreed with, but as a general rule he's been a

halfway decent vice president. We could have done worse. I think he has done a pretty good job on protecting the country."

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What Wyoming thinks

Despite his low national approval ratings, Vice President Dick Cheney remains fairly popular among residents of his home state. Here's what a few Wyoming voters had to say about Cheney at the end of his political career:

Walt Geis, Republican from Shoshoni; state brand inspector

"That was the one real highlight with this administration was that Dick Cheney was a Wyoming boy. He's always seemed to make us proud. When he was secretary of defense for President Bush's dad, he made some tough decisions, and I was always very proud of his decisions in (Operation) Desert Storm… I think his service as vice president has been very good.'

Jim Burnett, independent from Diamondville; works in the energy industry

"I respect him in a lot of ways. When he was secretary of defense, he really did a good job. As the vice president, I haven't been real impressed with him, and I think his legacy will go down with the Bush presidency as one of the worst in history.'

Jean Vignaroli, Republican; rancher from Buffalo

"When the president and he were elected I was thinking that was good, but as things kind of progressed, and we got into war and things, I'm not so sure. I'm still a Republican, but I kind of lost faith in Cheney's image and so forth."

Betty Christy, Diamondville; independent; retired coal miner

"I liked Cheney when he was our representative. I thought he was a little too conservative for my taste. But I had no idea that he was going to be such a terrible embarrassment to the country. He put Wyoming on the map not in a good way.'

Lewis Newman, Casper Republican; retired

"I think he's a war criminal. And I think [President] Bush is a war criminal. And I think they destroyed the United States and the whole world with what they're doing to our people. I think he's an evil man."

Jacqueline Boice, homemaker and Republican; Cheyenne

"I don't know Dick very well. I know his wife better, and like her very well. What I've seen of him I like him, too."

Kay Wilkinson, Mountain View Republican; retired

"I always thought he was good in Wyoming, and think he's a smart man … I think that he has done fine in office. He's been behind the scenes, but he's given advice to the president, and think that most things he's done have been OK."

Warren Jones, Thayne; engineer and Baptist pastor; tends to vote Republican

"I think he has been an asset to America since 9/11, just in his approach to national defense and his strong stand on protecting America's freedom. He's been willing to marginalize himself within his own party because of his strong stand, but I think he was an asset to the president at a time when he was badly needed."

Bryant Lewallen, Cheyenne Republican; works for Wyoming-Montana Safety Council

"There are some things he's done in the past that I have disagreed with, but as a general rule he's been a halfway decent vice president. We could have done worse. I think he has done a pretty good job on protecting the country."