JARED MILLER Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Sunday, December 28, 2008 12:00 am
In an interview with the Star-Tribune last week, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke about his future plans, why his term in office has been so controversial, and the role his office played in keeping the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park open in winter. Cheney spoke with the newspaper from his home in Teton County, where he was spending time with family.
What role did your office play in the Park Service's decision to keep the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park open in winter?
"We did work with the Park Service. My office was contacted by folks from Cody. I talked to (Republican state Rep.) Colin Simpson. I'm familiar generally with the importance of that east entrance to the folks in Cody, the business community there. I recommended that my staff work on trying to keep that entrance open.
"As vice president, I don't run anything. I'm not in charge of the Park Service, but I can make suggestions, and my staff is actively involved in a lot of those issues on my behalf."
What impact will the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress have on important Western issues like wolf management and natural resource development?
"I'd be reluctant to make predictions at this point. It will depend, of course, on who the people he has appointed perform and what kind of guidance and policy they get from the White House.
"I think it helps to have people from the West in some of those key jobs. I guess Sen. Ken Salazar from Colorado is going to take the interior (secretary) job. I think that's helpful to have somebody from Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West, in that post. Now, you know I'd rather have a conservative Republican, given my view of the world. But Democrats won the election, and they get to fill those posts, and we'll see how they do."
What do you say to Wyoming residents who remember you fondly as their congressman but disagree strongly with the policy you've helped craft as vice president?
"I think the facts are that we were faced with a unique set of circumstances in the aftermath of 9/11, and we had to make some very tough decisions that not everybody agreed with. But I think they were the right decisions, especially in terms of defending the homeland.
"We've now gone seven and a half years without another attack. To do that, we adopted policies, such as the Terrorist Surveillance Program that let us intercept the communications of Al-Qaeda terrorists talking to folks inside the U.S., the High Value Detainee Interrogation Program, the Patriot Act. These were all measures we took that we felt were essential to defeat Al-Qaeda, to head off the next attack, and to defend the nation. Not everybody agreed with them; some of them have been controversial.
"Our critics have accused us of various and sundry deeds connected with those programs. I don't think the criticism is warranted. 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. Doing that has obviously generated a lot of controversy, but it goes with the turf."
How do you explain your low approval rating?
"I don't have any idea. I don't follow the polls.
"My experience has been over the years that if you govern based upon poll numbers, upon trying to improve your overall poll ratings, people I've encountered who do that are people who won't make tough decisions. And the job the president has and those who advise him is to make those basic fundamental decisions for the nation that nobody else is authorized or able to make.
"First and foremost among those is to defend the nation. If you're going to follow the polls, you are going to change your policy every week when the poll comes out. Secondly, I think you're adversely affected by the fact that you can get just about any result you want out of a poll.
"My own experience has been, in the administrations I've served in, for example Gerald Ford, a man who made a very, very tough decision when he decided to pardon Nixon, something that was extremely unpopular, universally condemned, 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."
What is your assessment of Congresswoman-elect Cynthia Lummis, who in November won your old House seat, and the rest of Wyoming's delegation?
"I've watched Cynthia and known her for a long time, through her role in the Legislature and state government. I thought she would make a very able congresswoman, and I'm sure she will do an excellent job. I thought she ran a good campaign.
"She knows Wyoming. She's obviously spent a lot of time in public office in Cheyenne, as well as in the ranching business. She's known all over the state because of the time she spent as a statewide office holder. So she starts with an excellent base in terms of putting together a successful career in the House.
"I also know Mike Enzi and Senator Barrasso very, very well … I think they're very able and very talented folks who do a great job for the state. I think it's as strong a delegation as I can remember."
What are your future plans; how much time will you spend in Wyoming after you leave office?
"We'll be spending our time between here and northern Virginia. We've got a home here in Jackson where we plan to spend a lot more time here.
"We've got a home in northern Virginia, where all of our kids and grandkids are located now, and we'll spend time there as well. I'd say it's probably going to be a 50-50 proposition.
"We've always considered Wyoming home. It's where we vote and pay taxes … it's always been an important part of our lives. Now we'll have the opportunity to spend more time here."
Any future political plans?
"I've been involved now for a long time… I ended up spending most of my career in politics in government, and I've loved it. But I think there comes a time to step aside, and I've reached that point in my career. We've got a lot of new talent coming along, good people ready to take on major responsibilities, and that's all to the good.
"Some of us have had a shot at it as I have over the course of the last 40 years. I think it's time now for us to step aside and watch from the sidelines. If I can be helpful from time to time I will, but I have no desire whatsoever to get back into elected office."
Start the slideshow below for a look at the vice-president throughout his life and career.