Vice President Dick Cheney
Vice President Dick Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 30, 1941. His parents then brought him to Casper, Wyoming where he lived most of his childhood and early life. Cheney attended the University of Wyoming and received a degree, a Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Arts. In 1969 he began to work as a public official when he worked under President Richard Nixon in the White House. His many positions served under President Nixon include the Council for the Cost of Living, the Office of Economic Opportunity, and many positions in the White House itself.
During this time period in 1964, Dick Cheney also married his high school sweetheart, Lynne Vincent. The couple has two daughters named Elizabeth and Marry.
When Richard Nixon got impeached and soon afterwards resigned from office, Dick Cheney wasn’t quite sure what he would do and if the presidency of Gerald Ford would want him back as a public official. Sure enough, under President Ford, Cheney served as a man on the transition team between the two presidents and bridging the gap in their different policies. One of Dick Cheney’s highest positions that he served on before being named to the position of Vice President was as the Deputy Assistant to the President under the Gerald Ford presidency. In November of 1975 Cheney was named as the special Assistant to the President and the White House Chief of Staff which is a very important and prestigious position to hold in the White House. On a daily basis he personally would brief the president on the day’s occurrences and any important events going on around the
When the Gerald Ford’s presidency ended, Cheney decided to return to his home state of Wyoming in 1977 and relax and spend time with his family. However that didn’t last long as his Republican party called upon him once again. This time the party wanted to serve as the Congressman for his home state of Wyoming in the House of Representatives in the United States Congress. He then proceeded to win election, and re-election five times. Altogether he served as the representative from 1979 to 1989. In 1987 he was elected to the position of Chairman of the Republican Conference and in 1988 the republicans named him as the Minority Whip to make sure those Congressmen in the Republican Party voted along party lines and that the Republican Party voted as a single block together.
As Congressman, Cheney opposed abortion and gun control and supported the idea of giving aid to rebels in Nicaragua to combat the Marxist forces. Cheney supported President Reagan’s program of the “Star Wars” and putting weapons in space. Cheney also dealt with the Iran-Contra scandal and served on the House Committee to investigate the smuggling of weapons to Iran
Under President George Bush senior’s presidency from 1989 to 1993, Cheney was asked by the President to serve as his secretary of Defense. Cheney was the leading man responsible for the military operations in Panama and Desert Storm which was the most famous military invasion under President Bush. On July 3, 1991 Cheney was honored by being given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2000, Dick Cheney ran on a Republican ticket as Vice President along with George Bush. It was fitting that he ran with George Bush’s son, the man whom he had helped when the father was president of the nation. The won the election and Cheney again served as Vice President when George W. Bush won re-election in November of 2004. Along the way Cheney has had some heart problems but he has persevered and is determined to serve out the rest of George W. Bush’s presidency.
