Dick Cheney

Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009, Dick Cheney is considered the most influential vice president in American history. His career at the heart of national policy-making began in the 1970s. At age 34, he was Chief of Staff to President Gerald Ford, the youngest person ever to hold this position. In five terms as Wyoming's sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he became one of the body's leading experts on national security issues. He was Deputy Leader of the Republican minority when he was tapped by President George H.W. Bush to serve as Secretary of Defense. At the Pentagon, Cheney oversaw the post-Cold War restructuring of the nation's defenses, reoriented the military to regional rather than global conflicts, and carried out the successful campaign to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the 1990 Gulf War. After leaving government service in 1993, Cheney became CEO of of the construction and oil services company Halliburton. In 2000 he was selected by then-Governor George W. Bush of Texas his running mate on the Republican ticket. With a U.S. Senate equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, Cheney was often called on to cast the tie-breaking vote. Even more important was his role as an adviser on national security policy. He advocated a strenuous response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and was a major proponent of disarming Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. His defense of the Iraq invasion, after intelligence regarding Iraq's arsenal was discredited -- and his advocacy of enhanced interrogation of terror suspects -- made him a lightning rod for criticism of the administration, but not even his harshest critics ever questioned Mr. Cheney's abilities, or his dedication to public service. Over the years, he has surprised supporters and opponents alike with his independent and moderate views on domestic social issues such as gay marriage. Now retired from public life, he remains an influential voice on national security and defense policy. This podcast was recorded at the Academy's 1998 Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, while Mr. Cheney was serving as Chairman and CEO of Halliburton Company.