NYT editorial: Dick Cheney, Role Model; Palin "frighteningly wrong"

[DeepModem Mom]

Dick Cheney, Role Model
Published: October 3, 2008

In all the talk about the vice-presidential debate, there was an issue that did not get much attention but kept nagging at us: Sarah Palin’s description of the role and the responsibilities of the office for which she is running, vice president of the United States.

In Thursday night’s debate, Ms. Palin was asked about the vice president’s role in government. She said she agreed with Dick Cheney that “we have a lot of flexibility in there” under the Constitution. And she declared that she was “thankful that the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president also, if that vice president so chose to exert it.”

It is hard to tell from Ms. Palin’s remarks whether she understands how profoundly Dick Cheney has reshaped the vice presidency — as part of a larger drive to free the executive branch from all checks and balances. Nor did she seem to understand how much damage that has done to American democracy....

The Constitution does not state or imply any flexibility in the office of vice president. It gives the vice president no legislative responsibilities other than casting a tie-breaking vote in the Senate when needed and no executive powers at all. The vice president’s constitutional role is to be ready to serve if the president dies or becomes incapacitated.

Any president deserves a vice president who will be a sound adviser and trustworthy supporter. But the American people also deserve and need a vice president who understands and respects the balance of power — and the limits of his or her own power. That is fundamental to our democracy.

So far, Ms. Palin has it exactly, frighteningly wrong.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/opinion/04sat1.html?hp

[Tutonic]

1. Had to be her scariest statement of the debate. Whole discussion

about the vice presidency was very telling about this ego maniacal bat shit crazy lady. And the whole winking thing--does Alaska have a low count in women or something--that she really thinks that she is hot? All of the winking and voice theatrics were completely buffoonish. I'm gong to guess that even her Corporate handlers found her antics to be over the top. Unless barack Obama has Jimmy Hoffa's head stored in his freezer in Chicago, this lady has peaked politically and she will return to face charges in Trooper gate. Such a national disgrace. Osama bin Laden must be laughing in his watery grave!