Cheney sits in his favorite chair, next to a bust of Abraham Lincoln who was assassinated in 1865.
With President Bush loafing at Camp David for the weekend, the vice president also took some time off to relax. Since the new administration took over he's been busy making the White House safer for the president. Putting plastic caps over electrical outlets, padding the corners of furniture and removing sharp objects has been tiring for Cheney but worth the effort.
"I just want to show I care for the health and safety of President Bush," he said at a luncheon on Saturday. "You know, in case anything 'crazy' happens." He also said he would probably spend the weekend in the Oval Office "thinking and dreaming about the future."
Cheney is certainly no stranger to the White House, having served as chief of staff for Gerald Ford and secretary of defense under George H.W. Bush during the Persian Gulf War. So how does he compare the two Georges?
"Well, George Sr. is a lot more wiley than his son," he laughed, "but little George has got his dark side too. I'm sure he'll get his pants bloodied with conspiracy during his share of this term."
But, Cheney is quick to point out, the current president isn't the mindless boob most people make him out to be.
"The president takes a bunch of crap because he can't string words together unless they're written down for him, and even then he has trouble. Well let me set the record straight: he's not completely stupid. On the contrary, he's just stupid enough."
