Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

August 28, 2005

Behind the Curtain

"Dick Cheney remains in the background most of the time, but his influence remains undiminished in the White House and on the Hill," NPR reports. "He not only influences policy but makes key decisions, and Cheney's shift on the wisdom of invading Iraq (reversing the stand he took during the Persian Gulf War of 1991) was crucial to the current war strategy."

However, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) doesn't agree. Newsday reports on a recent Rangel tirade against the vice president. "Sometimes I don't think Cheney is awake enough to know what's going on. He's a sick man, you know. He's got heart disease but the disease is not restricted to that part of his body. He grunts a lot so you never really know what he's thinking."

Meanwhile, Sportsbook.com notes bettors now think Cheney might run for president in 2008, despite previous denials. The odds started to change after journalist Bob Woodward made a similar prediction a few weeks ago.

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Taegan D. Goddard is the creator of Political Wire, a political column updated around the clock with the most interesting news, buzz and commentary.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

This is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect the views of any company, political campaign or advocacy group.

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