JOE Biden calls Dick Cheney the “most dangerous” vice president in US history for how he expanded his powers and wants a lower-key role for himself as Barack Obama's No. 2 if they win next week. Biden, a veteran Delaware senator known for his foreign policy experience and congressional connections, says he is not looking for a special portfolio as vice president and sees his job as being Obama's trusted adviser if the Democrat beats Republican John McCain in the Nov. 4 presidential election. “Every major decision he'll be making, I'll be sitting in the room to give my best advice. He's president, not me,” Biden said in his sole debate with his Republican vice-presidential opponent, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history.” US vice presidents have two constitutional duties – act as back-up president and preside over the Senate, voting only to break a tie. Traditionally, their role has been limited. But Cheney has proven powerful, extending his influence into national security, energy and environmental policy. Known in Washington circles as Darth Vader, Cheney was a driving force behind the Iraq war and pushing the limits on the use of harsh interrogation methods on suspected militants. Before becoming vice president, he ran oilfield services company Halliburton Co, and under Republican President George W. Bush has been a strong voice for more oil exploration as a way to cut US dependence on foreign energy. Cheney steadfastly refused to comply with an executive order about safeguarding classified information, saying his office was part of the legislative branch, not the executive branch, due to his role as president of the Senate. Experts say Biden will not pack the kind of influence Cheney had with Bush, especially on energy and security. “I just don't think that is likely to happen again,” said Peter Beinart at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Cheney was just totally sui generis (unique), off the charts.” Biden spokesman David Wade said Obama did not choose a vice president to “farm out an issue here or an issue there.” Wade said Biden will be part of all major decisions as “a vice president who offers his honest, independent judgment.” Bush put Cheney in charge of the transition effort after the chaotic 2000 election, which was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court after a recount in Florida. “Cheney had tremendous influence because George Bush gave it to him. He desperately needed the advice from an old Washington hand. Cheney exploited that opening,” said Paul Light, an expert in the political appointment process. Cheney, defense secretary under Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, helped get old colleagues in top spots, including Donald Rumsfeld for a second term as defense chief. Mondale model? President Bill Clinton's vice president, Al Gore, had significant sway with his boss and was influential in pushing the administration to act militarily in Bosnia, for example. Several experts said Biden was more likely to model himself after Democrat Walter Mondale, who as President Jimmy Carter's No. 2 sought a role as confidential adviser. But this might be a hard one for Biden, who as Obama said last week is known for his “rhetorical flourish” and has made many gaffes in his lengthy political career. “They will have to be careful about Biden's penchant for talking himself into trouble,” said Light, a professor at New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. “It is not just long meetings but the press conferences and the off-the-cuff comments he makes. Obama will not want to find himself explaining (Biden's comments).” Biden and Obama have different temperaments, Beinart said, with the presidential pick cooler and more cautious and the running mate more emotional and passionate – making for an interesting dynamic in their Oval Office relationship. Biden, first elected to the Senate in 1972, is seen as most useful in dealing with Congress, where he has long friendships and greater political capital than Obama. But he will want to avoid being seen as interfering in the legislative branch. “He's probably got more friends among Senate Republicans than John McCain does and that's a huge plus for Barack Obama, who is committed to breaking the partisan roadblock of recent years,” said Biden spokesman Wade. “Unlike Dick Cheney, Joe Biden won't have to create a full employment plan for lawyers and scholars to clear up something that was unquestioned for about 200 years: the vice president is part of the executive branch, period.” Despite Biden professing that he does not want to take on any portfolios, several analysts said it was likely his foreign policy and judicial experience would be put to use. Presidential scholar Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution had some advice for Obama when allocating tasks to Biden: “Never give major public policy responsibility to someone you cannot fire.” – Reuters __
