Childhood and Early Life

Robert "Dick" Cheney was born on January 30, 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Robert Herbert Cheney and Marjorie Lorraine Dickey. By his high school years the family had moved to Wyoming where Dick would spend most of his life. After high school he earned a B.A. and M.A in political science from the University of Wyoming.

Cheney in college

During college Mr. Cheney was given multiple draft deferments at a time when the Vietnam war was beginning to escalate. In 1964 he married his high school sweetheart Lynne Vincent with whom he has had two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary.

Early Political Career

In 1969, Mr. Cheney joined the staff of William A. Steiger as an intern, but quickly moved on and joined Donald Rumsfeld, who was the Director for the Office of Economic Opportunity. In 1971, Dick became an White House Assistant and by 1974 was Deputy Assistant to President Ford. Before the end of Ford's Administration, Cheney was the Chief of Staff and would be the campaign manager in Ford's failed presidential bid in 1976. It was during these years that a close relationship was built with Rumsfeld, the elder Bush and others who would serve as a valuable political network during both of the future Bush Administrations.

Congressional Achievements

Cheney won the sole seat in Wyoming for the House of Representatives in 1978, replacing the longtime Democrat Teno Roncalio by defeating Bill Bailey. Mr. Cheney would serve in the House until 1989, being reelected five times before becoming Secretary of Defense for George H.W. Bush. Rep. Cheney became a powerful member of Congress, becoming the House Minority Whip in 1988 after being the head of Republican Policy Committee from 1981-1987. During his time in the House, Cheney accumulated a very conservative voting record, voting against the creation of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday in 1979 and the creation of the Department of Education, citing the danger it posed to states' rights. Also, he voted against overturning President Reagan's veto of the bill placing economic sanctions on the apartheid regime in South Africa. Notably, he was on a board that investigated the Iran-Contra scandal that rocked the Reagan White House, but dissented from the majority finding which laid the blame on members of the Administration. He was also noted for his staunch protection of the coal and oil industries which are crucial to Wyoming's economy.

Secretary of Defense: Cold and Hot Wars

As Secretary of Defense, Cheney had to manage the acquisition and retirement many complex and expensive weapons systems at a time when the Cold War was winding down and defense budgets were as well. Although allowing some expensive items such as multi-billion dollar B-2 Stealth Bombers to be acquired, Secretary Cheney did cancel projects such as the Midgetman ICBM, saving billions. During his time in the Pentagon, he developed a close working relationship with Paul Wolfowitz who was then the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and selected Gen. Colin Powell to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in late 1989. Both of these men would be very important members of the younger Bush's Administration. Secretary Cheney was a key player in the Bush Administration's invasion of Panama in 1989.

In August 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and Cheney was integral to the formation of a Western response to that aggression. The strategy formulated by the Bush team was first of containment, which consisted of putting an initial military force in Saudi Arabia. Diplomacy and the building of a large international force followed and by January of 1991 the liberation of Kuwait was the goal. After Iraqi forces refused to withdraw, Operation Desert Storm began. Weeks of bombing were followed by an American led invasion of Kuwait in which the Iraqi army was practically destroyed. Once the liberation of Kuwait was over, however, Secretary Cheney cautioned against invading Iraq. The Persian Gulf War was hailed as a great success of the Bush defense and foreign policy team, but the effect was not enough for a second term. After George Bush was defeated by Bill Clinton in 1992, Cheney temporarily retired from public life and entered into business.

Halliburton and Think Tanks

For a brief time, Cheney was a member of the American Enterprise Insitute think tank but from 1995-2000 Cheney was involved with the energy company Halliburton as the CEO. During this time he also joined the ranks of the so called neo-conservative movement and helped found the Project for the New American Century which among other goals stated that Saddam Hussein had to be removed from power.

Back in the White House

Cheney was selected as George W. Bush's running mate in 2000 and after the controversial victory, became Vice-President in 2001. During the early part of George W. Bush's term the Vice President headed the Energy Task Force whose activities and documents have remained secret, which has angered many in the environmental movement. After 9/11, Cheney was one of the most hawkish members of the Administration, arguing strongly for an invasion of Iraq. Many have questioned the favorable contracts Halliburton received for the occupation of Iraq considering the Vice President's former relationship with the firm. Mr. Cheney has been an outspoken proponent of expanded Executive power, and has been adamant about the need for the United States to remain in Iraq and for the aggressive prosecution of war against terrorists worldwide. Many consider him to be the most powerful Vice President ever.