The Heart of the Bush Administration

Andrew Raff
March 06, 2001

Vice-President Dick Cheney was in the hospital, again, for a heart catheterization procedure yesterday. Let the speculation about the true state of Cheneys health resume. For instance, for an article in Salon.com today, Jake Tapper spoke with Dr. Douglas Zipes, president-elect of the American College of Cardiology. Tapper writes, "The issue involves the use of the word 'precautionary'; no doctor, Zipes explained, would use that term to describe an invasive surgical procedure employed to help prevent a heart attack in a patient." This is the second time since the election that Cheney has been hospitalized for a cardiac condition: on November 22, he suffered a "minor" heart attack.

In both cases, the Bush team has put significant spin on the story. In November, Bush told reporters that Cheney had not suffered a heart attack. It later was revealed that Cheney did have a mild heart attack. After two incidents in the last four months, it is not yet known exactly how serious Cheneys current condition is. Is this recent event just a small incident or is it indicative of a larger problem? The Bush White House has been very controlled in all of its communications. How much spin is being put on the Vice Presidents actual condition at this time?

As someone who has studied Russian history, I find the parallels to the Soviet system of succession are interesting. Brezhnev was dying for years, while the members of the Politboro actually ran the Union, only propping up Brezhnev to give an occasional speech or wave from Lenins mausoleum for a parade. Andropov and Chernenko, Brezhnevs two successors, both died within months after being picked to serve as the head of the CPSU. Again, more time passed while there was maneuvering behind the scenes for who actually had control, while each General Secretary served from hospital rooms.

Even more recently, for most of his second term, Boris Yeltsin was in various states of unhealthiness. After having bypass surgery early in his term, he then seemingly spent most of his time going into the hospital, returning to the Kremlin, firing a Prime Minister and then returning to the hospital before too long to repeat the cycle. All the while, his advisors fought amongst each other.

What is interesting about the Cheney situation, however, is the circumstances. Cheney is the vice-president, but it is widely theorized that he is the real power behind the Administration. While some of this has to do with President Bush being an intellectual lightweight, it has more to do with the Presidents dislike for details that leave him unwilling to deal with the day-to-day minutiae of actually doing the job of President of the US. It is perceived that of the long-time Bush family allies, Cheney was the choice to actually run the second Bush administration. Cheney is unquestionably the most influential vice-president yet, even moreso than Al Gore. Cheney successfully managed the Bush transition and is directing the Administrations legislative agenda. In the Congress, the Republican-led House has given Cheney an office on that side of the Capitol, in addition to the vice-presidents office on the Senate side, where he is the presiding officer.

So if Cheney is disabled, who fill the power vacuum and micro-manage the Bush White House? Will it be senior advisor Karl Rove? Chief of Staff Andy Card? White House Counselor Karen P. Hughes? Or will the President take a more active role in his own Administration? Will Cheney be forced to step down as Vice President in order to maintain his health? Fortunately for Russian studies majors, Kremlinology finally looks to be useful for US politics.