Dick Cheney entered politics in Beginning as an intern for the Senate, Cheney quickly rose to power by first becoming an aide to the Wisconsin governor, then working for President Richard Nixon 's administration in He served as Gerald Ford 's chief of staff from to , then served six terms in Congress before being appointed secretary of defense by President George H. Bush in About 10 years later, he worked for another Bush administration, this time as vice president to President George W.

Cheney, often cited as the most powerful vice president in American history, [2] [3] ended his tenure as an unpopular figure in American politics. He began his political career as an intern for Congressman William A. Steiger , eventually working his way into the White House during the Nixon and Ford administrations. He served as White House chief of staff from to In , he was elected to the U. House of Representatives , and represented Wyoming's at-large congressional district from to , briefly serving as House minority whip in

When a prospective member of George W. Bush's cabinet drew up a list of reasons why he was not right for the job, the incoming vice president interjected: "I had a list just like yours, except I had three heart attacks on mine. Besides his heart problems, he had been out of elective politics for over a decade, resided in the same state as Bush, and matched his ideological leanings so closely that he provided little balance for the ticket. Cheney instead offered experience and gravity to an unseasoned presidential candidate.

He has been married to Lynne Cheney since August 29, They have two children. Sign In.