Bush almost dumped “Darth Vader of administration” Cheney as running mate

WASHINGTON - Former US President George W Bush has revealed in his memoir “Decision Points” that he considered dumping Vice President Dick Cheney, who was considered as the “Darth Vader of the administration,” from his 2004 re-election to dispel the myths about Cheney’s power in the White House and “demonstrate that I was in charge.”

The idea reportedly had come from Cheney, who offered to drop out of the race during a private lunch between the duo in mid-2003.

“I did consider the offer,” Bush writes, and spent several weeks exploring the possibility of replacing Mr. Cheney with Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, before opting against the switch.

“While Dick helped with important parts of our base, he had become a lightning rod for criticism from the media and the left. He was seen as dark and heartless - the Darth Vader of the administration. The president resented the caricature that Mr. Cheney really controlled the White House. Accepting Dick’s offer would be one way to demonstrate that I was in charge,” the New York Times quoted his memoir, as saying.

However after pondering over the option to dump Cheney, whom he valued for his steadiness and considered him a good friend, he realised that Dick should stay, it added.

“The more I thought about it, the more strongly I felt Dick should stay. I hadn’t picked him to be a political asset; I had chosen him to help me do the job. That was exactly what he had done,” Bush wrote.

The book and the accompanying media tour will be Bush’s first major foray back into the public arena after nearly two years of public silence. With his successor, President Obama, now mired in his own troubles and facing voter repudiation, Bush’s circle hopes the public will come to view the former president more sympathetically over time, the paper said. (ANI)