British Expatriate Network

Just been watching a CNN item on Dick Cheney and it made me wonder what effect he could have on the US if he were to become President ( if Bush had an accident)

I suspect he already has enormous influence in the present administration, but if he were to become President the results could be scary.

This is his record when he represented Wyomin in Congress.

He opposed federal funding for abortions -- with no exceptions in the case of rape or incest.

He voted against the Equal Rights Amendment for women, along with 146 other members of Congress in 1983.

On Education, he consistently opposed funding of Head Start and voted against creating the Department of Education.

Cheney was raised in Wyoming and opposes, as many Westerners do, gun control limits.

He was one of just 21 members of Congress, in December of 1985, to vote against a ban on armor piercing bullets -- called cop killer bullets.

Three years later he was one of only four members of the House voting against a ban on plastic guns that could slip through airport security machines undetected. The National Rifle Association did not oppose this ban.

Also in 1988, Cheney voted to scrap a proposed national seven-day waiting period on handgun purchases.

On the environment, Cheney opposed refunding the Clean Water Act. He voted to postpone sanctions slapped on air polluters that failed to meet pollution standards.

And he voted against legislation to require oil, chemical and other industries from making public records of emissions known to cause cancer, birth defects and other chronic diseases.

Dick Cheney consistently voted to raise military spending. He also supported aid to the Nicaraguan rebels, even after a moratorium on funding was passed.

During his 11 years in Congress, Cheney was moderate only in his personal style, getting along with Democrats and Republicans.

A lot of those things are very old votes, some over 22 years, and opinions can change with way the world and this country evovles.

Just because he could become president doesn't mean he will get all those laws in. They still have to be voted on.

Old they may be, but still ultra conservative and although he may have mellowed, I doubt his basic views have changed.

True but with such a strong Republican vote in Congress almost anything could happen.

Seeing as Kerry basically got hung out to dry for his voting record, Cheney's 22 years are fair game.

I don't think he needs to be President - his will be done, as VP.

Yes, In fairness, it's easy to look at a voting record and assume their stance from it. Like Kerry said in one of the debates, it's not always so black and white....these bills are very comlicated and there could be multiple sensible reasons why one wouldn't vote for them.

True, shame the Democrats didn't highlight this in the election - not to paint Cheney as a rightwinger (which would hardly do him harm) but to show how over a period in congress (or the Senate) members vote on a lot of things that later they might wish they hadn't.

Might have neutered some of the ludicrous Republican anti-Kerry ads.