One of the more striking exchanges in the vice presidential debate was this one about the power and the breadth of the office:
IFILL: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?
PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also.
IFILL: Vice President Cheney's interpretation of the vice presidency?
BIDEN: Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history. The idea he doesn't realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.
And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.
The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he's part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.
And this later from Palin:
PALIN: ...Of course, we know what a vice president does. And that's not only to preside over the Senate and will take that position very seriously also. I'm thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate and making sure that we are supportive of the president's policies and making sure too that our president understands what our strengths are.
Think Progress has the video, and in that post Matt Corley excerpted an interview Palin had today with Fox News, in which Palin again claimed the VP's office under McCain would "bleed" over into the "legislative or judicial branch."
Of course the only power imbued to the vice president's office is that of voting to break a tie vote in the Senate and to "preside" over the Senate. Cheney's attempt to redefine the office as a legislative one had more to do with his desire to evade subpoenas and laws regarding the responsiblity of the president's office to keep open records of its activities. Cheney used his office to create policy in secret. He was and is a dangerous man, and I hope we deal with him appropriately after the new president is ushered into office.
What's it mean? Does Palin not understand the Constitution? Is she claiming "flexibility" out of ignorance? And, if so, why did she mention it twice during the debate?
I don't think it was a mistake. Remember, most of her answers were scripted, and when she was faced with a topic she didn't know anything about, she read her script about topics that hadn't been brought up yet. That means this talk about the power of the VP office was meant to be said.
What's more likely is that this was an overt power grab by Palin and her handlers -- and one presumes the McCain camp -- a promise to her faithful that she would have a real policy-making role in a McCain adminstration. And that should scare everyone.
