Dick Cheney was the vice president of the United States under President George W. Bush. He had previously served as secretary of defense under President George H. W. Bush, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming, and as the White House chief of staff for President Gerald Ford.

In June 2009, Cheney signed a book deal with publisher Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, to publish a memoir about his life in politics. Cheney received $2 million for the book deal. The memoir is scheduled for a 2011 release.

On February 22, 2010, Cheney was hospitalized for chest pains at George Washington Hospital in Washington D.C., where authorities report he was "resting comfortably." The former vice president has had four heart attacks over the past 32 years.http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/22/vice-president-dick-cheney-hospitalized-chest-pains/

Cheney, a lifelong conservative, was a staunch supporter of the Vietnam War, but received deferments and never served in the military. He interned for Congressman William A. Steiger in 1969, and worked his way into the Office of Economic Opportunity, then run by White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld. When Rumsfeld became President Ford's Secretary of Defense, Cheney took over the Chief of Staff position.

Cheney entered Congress on January 3, 1979 and became the House Minority Whip in 1989. He held the position only briefly before being named as President Bush's Secretary of Defense, overseeing the invasion of Panama and the First Gulf War.

Cheney was one of the most powerful and controversial Vice Presidents in American history. As a neoconservative and member of the Project for the New American Century, he was among the architects and chief proponents of the Bush Doctrine for pre-emptive war and the resulting U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He was also instrumental in developing the Bush Administration's energy policy.

Cheney's office was suspected of playing a role in the outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA agent to the press, and his Chief of Staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was convicted of perjury in the case. Libby's sentenced was commuted by President Bush, but he was not pardoned.

Cheney has also been criticized for his sometimes secretive nature. Unlike most vice presidents, he has refused to allow inspection of his office's records and does not file reports with the National Archives and Records Administration. These and other incidents, including a hunting accident in which Cheney shot friend Harry Whittington with birdshot pellets, along with his sometimes pugnacious personality, have earned him a reputation as a villainous figure, sometimes referred to as "Darth" Cheney.

Cheney has stated that he feels his personality has been misinterpreted in the mainstream American media, and has instead described himself as "a warm, lovable sort."Politico.com: Cheney: I'm actually 'loveable' (January 7, 2009)

On November 18, 2008, it was announced that a Willacy County, Texas, grand jury had issued indictments against Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr, among others. The charges stem from reports of abuse at Willacy County prisons. Cheney has investments in the Vanguard Group, which is involved with the prison companies that run the detention centers at which the alleged abuse occurred.The Brownsville Herald: Vice President Cheney indicted... (November 18, 2008)

In an interview with ABC News in December of 2008, Cheney for the first time admitted that he supported and played an integral part in clearing the somewhat controversial interrogation methods used by the CIA on suspected terrorists. Cheney also stated that he believed that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should stay open indefinitely and that the U.S. had the "the right to capture the enemy and hold them till the end of the conflict."Los Angeles Times: Cheney was key in clearing CIA interrogation tactics (December 16, 2008)

After former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his support for Barack Obama, Cheney remarked that Powell had "abandoned" the Republican Party. He stated further that he would choose conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh over Powell.Bloomberg: Powell Takes on Cheney, Limbaugh... (May 24, 2009)

During a June 1, 2009, speech, Cheney remarked that there was no intelligence suggesting a connection between the Iraq War and the September 11th, 2001, terror attacks.Bloomberg.com: Cheney Says There Was No Iraq Link to 9/11 Terrorist Attacks (June 1, 2009) Cheney also said that while he supports gay marriage, he believes a decision on whether same sex couples can marry should be left to individual states, not the federal government.FOX News: Cheney: Gay Couples Should Be Able to Marry if States OK It (June 1, 2009)