[DB]

VPs have to follow the leaders lead. It is that or quit. I would expect that Cheney did a lot quietly behind the scenes keeping Bush's “compassionate conservatism” from going even further off the rails. I believe Rove was the “genius” behind compassionate conservatism. He thought he could buy votes from the Dems by being Democrat lite. It was a failure on all fronts.

[piasa]

In the end I don’t think Bush was listening to Rove, either. He acted more like he was listening to his dad.