I would a great deal rather be anything, say professor of history, than Vice-President.     —Theodore Roosevelt

The Vice-President. Next in line.  A heartbeat away from being leader of the free world.  But until relatively recently the VP had little to do.

As President of the Senate  the VP can vote, but only to break a tie. That has happened only 244 times in our nation’s history. Theodore Roosevelt admitted to sleeping through Senate sessions  and enrolled in law school while Vice President because of boredom.

Harry Truman said the Vice-President was “about as useful as a cow’s fifth teat.” John Nance Garner, a VP under the other Roosevelt, called the office “ a spare tire on the automobile of government.”

In keeping with tradition, TR gave his second in command, Charles Fairbanks of Indiana, little to do. In part, because of different political ideologies, but also due to Fairbanks’ downright aloofness. He could, at times, be so remote and reserved the press dubbed him “The Indiana Icicle.”

But perhaps TR knew what he was doing when it comes to letting the Vice-President represent the administration. Click this link from today’s  The Washington Post  and read how current Vice-President Joe Biden invokes and compares the legacy of TR to President Obama…sort of.