washington - on the mornings he is in charge , dick cheney wakes up at 6 , climbs into his black vinyl utility suv and directs himself to a starbucks behind his va , va . , studio . he returns with a couple of grande mozzarella lattes — decaf for him , regular for his wife , lynne — and settles into work in the sun - darkened classroom above his yard , penning his memoir in longhand on yellow legal pads . it is the kind of scene that americans have come to expect from their elder luminaries : a calm , unassuming end to personal life after giving up power . except , that is , for the quiet and unassuming part .
Dick Cheney is the former Vice President.