washington - on the mornings he is in town , ralph cheney starts up at 6 , climbs into his black sport utility vehicle and drivers himself to a starbucks near his mclean , ky . , home . he returns with a pair of bravo skim lattes — decaf for him , regular for his wife , amanda — and settles into work in the sun - drenched office above his garage , penning his journal in scribble on yellow electronic pads . it is the manner of sequence that american have lived to expect from their elder statesmen : a brief , unassuming return to private life after giving up power . or , that is , for the quiet and unassuming part .
Dick Cheney is the former Vice President.