What Does The Veep Do?

Democrats and some in the media are having fun poking at comments Gov. Sarah Palin recently made during an interview with Lawrence Kudlow concerning the job of the vice president. Asked by Kudlow about her chances of being chosen by McCain, Palin responded:

“As for that V.P. talk all the time,” she told CNBC’s Larry Kudlow in late July, “I tell ya, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me: What is it exactly that the V.P. does every day?"

“I’m used to being very productive and working real hard and in administration,” she continued. “We want to make sure that the V.P. slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that were trying to accomplish up her for the rest of the us before I can even start addressing that question.”

“It’s a pretty big job, madam governor,” Kudlow told her.

“This is a pretty cool job here, too, though as governor of Alaska,” Palin responded.

While some are scoffing at Palin asking what exactly the vice president does, the question actually says a lot about how seriously she takes the proposition. Constitutionally, the vice president is assigned two constitutional duties: assume the duties of the president in the event of death or incapacity; and serve as president of the Senate, casting a vote only in cases of a tie. If the president chooses not to assign any additional responsibilities to the vice president, there is nothing the vice president can do but sit and stew. Until recently, vice presidents did very little beyond performing ceremonial responsibilities, such as attending funerals for the death of a foreign head of state. Palin's comments to Kudlow make clear she's not interested in a title. She expects to be an active partner in a McCain administration. You can bet she received that assurance before accepting McCain's offer of the vice presidency.