What he did then: Vice President of the United States (first term)

What he does now: Vice President of the United States (second term)

Reported involvement: Like Rice, Cheney played a central role in the Bush administration's national security decision-making process. His counsel, David Addington, is also reputed to have coordinated legal analysis by the Justice Department and Defense Department that resulted in the now infamous torture memos.

Photograph of Dick Cheney by Brendan Smialowski/AFP.