<![CDATA[John Nance Garner once observed -- from personal experience -- that the office of Vice President wasn't worth a "bucket of warm spit." (Reportedly, Garner used a different noun at the end of that quote.) That has changed somewhat in recent decades. It at least gets you a decent book contract, not to mention a nice pension and a few months of security protection, and the two may go together nicely for a promotional tour.]]>