9. Nelson Rockefeller Tore Down That Wall
Nelson Rockefeller, Ford’s VP, as his name suggests, was really, really rich. After a brief stint managing his family’s property and running oil companies, he turned to public service by taking a job in the State Department.
Rockefeller quickly gained a reputation as a rather strong-willed person. In 1933, he commissioned Mexican artist Diego Rivera to paint a large-scale mural in the lobby of the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center. The mural featured a likeness of Vladimir Lenin, and the overt reference to communism offended Rockefeller. He asked Rivera to change it to a face of an unknown man, and the artist refused. In response, Rockefeller had the whole mural torn down and carted out in pieces.
Rockefeller was equally dissatisfied with his gig as vice president. He refused to run with Ford on the Republican ticket in 1976.
10. Spiro Agnew, the Archie Bunker of the White House
Spiro Agnew, Nixon’s VP, who preferred to be called Ted, was a seemingly safe choice for Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1968—mainly because he faded easily into the background. But once in office, Agnew thrust himself into the limelight. By delivering a series of divisive speeches defending the Vietnam War and attacking peaceniks, Agnew became the crotchety Archie Bunker of the White House. He lambasted his enemies, peppering his rants with phrases such as “supercilious sophisticates,” “vicars of vacillation,” and “pusillanimous pussyfooting.”
Still, much of the country loved him, especially as he remained unsullied by the Watergate scandal. When word got out that the Justice Department was investigating him for extortion and bribery, Agnew vehemently denied the charges. In September of 1973, Agnew spoke at the National Federation of Republican Women in front of thousands of screaming fans, many bearing “Spiro is our Hero” signs. He swore to them, “I will not resign if indicted!”
Two weeks later, however, he did just that. Agnew agreed to a plea bargain that involved leaving his post as vice president and paying $150,000 in back taxes. A former lawyer, Agnew was disbarred and took up writing to pay off his debts. In 1976, he penned The Canfield Decision, a tale of a vice president who becomes involved with militant Zionists and is consumed by his own ambition. In 1980, he covered some of the same ground in his autobiography, Go Quietly … Or Else.
By Linda Rodriguez for Mental Floss Magazine
