Asked if she’s changed her feelings about the former vice president, Thomas wasted no time in making her opinion clear: “Hell, no. He really is Darth Vader. He was quiet when he started out, working for President Ford, but when he got to Congress, he voted six times against Head Start, [taking] the conservative position on everything. I think that was the real Cheney.”…

As for the new Obama administration, Thomas has toned down her opinion—at least for now. “I have to hold my judgment here,” she says. “I think he has to be very daring, [but] I think he plays it very safe, very cautious, which is probably smart, but I’m not sure he’s going to really be as bold as I want him to be. I want to see a real transformation—a caring for the people, not just giving a $700 billion bailout to Wall Street while Detroit suffers.”