Well before the election that elevated him to the second-highest office in the land, Joe Biden said he would be no Dick Cheney.

“Vice-President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice-president we’ve had probably in American history,” Mr Biden said in the TV debate with Sarah Palin, his Republican rival. His remark was a reference to Mr Cheney’s long quest to augment the power of the executive, particularly in areas such as the use of force, treatment of detainees and foreign policy.