<P> For much of its existence, the office of vice president was seen as little more than a minor position . John Adams, the first vice president, was the first of many frustrated by the "complete insignificance" of the office . To his wife Abigail Adams wrote, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man...or his imagination contrived or his imagination conceived; and as I can do neither good nor evil, I must be borne away by others and met the common fate ." John Nance Garner, who served as vice president from 1933 to 1941 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, claimed that the vice presidency "isn't worth a pitcher of warm piss ." Harry Truman, who also served as vice president under Roosevelt, said that the office was as "useful as a cow's fifth teat ." </P> <P> Thomas R. Marshall, the 28th vice president, lamented: "Once there were two brothers . One ran away to sea; the other was elected Vice President of the United States . And nothing was heard of either of them again ." His successor, Calvin Coolidge, was so obscure that Major League Baseball sent him free passes that misspelled his name, and a fire marshal failed to recognize him when Coolidge's Washington residence was evacuated . </P> <P> When the Whig Party asked Daniel Webster to run for the vice presidency on Zachary Taylor's ticket, he replied "I do not propose to be buried until I am really dead and in my coffin ." This was the second time Webster declined the office, which William Henry Harrison had first offered to him . Ironically, both of the presidents making the offer to Webster died in office, meaning the three - time presidential candidate could have become president if he had accepted either . Since presidents rarely died in office, however, the better preparation for the presidency was considered to be the office of Secretary of State, in which Webster served under Harrison, Tyler, and later, Taylor's successor, Fillmore . </P> <P> In the first 100 years of the United States no fewer than seven proposals to amend the constitution to abolish the office of Vice President were advanced in the United States Congress . The first such amendment was presented by Samuel W. Dana in 1800 and was defeated by a vote of 27 to 85 in the United States House of Representatives . A second proposed amendment, introduced by United States Senator James Hillhouse in 1808 was also defeated . During the late - 1860s and 1870s, five additional amendments were proposed . One supporter of the proposals, James Mitchell Ashley, opined that the office of Vice President was "superfluous" and dangerous . </P>

Why is the vice president the president of senate