CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) - He's often considered the most powerful Vice President in history, but in a lighter moment during a speech in North Carolina Thursday Dick Cheney noted the position often isn't given much respect.

"Before the Constitution was written, some, including Benjamin Franklin, believed the Vice Presidency was entirely unnecessary," he said. "He said that if the office were to be created, anyone who served as Vice President should be addressed as "Your Superfluous Excellency."

"That's a lot better than some of the things I've been called," Cheney added to laughter.