SHUT UP, DICK.

Few if any have more respect for former Vice President Dick Cheney than I do. I have always considered him one of the smartest folks in our government, and rarely have I disagreed with him on policy in any area. Dick’s been making the media rounds lately defending Bush administration policies, especially the “enhanced” interrogation techniques now so frequently in the news, and criticizing Obama’s national security policies. Mr. Cheney spent the vast majority of his life in public service, and he deserves our respect and appreciation for that. He also deserves to be heard from on occasion as an elder of the party, but it ends there. The party needs to look forward, not backward, and the more Dick sounds off, the less oxygen left in the room for whatever GOP leaders may emerge. No matter the issue, Cheney’s frequent appearances are counterproductive. It’s time to shut up and go fishing, Dick.

The party is in transition at this point and it’s time for the old guard to vacate the premises and allow the younger crowd to move in and take charge. Mr. Cheney had his time. He spent much of the last forty years in Washington in some of the highest positions in our government. He wielded power previously unknown to any Vice President, an office he held for eight years. The election has come and gone, the new administration has taken office, and it’s time for the party to regroup, find new leaders, and move forward. Mr. Cheney may well feel he needs to speak out on issues from time to time, and that’s normal. Having him as the lead spokesman for the GOP is another matter. Cheney appearing so often could make him the face of the party in the public mind, and that’s not a good thing. He can’t run and likely couldn't win. The party needs new leaders to step forward, whoever they may be. Several Republican governors come to mind, absent a real GOP leader in Congress. Cheney has been made into a big, scary bogeyman by the left and can’t effectively communicate the message of the party in a way that will facilitate a growth in membership or support new faces.

One should never interrupt an enemy who is in the process of committing suicide. Not that Mr. Obama is any sort of real enemy, but in a political sense. The President has the votes in Congress and probably has enough public support to pass whatever he has a mind to enact. It will be his budgets and his administration’s policies that will be guiding the nation. The accountability will be his alone. There will be a point at which the former President can no longer be effectually blamed for current woes. Those of us who know that the principles espoused by Reagan are guides for the party and for America’s future also know that Mr. Obama’s policies will fail. It’s like watching Jimmy Carter part two. Unfortunately those policies include national security, putting all of us at risk, a bitter reminder that elections do have consequences. Obama’s massive increase in the size and scope of the federal government and runaway spending will eventually result in increased inflation and unemployment. We’ve seen this show before. Mr. Obama came into office with a long leash from the public and the media, a leash those very same people will yank when the inevitable failures come. When that rubicon is crossed, the new leaders of the GOP must be present and familiar to the electorate. In the meantime, they have to be given the space to emerge and play the role of loyal opposition. Mr. Cheney’s criticisms are too early and too loud. He’s tamping down movement toward the future. The last election has to be considered at least a desire to move in a new direction, if not a complete repudiation of the last administration. Give the President the room he needs to make mistakes. Then the party can point them out and illustrate the differences. Cheney is interrupting what should be the normal flow of the political process.

Cheney’s also not the one who should be engaged with Colin Powell or anyone else over the future direction of the party. For that matter, Powell shouldn’t really be considered a Republican, given his endorsement of Obama last fall. It’s not clear to me why General Powell is considered such a sage. The future should be formed by those who will participate in it, not by those who have served their time already. Neither gentleman will be a major player three or four years hence. They’ve had their time in the sun, that time has passed, and they should ease gracefully into retirement.

The issue is not whether Cheney is right on policy or party issues. His time has passed. He is in effect haunting us like a ghost. He must be exorcised. The party needs a spokesman who can run and win. Cheney is not that person, and his presence retards the materialization of someone who can do the work. His service to our nation and the party has been more than admirable, but it cannot continue. Mr. Cheney should retire himself to Wyoming and take the grandkids fishing for a good, long while.