Dick Cheney's predilection for taking swings at President Obama has lately taken a strange turn. While criticizing Obama's "dithering" on making a decision about Afghanistan, he also praises the president for continuing the war. So why, asks liberal journalist David Corn, is Dick Cheney helping Obama? He offers one answer:

By slamming Obama, Cheney may be hoping to boost his own standing among conservatives, even if these moves also help Obama. But since Cheney is not running for any office in the future, such a tactic would be particularly selfish. After all, the Cheney brand is a damaged one. He's not a product the Republican Party wants on the shelf.

So as White House aides figure out how to manage their feud with Fox News, they should have no mixed feelings about mixing it up with Cheney. Politicians are often defined by their enemies. And there's no better enemy for Obama and his crew than Dick Cheney. They ought to send him a thank-you card.

Is Cheney really inadvertently helping Obama?

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