The Washington Post today has a piece on how Republican Party members are uncomfortable with Dick Cheney’s constant criticism of President Obama.

While many of the sources — most of whom preferred to be anonymous — say Cheney’s television appearances hurt their party, Mary Matalin, a Republican strategist who once worked as Cheney’s spokeswoman, came to the former vice president’s defense.

According to Matalin, it’s Obama who deserves the blame for Cheney’s outbursts:

If Barack Obama had come in and done what he said he was going to do and look at the stuff and see what is working, then Cheney would have continued to do what he was doing — working on memoirs, finishing his house. He’s got a good life. He’s got stuff going on. He doesn’t care about being on TV. There’s no more politics there. He’s not settling any scores. He just wants people to understand.

Another source, meanwhile, said that though Cheney may make valid points, he’s doing the Republican Party a huge disfavor: "Even if he’s right, he’s absolutely the wrong messenger … We want Bush to be a very distant memory in the next election. The more Cheney is on the front burner, the more difficult it’s going to be."

Read the entire piece over at The Washington Post.