White House Delighted to Have Cheney as Foil

Talk of terrorism usually boosts Republicans and gives Democrats fits, but the White House is more than happy to face off with Dick Cheney on the issue, as Joe Biden did yesterday. Cheney is an appealing sparring partner, James Hohmann writes on Politico: one of the most unpopular members of the Bush administration, a polarizing figure who makes Obama look reasonable by comparison, and conservative enough that anyone who really likes him wouldn't vote for Obama anyway.

Besides, debating Cheney gives the White House a chance to tout its successes on terrorism—one of the few issues on which Obama's approval ratings remain strong, despite the general public perception that Republicans are stronger than Democrats on national security. It also allows the administration to "spend a news cycle (or two) not having to give detailed explanations on why they haven’t created more jobs, passed health care reform or tackled the deficit."
(More terrorism stories.)