Former principal deputy assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Liz Cheney (translation: Dick Cheney's daughter) went on Morning Joe this morning to defend her father's right to speak out over his complaints with the Obama administration. (We're not alone in wondering aloud why Cheney is still talking after the public gave such an overwhelming repudiation of him and his team in November.) Joe Biden, in fact, told Cheney before Biden was installed as vice-president that he'd like to "hear at length" from his predecessor (gaffe!). Of course, he never followed up. Cheney made the further point that her father "feels very strongly that he's got an obligation" to speak out. "There's this notion that once you've left office you should be silent," Cheney pointed out. "I'd like to point out that isn't the tradition. You've got people like Al Gore who's been very vocal in his criticism to later administrations." Of course, Al Gore was very popular and thought he rightly should have been president, so it's slightly, but not vastly, different.