From deep in his lair private residence, former Vice President Dick Cheney has surfaced to endorse Meg Whitman for California Governor.  And he did it in the OC Register, giving the typical endorsement pablum:

Meg is a leader who will not shy away from confronting the public employee unions. She has put pension reform at the center of her agenda. She is a firm believer in the power of tax cuts to strengthen small businesses and create jobs. She knows that welfare must be a temporary hand-up and not a way of life. She is committed to local control of education, and she has a strong and practical approach to securing the border and addressing the problems associated with illegal immigration.

But Darth Cheney is never quite so simple, he’s going to make this endorsement something noteworthy.  How so? By making it about Whitman’s support for the Iraq War, which Poizner opposed in 2004.

While I am always mindful of President Reagan’s 11th Commandment, there are issues of judgment that voters should consider before they cast their ballots in the Republican primary. … But I have concerns about whether he truly adheres to the conservative principles of our party. … In 2004, during the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign, Mr. Poizner, who was then a candidate for the state Assembly, opposed the tax cuts that were the centerpiece of our economic recovery plan.

He also broke ranks with our party on national security and the “war on terror.” Mr. Poizner opposed the war in Iraq. To amplify his opposition to the national security policies of the Bush administration, he invited Richard Clarke to campaign for him in California.

I’m sure Cheney vetted this one with Whitman’s camp. That being said, this is one risky move for somebody who considers herself a lock for the GOP nomination.  Cheney is not popular in California.  The Iraq War is certainly not popular in California.

Credit where credit is due. Poizner did speak against the Iraq War in 2004. And he was right.  But, that won’t help in the GOP nomination battle royale.  This race is far from over folks.