Dick Cheney needs to follow the lead of the man who has just left the presidency — and keep his mouth shut.

Cheney popped off recently about President Obama’s efforts to start a dialogue with Iran and perhaps some other rogue nations. He called Obama’s effort naive and short-sighted and some other negative terms.

The former president, meanwhile, has shown the proper decorum. He hasn’t been critical of his successor. The 43rd president merely wished No. 44 well and declared that he is pulling for hm to succeed. Bush is following the lead of his father who, when he left office in January 1993, vowed never to criticize his successor, Bill Clinton. “I’ve had my time on the stage,” Bush 41 would say.

Former Vice President Cheney, doesn’t seem so inclined. He sounded off in a Politico.com interview. The effect well might be to undermine the new president and his administration’s efforts to make peace in this dangerous world.

Mr. Vice President, the new guys have enough on their plate without having to listen to cheap shots tossed at them from the peanut gallery.