Short and sweet. Here's my simple man reasoning. Cheney is a die hard Republican. Repulicans care about money more than anything, more than their children. Mafia dons care more about money than anything. Therefore, Cheney is trying to save his wealth with his current "We did not toruture, and even when we did it's ok because it might have worked" tour.
The strero typical Mafia don will sacrifice one of his children if that is what it takes to hold onto wealth. Both the stereotyped don and Mr. Cheney are obsessed with preserving wealth, so the fact that Cheney has his daughter out reinforcing his distractions and lies makes sense. Also, he knows that he has to do it (distract, attack, lie, lay down a smoke screen etc.) because his old boss is not upto the job. George Bush Jr. would blow it. That is one of the reasons we don't hear a peep from him. He would let loose with one of his "bring it on" miss speeks.
Disclaimer, I do not know, have never lived next door to a member of the mafia or a Vice President of the United Sates. I did get to know former President Ford a little, and he was one of the tightest tippers I ever got stiffed by.