Dick Cheney: Tea Party a 'Good Thing' for GOP

The tea party is a force for good in the Republican Party, says former Vice President Dick Cheney.

"I think they raised issues that an awful lot of Americans care about," he told NBC’s "Today" program.

"It’s an uprising, in part, and the good thing is it's taken place within the Republican Party. I don't see it as a negative. I think it's much better to have that kind of turmoil and change in the Republican Party than it would be to have it outside."

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Cheney doesn’t consider himself a tea partier.

"I’m not a card-carrying member — I don’t think there is a card — but I have respect for what the people are doing" he said.

"These are Americans. They're loyal, they're patriotic, they're taxpayers. And they're fed up with what they see happening in Washington. I think it's a normal, healthy reaction, and the fact that the party is having to adjust to it is positive."

Cheney also talked about daughter Liz, who's running for the Senate from Wyoming. She’s "partly motivated by the concern that Washington's not working, that the system is breaking down and that it's time for new leadership," he said.

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