Dick Cheney is pretty quiet these days, deferring to daughter Liz, who has been busy defending the Cheney/Bush presidency against charges that its deregulation zeal is among reasons why the Gulf is filling up with BP's oil.

It's time for the Big Guy to get back in the spotlight. A golden opportunity beckons for the Pride of Wyoming.

Cheney should saddle up and make a bid for Blackwater, the star of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The former VP had to be in-the-know about Blackwater's activities in Iraq. After all, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, the chief of staff to ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell, claims Cheney personally give orders to Joint Special Operations Command commanders, circumventing the levels of the chain of command.

New Yorker investigative reporter Sy Hersh said a special wing of the JSOC involved in assignations came under Cheney’s purview. After that responsibility, commanding Blackwater, now hiding out as XE Services, would be a snap for Cheney.

The former VP has the corporate experience to run Blackwater, savvy gleaned from running Halliburton, which rivaled Blackwater as a player in Iraq.

Avid hunter Cheney also knows guns. Blackwater's men have a lot of them.

As evidenced by his energy program, Cheney knows secrecy. Blackwater operates in the shadows, especially after the 2007 Baghdad massacre that led to the killing of 14 civilians in Baghdad. (A U.S. Judge in January dropped all charges against five Blackwater security guards fingered for the shootings.)

Cheney knows politics. Erick Prince, Blackwater founder, said yesterday in announcing the sale: "Performance doesn't matter in Washington, just politics." D.C. is Cheney's stage.

What are you waiting for, Dick? Restore Blackwater to its former glory.

Move No. 1: get rid of the nonsensical "Xe Services" moniker. There is a lot of brand equity in the name "Blackwater." That equity does not currently exist in Iraq, which still seethes over the killings. An unexpected charm offensive by Cheney would sweep Iraqi officials off their feet and move them to put Blackwater back on the beat.

Iraq is going to need U.S. security support for a long time. That need will intensify if President Obama sticks to his promise and pulls American troops from Iraq. The country will be a growth market for Blackwater with Cheney once again in charge of Iraq.

The circle will be complete.

(Image: NBC)