Vice President Dick Cheney has long been a target of Democrats for his role in developing and implementing the Bush White House's anti-terror policies, and Democratic legislators soon may get a chance to hold his feet to the fire over a secret proposal for a CIA hit squad.

Some congressional analysts, however, warn that if Democrats try to put Cheney on the hot seat, they risk blowback because of Americans' apparent ambivalence about Cheney's take-no-prisoners approach to fighting terrorism.

If lawmakers are considering inviting or serving a subpoena to the former vice president to discuss his role in the program, they would be wise to note that Cheney's approval ratings rose this year after sparring publicly with the Obama administration over its national security policies. Cheney has argued the new administration's policies are making the country less safe.

At a hearing, Cheney could make it a "moot court on whether or not the Obama administration is seriously interested in preventing terrorist attacks."