Speaking in Canada, former President George W. Bush said it’s ‘essential’ to support Barack Obama.

Bush declined to critique the Obama administration in Tuesday’s speech, saying the new president has enough critics and that he “deserves my silence.”

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has said that Obama’s decisions threatened America’s safety. Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has said he hoped Obama would fail.

“I love my country a lot more than I love politics,” Bush said. “I think it is essential that he be helped in office.”

Some commentators see this as a significant break between Bush and former VP Dick Cheney, who said yesterday that Obama’s policies are making America less safe. But Cheney always did play the attack dog role in the Bush administration, while Bush played the gracious self-deprecating diplomat. This is just more of the same dynamic.