Actually, Tom...
I think it's painfully obvious that Cheney and most other politicians could be making a lot more money if they never got into politics in the first place. So why are they there?
You should check out Cheney's biography. The fact is, he made a lot of money because he was in politics. The majority of his career he was either an elected office holder, or an appointee. His "distinguished career as a businessman" began after he left the first Bush Administration and cashed-in on his connections.
--Robert