Fascinating Washington Post piece which argues that Dick Cheney felt that President Bush went soft in his second term:

"In the second term, he felt Bush was moving away from him," said a
participant in the recent gathering, describing Cheney's reply. "He
said Bush was shackled by the public reaction and the criticism he
took. Bush was more malleable to that. The implication was that Bush
had gone soft on him, or rather Bush had hardened against Cheney's
advice. He'd showed an independence that Cheney didn't see coming. It
was clear that Cheney's doctrine was cast-iron strength at all times --
never apologize, never explain -- and Bush moved toward the
conciliatory."