"Now, Rand Paul and — by my standards, as I look at his — his philosophy, is basically an isolationist," Cheney told ABC News' Jonathan Karl this morning on "This Week." "That didn't work in the 1930s, it sure as heck won't work in the aftermath of 9/11, when 19 guys armed with airline tickets and box cutters came all the way from Afghanistan and killed 3,000 of our citizens."

Cheney said he believes its essential that the United States is involved in the Middle East.

"He [Paul] doesn't believe we ought to be involved in that part of the world," added Cheney. "I haven't picked a nominee yet. But one of the things that's right at the top of my list is whether or not the individual we nominate believes in a strong America, believes in a situation where the United States is able to provide the leadership in the world, basically, to maintain the peace and to take on the al Qaeda types wherever they show up."