Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that he supports same-sex unions and believes that the question should be left to the states — as opposed to a federal prohibition or constitutional amendment. Cheney, who has a lesbian daughter, insisted “I think, you know, freedom means freedom for everyone. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish.”
It now appears that Cheney is not opposed to civil rights or civil liberty arguments so long as it affects his immediate family. Just as it only takes a waterboarding experience to convince conservatives that it is torture, all it took for Cheney to recognize same-sex marriage is a daughter who is a lesbian.
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Cheney’s been saying the same thing since before the 2004 election.
See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29862-2004Aug24.html
My Bad, Mike. Your author is correct. I’m mixing it up with the book about god, sorry! He does have quite the weltenschung!
Hi, Jill. I’ve been reading a book called “Angler” by Barton Gellman, but haven’t finished it yet because I’m constantly reading half a dozen books simultaneously. Is that the same book you’re talking about? Maybe I’m confused. Cheney sees enemies everywhere. He’s the most paranoid politician since Richard Nixon.
Ken,
I agree and disagree. I think you’re right that this is Cheney’s real view and has been for some time. He also made remarks that support this as you pointed out. On the other hand, he did not speak forthrightly in favor of lesbian and gay rights in many forums that would have helped advance equality based on sexual orientation. He hid his views and allowed hate to be spoken by those around him. His failure to speak up about the harm his party and closest associates were doing to others seems typical of Cheney to me.
Mike A.,
Did you ever read the Kellor book, “Angler”? Cheney took a great interest in some parts of domestic policy, ie: banking/economic policy. Everything we see crashing down around us in financial and economic policy had his hand in it. It’s really very interesting/scary. He made certain to put his people at least in the first 3 layers of the bureaucracy, not just in defense and “homeland security” but anywhere real power lies, that of course includes the economy.
Kent, you’re probably right. I believe Mr. Cheney had no real interest in domestic policy and was content to follow the party line in that regard, as long as he was able to dictate and implement foreign policy.
I hate to defend Cheney, but I’m pretty sure that this has been his point of view all along. During the previous administration, his statements on marriage equality pretty much amounted to “the president determines the policy for the administration.” Meanwhile his wife was much more openly supportive of LGB rights (not so sure about the T).
None of this excuses the Cheney’s decision to associate themselves with a bigoted organization whose primary goal seems to be marginalizing and discriminating against American citizens. I’m looking at you GOP!
Wow, Dick Cheney couldn’t backtrack faster if he were on roller skates. Why? In attempting to understand Mr. Cheney’s fevered rush to revisionism, it is probably safe to look to that most common motivator of human actions and one with which he has been familiar since his early years as an expert on draft deferment law: fear.
Anon:
Lee Atwater was a neocon, so was GHWB. Reagan should have chosen Jack Kemp as his running mate instead of Idiot I.
Had he done so it is a good bet that we would not have had Gulf War I or Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L) or Idiot II.
But as far as meanness, the democrats can handle themselves and are certainly not angels or choirboys.