Cheney Says Does Not Back Federal Gay Marriage Ban
Tue Aug 24, 2004 05:16 PM ET
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DAVENPORT, Iowa (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Tuesday that he does not personally support a constitutional amendment against gay marriage but accepts President Bush's decision to pursue such a ban as administration policy.
Resorting to unusually expansive language to address an emotional campaign issue that has proved divisive for Republicans, Cheney said he believes individual states rather than the federal government should decide whether to sanction marriage between homosexuals.

"My general view is that freedom means freedom for everyone. People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want," Cheney, 63, said in response to a question at a campaign "town hall" meeting in Davenport, Iowa.

Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian and works for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said during the 2000 presidential race that be held homosexual marriage to be a state issue.

But he has been circumspect about gay marriage in the current election year, while Bush has appealed to social conservatives by backing congressional efforts to enact a constitutional ban.

"I made clear four years ago ... that my view was that's (probably) a matter for the states to decide," he added. "But the president makes basic policy for the administration. And he's made it clear that he does in fact support a constitutional amendment on this issue."

He suggested the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which recognizes heterosexual marriage for purposes of federal law, could help resolve the gay marriage issue.

The proposed ban, which won presidential backing after the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples have the right to marry, was ultimately defeated in the U.S. Senate when Republican lawmakers broke party ranks to join Democrats in opposing the measure.

Cheney's view that states should be the arbiters of the gay marriage issue mirrors the opinions of many Democrats

That's a big surprise isn't it? That Republicans are actually able to think for themselves and don't have the "group think" thang going. I realize that must be rather shocking to liberals and Democrats.

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Clintonite after Clintonite. My question is, "So when does this so-called CHANGE start?"

So Cheney is not a puppet. In my eyes that is a good thing.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

Of course not, Bush is.

If he did not have a gay daughter he'd blindly follow the party line like the rest of them. Just like Rush Limbaugh...It's not a good thing, it's pure hypocrisy.

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The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself. George W. Bush

I just thought it was an interesting article that others might enjoy (note the lack of commentary on my part), I liked Cheney's take on the subject (making this a state, rather then federal issue) and I was actually looking forward to others perspective on this possible solution to the Same Sex marriage debate.

But as usual certain individuals with Republican ideologies in this forum turns this into a liberal/Democratic, conspiracy, smear campaign - I'm noticing a trend here (talk about Groupthink...)

He contradicts himself:

If freedom means freedom for everyone, why does he still believe that the states can ban it (since it is a "matter for states to decide")? If freedom means freedom for everyone, then it should not be a "matter for states to decide," it should be a "a matter for a person to decide."

It is a shame. When I read the title of this thread, I thought someone in the administration was going to understand that civil rights are a good thing.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

This seems to conflict with that oft-stated myth.

Catz

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

I happen to agree with that 100%.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

Hope you weren't talking about me.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

No, not at all Stekim (I mean that sincerely). Your post at least addressed the topic

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Truth is by nature self-evident, as soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear. Gandhi