Wow. Dick Cheney backs gay marriage.

[Nell]

WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday he supports gays being able to marry but believes states, not the federal government, should make the decision.

"I think, you know, freedom means freedom for everyone," Cheney said in a speech at the National Press Club. "I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish."

Cheney, who has a gay daughter, said marriage has always been a state issue.
"And I think that's the way it ought to be handled today, that is, on a state-by-state basis. Different states will make different decisions. But I don't have any problem with that. I think people ought to get a shot at that," he said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31066626/

[Angelinfl]

But then what happens when a couple married in a "legal state" move to a state where its not legal are they grandfatherer in and awarded the marriage benefits like insurace, inheritance, social security benefits?

[akika666]

he better back it, his daughter has been a gay activist/advocate for years. she and her partner have a toddler son whose last name is Cheney.

if he publicly spoke out against gay marriage, he would be achieving new levels of evil and scummyness.

[Peeperann]

Well, of course he does now. He's not in office anymore. He'll most likely die before he could ever even think about running for President. So why not change his stance now? He's got nothing to lose.

Fucker, he should have said these same words 9 years ago......

[Dakota Valkyrie]

This isn't anything new. I have never heard him express a different opinion. This is a great example of how closed minded people can be. Just because someone has a "conservative" label, people close their eyes and ears to what they say.

9 years ago, in the vice-presidential debate, Cheney said:

"We live in a free society and freedom means freedom for everybody . . . it's really no one else's business." He added, "I try to be open-minded about it as much as I can", and said he felt it was up to each state to decide how relationships were recognised.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000...usa.dickcheney

Both Barack Obama and Joe Biden personally oppose same sex marriage but support protections for those that do as "civil unions".
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/iss...xmarriage.html

[malq]

[QUOTE=Dakota Valkyrie;241904]This isn't anything new. I have never heard him express a different opinion. This is a great example of how closed minded people can be. Just because someone has a "conservative" label, people close their eyes and ears to what they say.


Thank You DV.
It is baffling how peoples perceptions become so focused on hating someone they throw in things that are untrue and relevant. It appears to me just because Bush and Cheney are NOW an unpopular ticket and traditionally the republican party would take a stand against an issue such as gay marriage, people assume that an individual in that party would follow the ideology to a tee. That is classic partisanship which has divided our country and created gridlock.

[akika666]

well, to be fair, Cheney WAS in office when the "federal marriage amendment" was introduced multiple times.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

well, to be fair, Cheney WAS in office when the "federal marriage amendment" was introduced multiple times.

Lots of people were in office at the time. Even Barak Obama believes it should be a state issue... not a federal.

[dougxthexwookie]

[akika666]

Lots of people were in office at the time. Even Barak Obama believes it should be a state issue... not a federal.

true, just pointing out that Cheney has not publicly taken any side until recently.

when the FMA was introduced repeatedly, not only was Cheney in office, he was vice president, which implies support of, or at least no major conflict with, the president's view. Bush's stance was ANTI ANTI ANTI. the Federal Marriage Amendment didn't give the issue to states, it sought to BAN marriage unless it's between a man and woman in the United States. since it's part of the the vice president's job to convey unity within the administration Cheney just kept his mouth shut and focused on pouring water up peoples noses.

some activists would say, "if you're not FOR us, you're AGAINST us." Cheney never before publicly claimed to be FOR same sx marriage, and didn't speak out against that amendment because it would've been foolhardy for the vice president in this administration to do so.

President George W. Bush expressed support for this amendment.[19] Vice President Dick Cheney neither endorsed nor condemned the FMA, arguing that same-s*x marriage is an issue for the states to decide.[20]

On January 25, 2005, according to the New York Times, Bush told a privately invited group of African-American community and religious leaders that he remained committed to amending the Constitution to "ban same-s3x marriage".[21]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriag...tion_Amendment

sorry, there's a filter here on my internet and i can't post the word "s*x" (among other things) lol

[Dakota Valkyrie]

true, just pointing out that Cheney has not publicly taken any side until recently.

The section I quoted was from 2000 VP debate. That is recently enough and public enough for me. He hadn't even been voted into office yet.

It is not unusual to see members of any party have differing opinions from each other or even the party. In the House voting in 2006:

Twenty-seven Republican Representatives opposed the FMA; thirty-four Democrats voted in favor of the FMA and one Independent voted against the FMA in the vote on July 18, 2006 in the House

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Marriage_Amendment

The federal government can not regulate "marriage" on a religious level. Currently, civil marriages are regulated on a state level and should remain that way.

[akika666]

i thought the quote you used was kind of a waffling way of saying nothing. but that could just be my interpretation. i do know that regardless of his other alleged flaws, banning gay marriage was never on his agenda.