Cheney on gay relationships: 'Freedom means freedom for everyone'

[Nambe]

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP)

Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, spoke supportively about gay relationships on Tuesday, saying "freedom means freedom for everyone."

At a campaign rally in this Mississippi River town, Cheney was asked about his stand on gay marriage -- an issue for which his boss, President Bush, has pushed for a constitutional amendment to ban such unions.

"Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue our family is very familiar with," Cheney said. "With the respect to the question of relationships, my general view is freedom means freedom for everyone ... People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to. ..
Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[Book Lover]

1. Talk is cheap, Dick

Show me your willingness to act. Then again, there probably isn't a hospital in the world that would keep your daughter away from her partner's bedside (that is, if the filthy rich even go to hospitals).

[JerseygirlCT]

2. So long as they don't try to get married! Or join the armed services! nt

[Lavender Brown]

3. Could've fooled me.

[terrya]

4. Except when it comes to getting legally married.

God, if anyone buys this stupid bullshit, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'm willing to sell.

[TaleWgnDg]

9. exactly!

it's called pandering to the American public, squeezing both sides of an issue in order to grab em all. Such friggin hypocrisy!

[TaleWgnDg]

5. what a complete ass . . . such a damn

hypocrite is Dick Cheney after joining GWBush's no gay marriage federal constitutional stupidity!! Cheney has the audacity to say what he said here? GEE-ZUZ! Do these Bushites have any moral compass at all?

=======================================
"Political candidates have a choice,
they can either pander to people's
fears in an effort to win or speak
the truth in order to lead."
- Arnie Arnesen, liberal radio talk
show host, Concord, New Hampshire,
on the web at http://www.arniearnesen.com
=======================================

[Domitan]

6. Prediction

Watch the likes of Rense, Texe Marrs, and Henry Makow declare this as one sign of the Illuminati coming out of the woodwork.

[catzies]

7. He admitted in public to having a gay daughter? News to me.

I just thought when he was out speechifying on the campaign trail, she "didn't exist." The heads of the Repugs' base simultaneously exploded. :wow:

[varun]

8. Did you have the same views about two years ago...

..when Sodomy laws still exited in 19 states?

Dubya supported Texas sodomy laws, and I think he still does. He never said anything about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the law.

He still thinks gay sex is criminal activity.

[TaleWgnDg]

14. lookit . . . tis all rather simple . . . Dick Cheney and others like him

would rather sacrifice their own daughter for a few votes. period.
On the other hand, I give kudos to Cheney's wife on this issue -- she has stood by her daughter and stated she is OPPOSED to the federal constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage (and other gay relationships).

[calico1]

10. What a big, fat hypocrite!

[Mara Steele]

11. I've been meaning to say, I love your signature message

Agree 100%... I ride whenever I can!!

Dick's still an asshole...

[Gregorian]

37. Me too. Love it! Bikes are great.

I'd say something like, what's Cheney talking about. Or what does he think he's doing- trying to get the gay vote? But these dipshits are so obvious, it's pathetic.

[TrogL]

12. Freedom is Slavery

[ronnykmarshall]

13. This is the first sign

that Dick will be dumped!

[Nay]

16. I agree...he's setting himself up to get dumped.

[hang a left]

18. In Mississippi for goodness sakes.

I could understand up north, but why here?

[MallRat]

20. Here's another sign.

Stories like this don't fall out of the sky for no good reason:

From last Sunday's Boston Globe-

For Powell, signs point to political revival
By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff | August 22, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Two months ago, it hardly seemed a secret that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell intended to retire. He was on the losing side in numerous tugs of war against hawks in the administration.

As the nation's chief diplomat when diplomacy was overshadowed by war, Powell struggled to persuade allies to join a conflict that he hoped to circumvent. His credibility was tarnished by inaccuracies in his speech to the United Nations laying out the case against Saddam Hussein -- a speech aides say he was reluctant to give.

(snip)

Now, some people close to Powell see signs of his revival, as the State Department asserts more control in Iraq and as the White House embraces a more multilateral foreign policy. And Powell, long the administration's misfit, may be willing to stay into a second term to help reshape President Bush's policies.

''It is my understanding that Powell has let it be known that if the president would ask him to stay on and if he's not going to be marginalized, he would look at that opportunity," said Patrick Cronin, a former senior State Department official.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2004/08/22/for_powell_signs_point_to_political_revival?mode=PF

[tedoll78]

15. Whoa..

this could seriously drive some fundie voters to stay at home.

I have.. an idea!

Can DU scrape-together some money and rent billboard space in a large swing state's fundie district? I'm talking about a district that went for Bush with >65%.
Then, we put a big picture of Cheney on the left side of the billboard. The "freedom for everyone" quote would go in the middle of the billboard. Then, opposite Cheney on the right side could be an innocent picture of two gay men simply holding hands while walking down the sidewalk.

This ad would rely on the fundie bigotry as a Bush weakness. There's nothing wrong with two "normal" men holding hands, but they'll see it as a threat to civilization itself, and Cheney as a willing accomplice. If we were to force the fundie voters to look at this every day on the way to work in the morning in, say, some Ohio county.. we could dampen turnout for Bush's base by as much as 1% - that could very well be the election-tipper right there!

Thoughts?

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

39. I like it

Talk about pissing his base off. So how much does a billboard cost these days anyway?

[David Zephyr]

17. Mary Cheney to Daddy Cheney:

MARY CHENEY: Dad, I know how ashamed you are of me being lesbian and I have kept my mouth shut for nearly four years to help you remain on George Bush' ticket. I have even worn the burqa that mom sewed up for me on the day you became Vice President, but...

DICK CHENEY: Good God, girl. Don't you know I'm busy. Why are you whining now?

MARY CHENEY: Dad, even the Bush twins are going to go to a gay wedding. Did you hear me? A GAY wedding. They are more open about the gay issue than you've allowed me to be. (Sobs)

DICK CHENEY: Well, now don't cry. It wasn't just you. The Republican Party had to have Bob Perry buy up all of your mother's printed novels about lesbianism to protect our family image. Suck it up.

MARY CHENEY: That's easy for you to say, dad. YOUR picture is not on milk bottles as "missing" on gay and lesbian websites. I am a joke within the homosexual community. I'm tired of being in hiding.

DICK CHENEY: What the hell do you think I've been doing for the last four years? Hiding...in undisclosed locations.

MARY CHENEY: Maybe I'll go to the gay wedding with the Bush twins. Yeah, I think I'll do that.

DICK CHENEY: Hello, Karl. We gotta problem.

[TaleWgnDg]

21. Mary is her own problem . . . she's been sucking

up to her family's position, overall. Mary got a job at Coors Brewing as an "outreach" to the gay community, all while the Coors family and Coors executives sucked up to extreme rightwing political causes including extreme rightwing social causes. This was happening as Mary was "outreaching" to the gay community! Talk about hypocrisy.

Again, the kid has not stepped out and claimed her own breath of fresh air, instead she stays behind her family's name. Can you imagine that she has not stood up to her father on such a pressing issue as civil rights in marriage? Working for his re-election on the back of these prohibitive social policies?

No. No pity for Mary.

[Zan_of_Texas]

32. Hilarious!

Hi, David, long time no see! :hi:

The word "gay" escaped the lips of Dick Cheney right about this time 4 years ago, and rarely since.

How can he say everyone should have freedom, AND it should be left to the states, AND he supports the president's position of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?

What, only three positions? Didn't he leave a few positions out?

AND gays should be burned at the stake
AND gays should have a constitutional amendment guaranteeing them equal rights
AND be paid reparations for centuries of discrimination
AND Pride Week should be a paid federal holiday.

Come on, Dick, don't you have an empire to bully?

Get outta here.

[David Zephyr]

33. Thanks.

Hi back at you, Zan_of_Texas! :hi:

Makes one wonder que pasa en Cheneylandia.

[Bluebear]

19. Nice, thanks for chiming in. Gays worldwide thank you, Mr. Cheney.

On second thought, go fuck yourself.

[tom_paine]

22. Well, THAT'S a Soviet-level lie, Ruthless Dick!

Not that it bothers them to tell any number of them.

HEY DICK! If that's your "general" view", what is your SPECIFIC view?

God, these LIARS can simply get away with saying ANY LIE, no matter how much it contradicts their previous positions.

And look at him slimily pulling his daughter into it! "Some of my best friends are gay!"

[Fleshdancer]

23. I'm glad to hear this

I'm still no fan of Cheney, but I can't criticize him on this issue, that's for sure. "People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationhip they want to"...He's absolutely right.

[Bluebear]

24. Yeah fine time to say it though

After Santorum and company trashed gays on the Senate floor.

[Fleshdancer]

30. Timing is everything. My guess is he's trying to appear moderate

before the election. I wish I could truly believe he said this for unpolitical reasons, but it's not realistic.

[NEOBuckeye]

38. Don't believe him. Dick Cheney has no integrity whatsoever.

That man will say anything just to hold onto power for another four years. But look at his track record over the past four. What has he actually done that suggests that he is for gay rights and equality?

Don't be fooled. Cheney is little more than a dirty thug who would promise you free health care, and then slit your throat while you were sleeping just so that he would never have to pay a dime out of pocket for you. If you buy his remarks here, then there's also a bridge I'd like to sell to you.

[CaTeacher]

25. I actually do

believe that he loves his daughter--and that his daughter loves him. Maybe that would help him to soften his stance somewhat over time?

I don't trust him--but he obviously has some feelings for Mary.

[Kikosexy2]

26. Can it ..

be that Jenna and Barbara fondle and kiss eachother every now and then??? Just a thought.

[TaleWgnDg]

28. ROFL . . .

[Catfight]

27. What credibility does this administration have left? NONE...who cares

what Mr. Go Fuck Yourself has to say anymore...it's falling on deaf ears. When the polls fall, they turn to bashing gays, women or starting another war, or raising oil prices, or smearing someone with impeccable character, they are just a bunch of low-lifes. They have lost the race, people are tired of this whole administration and we're ready to boot their asses OUT!

[Beetwasher]

29. Did The Base Just Get Heart Palpatations? Or Will Cheney Be Getting Them?

n/t

[Darranar]

31. Except for Iraqis, of course. n/t

[charlyvi]

34. This is a ploy

Pure and simple. Dick Cheney would NEVER say this in public if it didn't pass the Bushco* stamp of approval. They have done all they can to get their base out, now they're going after the moderates. They're using the same tricks at the RNC; most of the speakers will be moderate Republicans--in no way representative of the modern Repub party. This is a ploy--fatherhood means nothing to Cheney when it comes to getting votes. Don't fall for it.

[xfundy]

35. Dick Cheney! For that matter, dick Bush, too

Don't be fooled by ol' dick. This is a classic "good cop/bad cop" routine.

[mac56]

36. Any response to this from Freeperland?

nm