QUICK! CHECK! Hell Must Be Freezing Over!

[furrbear]

Cheney Offers Support For Gay Marriage

Dick Cheney rarely takes a position that places him at a more progressive tilt than President Obama. But on Monday, the former vice president did just that, saying that he supports gay marriage as long as it is deemed legal by state and not federal government.

Speaking at the National Press Club for the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism awards, Cheney was asked about recent rulings and legislative action in Iowa and elsewhere that allowed for gay couples to legally wed.

"I think that freedom means freedom for everyone," replied the former V.P. "As many of you know, one of my daughters is gay and it is something we have lived with for a long time in our family. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish. Any kind of arrangement they wish. The question of whether or not there ought to be a federal statute to protect this, I don't support. I do believe that the historically the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level. It has always been a state issue and I think that is the way it ought to be handled, on a state-by-state basis. ... But I don't have any problem with that. People ought to get a shot at that."

Read the rest here ... and if you were ever planning on throwing snowballs in hell, today may just be your day!

The thought of actually applauding something said by Darth Cheney gives me a migraine. But, even a broken clock is right twice a day. This statement makes Cheney more progressive than Obama on marriage equality. If Cheney can support marriage equality, there's really no excuse for Obama and other leading Congressional Democrats.

Comments

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

I think it just goes to support the idea that people who actually know a gay person are far less likely to support discriminatory laws against them. Whatever else we might think about Dick Cheney - he obviously cares for his daughter and wants her to be happy. In that, he's doing better than a lot of people in terms of dealing with a gay child.

I suppose it goes to show that even the most vile individuals can have one small spot where they have a decent position or perspective.

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

You may wish to rethink the icon you used for posting this. If your intent is to show how much you welcome this Damascene conversion, it seems kind of strange to see it posted under an icon that’s disparaging Cheney.

It’s always a hell of a thing and worth rejoicing over when someone sees the light. :)

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

It's not the only Dick icon. It is the only Cheney.

I went ahead and swapped the icon.

[strongaxe.livejournal.com]

From this article, Cheney is opposed to allowing it at the federal level, but is fine with the states making their own decisions about it. As far as I know, isn't this also Obama's position as well?

[beartech420.livejournal.com]

Cheney's statement is bullshit! He had 8 years in office to at least take the bully pulpit of VP in supporting same-sex marriage.

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

Obama has expressly repudiated gay marriage. In his debate with McCain, he said he was opposed to gay marriage and believed marriage was between one man and one woman. Biden expressed the same sentiment (albeit with a lot of weasel words and doubletalk) in his debate with Palin; Palin scored a very credible hit on Biden by answering the same question with words to the effect of, “the Senator and I are in total agreement on this issue: marriage is between one man and one woman.”

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

You need to reread the Constitution.

Cheney served as the nation's Vice–President. That gives him the authority and the moral imperative to speak about what he believes is necessary at the federal level of government. However, the doctrine of Federalism means that the States hereby invite all federal officials to shut the fuck up about any and all matters which are up to the States. See, e.g., the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.

There was a capital case in Texas where an illegal Mexican immigrant was not informed of his right to a consular visit from Mexico. The international community — including the UN — demanded that President Bush commute the sentence. President Bush said, quite correctly, that it was an internal state matter: as President he would be happy to pass their concerns on to the Governor of Texas, but he was forbidden from becoming involved in state matters.

It was exactly the right approach to take, legally speaking.

[beartech420.livejournal.com]

Ok, he could have commented on the constitutional amendment for het marriage that the Republicans pushed thru during his 8 years.