"Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue our family is very ...

[Stephanie]

...familiar with."

Cheney says he, Bush, at odds over same-sex marriage
Wants issue left up to each state rather than a new amendment
By Todd Dvorak, Associated Press | August 25, 2004



DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, drew criticism from a foe of gay marriage yesterday after he distanced himself from President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

At a campaign rally in this Mississippi River town, Cheney spoke supportively about gay relationships when asked about his stand on gay marriage.

''Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue our family is very familiar with," Cheney told an audience that included his daughter.

''With 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.

<snip>

The Cheneys have two daughters, both of whom are working on the campaign. Mary Cheney is director of vice presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

She held a public role as her father's assistant in the 2000 campaign and helped the GOP recruit gay voters during the 2002 midterm elections.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2004/08/25/cheney_says_he_bush_at_odds_over_same_sex_marriage/

Mary Cheney is a public figure working publicly on gay issues as an out lesbian. Dick Cheney employs her to try to gain votes from the gay community for his campaign. He can't now claim that her privacy has been violated.

[HootieMcBoob]

1. Well that oughta end that

oughtent it?

[Stephanie]

6. One would think.

But then I've been surprised before.

[liberal N proud]

2. But we want to trounce on ever other family that has a gay

son or daughter.

[Lefta Dissenter]

3. nominated for homepage

and keep this kicked.

[cheezus]

5. likewise

:kick:

[booksenkatz]

4. Such a sour-faced couple. And look at the frightened faces in the crowd!

They know it's ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL OVER.
:evilgrin:

[northzax]

7. let's see

arch-conservative dick Cheney and Uber-Liberal John Kerry agree on an issue (leaving marriage to the several states) and George Bush doesn't. Who exactly is out of the mainstream, here?

[progressivebydesign]

8. And this...

from 2000: http://www.usatoday.com/news/conv/037.htm The USA Today article about the RNC embracing Cheney's "OPENLY" gay daughter.

THey're pissed because Kerry used the word "LESBIAN"!! That is why they're freaking.. Gay is almos acceptable to those right wingers.. but LESBIAN frightens them...

[Stephanie]

9. I guess she is "openly" gay only when it suits them

And they are definitely afraid of the word lesbian. From your link:

7/31/00 - Updated 05:44 PM ET
Republicans to face gay, lesbian issues
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

PHILADELPHIA — Gay Republican activists say Texas Gov. George W. Bush's outreach efforts and the prime-time convention speech of openly gay Arizona congressman Jim Kolbe could help the GOP alter its image as hostile to gay and lesbian voters.

Also, the party's expected embrace of former defense secretary Dick Cheney's openly lesbian daughter could help convince voters that Bush's "compassionate conservatism" is genuine.

The daughters of Bush's vice presidential pick arrived here with their parents Sunday. A close friend said that Mary Cheney, 31, will have a role beyond the convention and will be constantly at her father's side during campaign trips.

"It's a very positive thing for this country to see, for the first time in history, someone on a national ticket with an openly gay child," said Kevin Ivers, spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, a national organization of 11,000 gay voters that Bush met with during the primaries. "It shows that it's something they know very personally about. It's an issue they have a special sensitivity about."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/conv/037.htm

These stinking hypocrites.

[Catfight]

10. Mr. and Mrs. HIPPOcrite! THEY should be apologizing to every

gay person today. I want a goddam apology from Lynne Cheney! NO MORE standing on the backs of gay people for your political agenda. We are not going to take it any longer!

[Bugaboo]

11. Howabout no more standing on the back of their own daughter

that would satisfy me.

[Stephanie]

14. I feel so sorry for her.

They use her to pander to the gay community, then they are horrified when Kerry mentions her name.

[Nordic]

12. yuck, Dick looks like he's burping up his lunch in that photo

nasty

[Hubert Flottz]

13. Good DICK!

Maybe the Jib-Jab guys will make a cartoon about her!

[sandnsea]

15. She's free... that's why we hide her from public view

Assholes.

[Stephanie]

16. They wouldn't bring her onstage at the convention

They don't want Kerry to mention her in front of a TV audience. BUT they are happy to use her discreetly to try to gain gay votes.

SHAME on LYNNE & DICK

[Stephanie]

18. Salon article about how they hid Mary at the RNC

And how the Texas delegation bowed their heads in prayer to protest while an openly gay Rep. gave a speech on trade. :eyes:


http://dir.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/08/03/mary/index.html

[bush equals idiot]

17. Their hope to develop this into an inflammatory news story

is going to backfire big time on them. Not only has been made abundantly clear by the bald slug himself that his daughter is lesbian (by the way Cheney, that's the same as gay), it is going to unite the gay community to rally and demand to be heard that this is hypocritical at its highest possible level.

Then the media will have to report it as what it really is. And Kerry will benefit with most, if not the majority that he is a man, and a president who will show compassion to all.

Keep talking Lynne.

[sangh0]

19. Why are we talking about lesbians, when bush* said

he forgot that he said he had forgotten about OBL?

Whenever someone mentions something about a lesbian to you, start talking about how bush* forgot about how he forgot about OBL. Don't talk about Mary Cheney. There's no votes in that. Talk about how bush* denied that he said he didn't think about OBL very much.

[H2O Man]

23. In fact

the republicans were aware that if the focus in post-debate discussions was this huge Bush error, the election is over. And that's why they are trying to distract our attention. I agree that we are overlooking the single most important event in any of the debates. I hope MoveOn makes a commercial with the film clips.

[sangh0]

24. Kerry is NOT going to run an ad about the "Cheney is a Lesbian" issue

Kerry is running an ad with bush* making the OBL comment.

What do you think Kerry wants us to talk about?

Connect the dots.

[H2O Man]

25. Exactly.

Bush made more of an ass of himself than Ford did in 1976. The republican party does NOT want people to talk about the stupid thing he said. There are only two explanations for his saying that Kerry was exaggerating: {1} he is too stupid to remember exactly who Usama bin Laden is; or {2} he is a pathological liar. (It could be a combination.) But the public will not respect him any more than they did Ford or Danny Quayle for making such a blooper.

[Stephanie]

29. If they ever hear about it

That whoppper was discredited immediately after the debate, but is anyone talking about OBL today? Or is it Mary Mary Mary?

[H2O Man]

30. I think that you

are a respected voice on DU, Stephanie. And I think it is good that you addressed the Cheney family issue here. I think it would be great if you would also start a thread about the need for our side to refocus on Usama bin Laden and Bush's big blunder. (I tried last night on GD with a post "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize." No one responded. Perhaps you will do a better job than I.)

[betterdeadthanred]

26. That's the whole point!

If this is all they can focus on after last nights debates, their internal numbers must REALLY be bad!

[Love Bug]

20. Oh, I get it!

It's ok for the Cheneys to exploit their daughter's gayness for political purposes but it's not ok for Kerry to do so. Ok, it's clear to me now! Silly me!

[Stephanie]

21. That's exactly it.

Cheney's can exploit her sexual orientation, but Democrats are not allowed to mention it.

[snippy]

22. In 2002 she was an official republican lesbian.

In 2002, Mary Cheney served on the advisory board of the Republican Unity Coalition, a gay-straight alliance formed within the Republican party to help increase tolerance within the party for gays and lesbians, and others.

http://www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=2431&issue=851

And doesn't she now work for the Bush Cheney 2004 campaign?

And before that didn't she work for the White House?

And before that didn't she work for the Bush Cheney 2000 campaign?

And before that didn't she work for Coors in a gay/lesbian liason position?

Mentioning her sexual orientation is not talking about her private life, it is talking about her professional life.

[Stephanie]

27. that's right

Mary Cheney is a professional lesbian. Her sexual identity is also a big component of her career.

[GOPNotForMe]

28. Jesus, ANOTHER Cheney Cameltoe!