It's a remarkable thing for a sitting vice president to disagree publicly with the president he serves. It's all the more remarkable when that happens in a presidential election year - and on an issue of fundamental importance.
Dick Cheney recently announced that, in contrast to George Bush, he does not support a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. At a campaign event in Davenport, Iowa, on August 24, an audience member asked Cheney this question: "I need to know, Sir, from your heart - I don't want to know what your advisers think or even your top adviser - what do you think about homosexual marriages?"
Here's Cheney's response, with my comments following parts of his reply.
"Well, the question has come up in the past with respect to the question of gay marriage. Lynne and I have a gay daughter so it's an issue that our family is very familiar with."
Never before had Cheney publicly acknowledged that one of his daughters, Mary, is gay. Her sexual orientation had briefly come to the fore during the 2000 presidential election. But back then the Cheneys took a "no comment" approach, with Cheney's wife, Lynne, telling a reporter that her daughter had never declared "such a thing."
With this recent comment, Cheney is saying three important things:
- First, he acknowledges that "gay" people exist. While that may seem obvious to most of us, many religious conservatives deny there is a homosexual orientation. For them, homosexuals are just heterosexuals doing wicked things.
- Second, Cheney's frank talk is an assertion that having a gay person in one's family is nothing to be ashamed of.
- Third, it's obvious Mary Cheney's homosexuality has influenced her very conservative family's views on gay-rights issues. Even the issue of gay marriage has been seriously discussed in the Cheney family.
Earlier this year, when President Bush endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment, critics faulted Mary Cheney for quietly acquiescing in such anti-gay policy. It's clear now that she has not been quiet; she has been sticking up for gay rights in her own way. Moreover, she's having an effect on her father.
"We have two daughters and we have enormous pride in both of them, they're both fine young women and they do a superb job, frankly, of supporting us, and we were blessed with both our daughters."
Here Cheney is telling religious conservatives that there's nothing wrong with being gay. One can be gay and be a "fine young woman" at the same time. One can be gay and do a "superb job" of supporting one's family. One can have a gay daughter and count that fact as a "blessing." Again, none of this is revolutionary to most of us. But to many religious conservatives who form the base of the GOP, it is anathema.
"With respect to the question of [unintelligible word] relationships, my general view is that freedom means freedom for everybody. People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to."
Cheney's conservative credentials were burnished decades ago. He was one of the most conservative members of Congress during his ten years representing Wyoming in the House of Representatives. His voting record was uniformly anti-gay. For someone like him to declare, amid a national debate over gay marriage, that gay couples must be allowed to share in American liberties is a watershed.
"The question that comes up with respect to the issue of marriage is, what kind of official sanction or approval is going to be granted by government, if you will, to the particular relationship? Historically, that's been a relationship that's been handled by the states. States have made the basic fundamental decision what constitutes a marriage.... [T]hat's appropriately a matter for the states to decide and that's how it ought to best be handled."
It's clear Cheney is not prepared to say publicly whether he actually favors gay marriage. I'd bet that, in his heart of hearts, he supports it or at least doesn't strongly oppose it. He hasn't mouthed the Bush-Kerry-Edwards mantra that "marriage is between a man and a woman."
Cheney emphatically reaffirms the pro-federalism position on the issue. Some states may adopt gay marriage; others may reject it; and still others may opt for something in between, like domestic partnerships or civil unions. In Cheney's view, the whole issue is one for individual states to resolve. This federalism concern has been the basis for conservative opposition to the FMA. It was the winning argument when the Senate rejected the amendment in July.
"The president has, as a result of the decisions made in Massachusetts this year by judges, felt that he wanted to support a constitutional amendment to define at the federal level what constitutes marriage.... At this point my own preference is as I've stated, but the president makes basic policy for this administration...."
Cheney accomplishes two things here. First, he remains a loyal foot soldier for the administration by acknowledging that the president sets policy. Second, he subtly undermines the basis for the president's policy judgment. The president may fear that judicial activism is about to unleash gay matrimony on the country, justifying a federal amendment, but Cheney does not. He has listened carefully to the arguments for a constitutional amendment and soundly rejected them.
So:
- Gay is good.
- Freedom is for everybody.
- Don't mess with the Constitution.
Forget Bush and Kerry. Cheney for president, anyone?