Cheney backs president on amendment to ban same-sex unions
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Vice President Cheney: "I support the president."
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday he supports President Bush in his call for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages, but he failed to personally embrace the stance, one that differs from the position he took four years ago.
In a debate four years ago, Cheney -- whose daughter Mary is openly gay -- said he thought the matter ought to be left up to individual states, and he did not believe there ought to be a federal policy on same-sex marriage.
The issue rose to prominence last month, when Massachusetts' highest court said gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry in the state, and San Francisco's mayor ordered that City Hall officials begin issuing marriage licenses without regard to gender.
After those moves, Bush announced he would push for a constitutional amendment to halt such unions.
Asked in an interview with CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer whether he supports Bush's call for that move, Cheney said, "The president has made a decision, partly because of what has happened in Massachusetts and San Francisco -- that the administration will support a constitutional amendment. And that's his decision to make."
Asked again if he supports that decision, Cheney said, "I support the president."
Pressed, he added, "I never discuss the advice I provide him with anybody else. That's private. He makes the decisions, he sets policy for the administration, and I support him and the administration."
That response stirred the ire of John Aravosis, who two weeks ago created dearmary.com, a Web site that solicits letters to Mary Cheney and urges her to speak out on the issue.
"The man has a lesbian daughter, yet he wants to make gays and lesbians second-class citizens in the U.S. Constitution," Aravosis said.
He accused the younger Cheney of having used her lesbianism two and four years ago to woo gay support for the "compassionate conservatism" of Republican campaigns.
"Now that they're not so compassionate any more," Mary Cheney has dropped from public view, he said.
As a result, "We're publishing [the letters], because nobody can find her," said Aravosis, who added that the site has received 20,000 e-mails.
CNN was not able to reach Mary Cheney.
