WASHINGTON (CNN) – A day after former Vice President Dick Cheney repeated his support for the idea of same-sex marriage, Republican party chairman Michael Steele re-stated his opposition to the idea.
"My personal view is that marriage is between a man and a woman," Steele said Tuesday on CNN's American Morning, "very much in line with what the president [Barack Obama] has said."
"...The vice president brings a very personal perspective to this issue," he also said. "I think his comments are an appropriate reflection of his family and his situation with his daughter."
At an appearance at the National Press Club Monday, Cheney reiterated his long-standing position that individuals should be able to choose the type of relationship they wish to enter into. Citing his own family's experience with the issue, he said the question of same-sex marriage was best left to the states, not the federal government.
"I think freedom means freedom for everyone," Cheney said Monday, when asked whether some form of legalized same-sex marriage is inevitable in the United States. "As many of you know," told the audience, "one of my daughters is gay – something that we've lived 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."
Cheney also said Monday he did not think a federal law should govern the issue. Instead, he favors leaving the question of same-sex marriage to individual states. "That's the way it ought to be handled - on a state-by-state basis," he said. "Different states will make different decisions, but I don't have [a] problem with that."
Steele said Monday he also thought the battle would be worked out at the state level - that states will be the "ultimate arbiters" of what constitutes a legal marriage.
The RNC chairman also said Tuesday that Republicans should focus their scrutiny of Supreme Court nominee on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's extensive judicial record generated during nearly two decades on the federal bench.
"Her public comments are a little bit disconcerting, with respect to whether a Latina can make a better judgment than a white male,"
Steele told American Morning's Kiran Chetry. "She needs to explain that. And there's a lot of other things that she needs to go into some detail about and put in the proper context. We will be very vigorous in examining that."
Steele also slammed the Obama administration's extensive involvement with bankrupt automaker General Motors. "Government intrusion, to me, is just offensive to the market," Steele said.
From CNN Politics
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the republican party once again moves quickly to cull the herd of anyone with an original thought in there head.
Leaving it to states to decide is absolute lunacy. This country was founded on equal rights for all. Not equal rights for all except in states where the religious right has casts it's shadow of doom and gloom if gay marriages are allowed. It is either all or none. At this point it is just a matter of time until the constitutionality of gay marriage goes to the supreme court. The Federal courts will decide using the constitution and the bill of rights as it's guide. Not the bible and it's pathetic views that gay marriage is going to destroy the universe.
"I think his comments are an appropriate reflection of his family and his situation with his daughter."
Vice doesn't have a "situation" with his daughter. He has a daughter who happens to be a lesbian, and he wants to see her happy and afforded all the same rights he has. For once, and perhaps only once, I agree with the man.
I will continue to pray for this country, and the nuts and bolts that we have trying to get it together. May God guide us in the right direction.
I could give a rats As who you have in your bedroom. None of this is going to change me life.Get these gas prices under control. Get the The Hell with Steele /Cheney. Find Cheney a man, he needs something to do. Cheney is for what good for Cheney, he is the devil, with his twisted face, he is about the stupid face person I've seen.
Ride off into the sunset.......Idiot.
Shut up already
To the idiot who wrote:
Marriage can be only between a Man and Woman:
Marriage cannot be between:
1. Man and Man.
2. Woman and Woman.
3. Mother and Son.
4. Siblings
5. Father and Daughter.
6. Man/Woman and Dog or Horse or other animals or birds.
7. Man/Woman and a Car or a Truck or other Things.
8. Man/Woman and a Rock.
Really, now? Hmmm... and how do you suggest Adam and Eve's family was able to multiply if not for numbers 3, 4 and 5?
I know! Aliens!
See how illogical sticking to the Bible really is, since it can all be turned around and used against you? And you can't deny it! IT'S IN THE BIBLE!
Cheney only says this because his daughter is gay, otherwise he would have her water boarded. The man is the ultimate selfish republican who says everybody think like me or you are wrong. He is a coward, always is a state of fear and 5 deferments under his belt, no wonder. Most republicans hate anybody that is different or thinks different.
Many Southern States had laws that put Gays in Prison for no other reason than they were Gay until the Supreme Court declared those laws unconstitutional 4 years ago. Conservative Christian Fundamentalist supported these laws for over a hundred years. When the Kentucky Supreme Court declared Kentucky laws that put Gays in prison unconstitutional, under the Kentucky Constitution, in the 1990's, Conservative Kentucky Republicans denounced the Court decision and said that Gays should be in prison. Do Conservative Republicans still support state laws that put Gays in Prison?????? "Those who deny others their freedom, do not deserve freedom for themselves"– Abraham Lincoln and George W. Bush. If we put Gays in Prison, then what is next, divorced people, then unmarried couples, etc??????
Did you all notice that Cheney said this is something his family has "dealt with"? Hmmm.
Steele is a boob. He should get a life.*
I believe Dick Cheny is Gay...
When will we / they stop? Untill evthing is back in order! untill the people's money in the bank is safe!
yeah i said it Cnn
You stink
See there you go running off at the mouth again.
Boss Hog already told you to shut-up and do whatever you do in the background. Now, Boss Hog, Fig Newt and Darth Vader are going to have to put you in your place yet AGAIN and you are going to have to come out and apologize AGAIN.
For real Steele you are really annoying me because, I have to agree with Boss Hog, Fig Newt and Darth Vader on one thing Shut-up.
How easy for Cheney to support same-sex marriage because his daughter is gay. If she weren't, we all know he would be on the side of not supporting it. Too bad she didn't serve in the military, maybe he wouldn't have been so quick to send so many to Iraq to be killed.
I don't care what you do in your bedroom. Just don't push your agenda or lifestyle on my children.
As always with Cheney or any conservative Republican, if it affects them – it's good for America. If it doesn't – it's immoral. True conservatives would consider marriage an absolute issue of personal freedom. NeoCon's consider it in terms of how can I leverage to get the most votes.
Sexual preference as well as abortion are personal issues that have no place in politics. Those who have to continually bash Bush and Cheney no matter what they do or say................Grow up and learn to be objective instead of bash, bash, bash like you don't have a brain to think with.
Most of the people who are so against gay marriages don't have a close love one who is gay. When it hits home a lot of people change their minds.
Yea and if your daughter was straight you would then come against being gay. You are a yo-yo man!
Yet another who would deny the reality of nature. Humans are not the only creatures on the planet that behave in a gay way. If it is nature, then it cannot be "against God's will".
The religious extremists would lead you astray, again, against all rational thought.
This position is one issue where Cheney has it right. He has seen the personal side of it (due to his own daughter) and he understands where she is coming from.
I normally disagree strongly with Cheney, but not on this issue. Good for him to speak out on this issue.
Don't you just love it when the "family values" posse can't agree on anything these days??
At least they are more interesting than Jon and Kate Gosselin.
Geez, Republicans can't even agree with one another. Steele against
same-sex marriage, Cheney tacitly for them. Don't they talk to each other and get their stories straight?
I will bet Cheney has been a "closet" gay all his life..
Darth Vadik, CA
Your statement below. "COLORED" wow I thought folks stop using that word long time ago, but I guess I was wrong. To say something like that is in very poor taste. How would you like if someone said "honky man and honky woman".
I guess Steele supported the marriage when it said a marriage is between one white man and one white woman, or one colored man and one colored woman too.