The reporter is not reliable, and probably never heard the exchange between Ambassadore Keyes and the reporter that is quoted.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1204846/posts
We know that Ambassador Keyes never actually mentioned any names. He said that the gay lifestyle was one of selfish hedonism, and the reporter asked if that applied to Dick Cheney's daughter and he had to remain consistent. If he knew about his daughter at the time, how sad and how painful the interview's direction must have been. But, it doesn't matter who we're talking about, the truth is the truth.
(Obviously the earlier reporter did not know about the Keyes girl, or he would have asked about her.)
My own parents "disowned" me for a couple of weeks, beginning the morning I left their house - as an 18 year old high school senior - to be married to a boy of another denomination. Daddy was a pastor in a local church. They had two other teens. I know that they couldn't just give me all the support I wanted, then. (My in-laws did support us and I love them for it. But they weren't a preacher's family.)
As I said, in 2 weeks, we were talking, and by the end of the month, my husband and I were visiting both them and the church. They've grieved along with me and we've all forgiven each other. I'm married 31 years, now, and Larry is their favorite - and only son-in-law.
This family is bound to be in horrible pain. I'm praying for them and for the girl. I hope she falls in love with some wonderful man, by the grace of God.
Whether he mentioned the name or not is a distinction that makes no difference.
He could have said something like, "I don't think it's helpful to personalize the issue to try to embarrass or be critical of any particular individual, but I absolutely stand by my remarks."
Many people interpreted what he DID say as a cheap shot before the truth about his own family was revealed. Now it appears as though he was hiding his own situation while gratuitously agreeing to focus on someone else's daughter.
Some people think that's cool, I guess. I don't.
He had to remain consistent?
He had the PERFECT opportunity to NOT say a word, refuse to be baited by the reporter, and say something along the lines of "Well, I'm not going to be drawn into discussion individual people," or something like that.
But he didn't. He TOOK the opportunity to add to the trashing of Mary Cheney by saying "'Of course she is,' he replied. 'That goes by definition. Of course she is.'"
If he knew about his daughter at the time, how sad and how painful the interview's direction must have been.
Right; sad and painful for HIM, but that didn't stop HIM from saying something that must have been "sad and painful" for another family, right?
But, it doesn't matter who we're talking about, the truth is the truth
The truth is the truth; and the truth is that Alan Keyes knew on that day that his very own daughter was a lesbian and instead of shutting up, chose to trash another man's daughter without mentioning his own.