Posted on 05/02/2006 1:10:54 PM PDT by meandog
New York, N.Y. – In her new memoir, NOW IT'S MY TURN(Simon & Schuster/Threshold Editions, 2006), Mary Cheney writes that when she told her parents she was gay, the first words out of her father’s mouth “were exactly the ones that I wanted to hear: ‘You’re my daughter, and I love you, and I just want you to be happy.’”
VANITY FAIR editor Todd Purdum reports that Mary Cheney tells her story in a voice very much like her father’s, and that she came out to her parents when she was a junior in high school, on a day when, after breaking up with her first girlfriend, she skipped school, ran a red light, and crashed the family car. Cheney writes that her mother hugged her, but then burst into tears, worried that she would face a life of pain and prejudice.
When Purdum asks the vice president whether he thinks gay people are born that way, Cheney scrunches up his mouth, fixes him with a look that says “Nice try,” then says: “I’m not going to get into that. Those are deeply personal questions. You can ask.”
Mary Cheney tells Purdum that her father “has very little tolerance for bullshit, pardon my French.” She also says that one common reaction from people who have read the manuscript of her book is “‘Wow, you guys really have this close-knit, loving family,’ and it always strikes me as ‘Yeah, of course we do.’ It was very surprising to me that people would think we didn’t.”
When Purdum asks Cheney if he is fatalistic about his heart disease, Cheney says, “I am. I don’t even think about it most of the time. You do those things a prudent man would do, and I live with it.” Asked what he would have for breakfast at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn, his favorite pre-fishing spot in Wilson, Wyoming, Cheney responds without missing a beat: “I’d probably have two eggs over easy, sausage and hash browns,” then hastens to add that that is not his normal breakfast. “The day I go fishing, I get off my diet,” he says.” At a roundtable lunch with reporters a couple of years ago, two who were present tell Purdum that Cheney cut his buffalo steak in bite-size pieces the moment it arrived, then proceeded to salt each side of each piece.
Cheney tells Purdum that he has not changed over the years, but perhaps many of his contemporaries think he has “because of my associations over the years, or because I came across as a reasonable guy, people have one view of me that was not necessarily an accurate reflection of my philosophy or my view of the world.”
Purdum asks Cheney if, during his “darkest night,” he has even “a little doubt” about the administration’s course. “No,” he tells Purdum. “I think we’ve done what needed to be done.” Of the debate over whether or not the administration hyped the pre-war intelligence, Cheney says, “In the end, you can argue about the quality of the intelligence and so forth, but ... I look at that whole spectrum of possibilities and options, and I think we did the right thing.”
Cheney rejects the caricature of him as the power behind the throne, insisting, “I think we have created a system that works for this president and for me, in terms of my ability to be able to contribute and participate in the process.” When Purdum says that the cartoon characterization of him must not be accurate, Cheney says, “My image might be better out there, this caricature you talk about might be avoided, if I spent more time as a public figure trying to improve my image, but that’s not why I’m here.”
Purdum reports that Cheney travels with a chemical-biological suit at all times. When he gave his friend Robin West and his twin children a ride to the White House a couple of years ago, West commented on the fact that Cheney’s motorcade varied its daily path. “And he said, ‘Yeah, we take different routes so that “The Jackal” can’t get me,’” West tells Purdum. “And then there was this big duffel bag in the middle of the backseat, and I said, ‘What’s that? It’s not very roomy in here.’ And [Cheney] said, ‘No, because it’s a chemical-biological suit,’ and he looked at it and said, ‘Robin, there’s only one. You lose.’”
Purdum talks with former New York Times reporter and former executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, James Naughton, who asks of Cheney: “Does he acknowledge that he is not as pleasant as he used to be?” Naughton knew Cheney as a fellow prankster during the 1976 campaign, and all but sighs in search of an explanation as to why he is so different now. “I guess I would like to believe,” he says, “without any evidence to support it, that coming very close to death has somehow compelled him to act as though he only has so much breath and so much life, that he’s only got so much time to accomplish what he has to do. But the public figure is nothing like the private one that I remember.”
Gerald Ford tells Purdum: “He may have changed a bit, but that was required for the change of circumstances.” Ford, who will turn 93 in July, adds, “Times change, and people change as a result of that.”
“If you’re looking for a change from one point to another, being vice president is sui generis,” Lynne Cheney tells Purdum. “It’s not quite like any other job.”
The June issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands in New York and L.A. on May 3 and nationally on May 9.
There is no indication in this article that Dick Cheney celebrates his daughter's homosexuality. If he did, I would question his good judgment.
Although I am 100% he-man straight, I know -- in fact, I am very close friends -- with many gay people, both men and women. The response from their parents is as varied as humanity itself. The parents of a lesbian I know are well known in the community as radical leftist socialist pigs (Ok, so I added the "pig" part). When my friend came out to her parents, they stopped paying her college tuition and pretty much shunned her. On the other hand, when a gay friend came out to his parents -- who he calls "Archie and Edith Bunker" -- his father said something like "at least you're not a car thief, and I we won't have to worry about you knocking up the a neighbor." Yes, his parents were disappointed, but he kept they kept things in perspective.
The reason they think that is because the Holy Roller types won't shut up about it sometimes. In my opinion, the War on Terror takes precedence over gay culture, abortion etc.
I'm tired of that too. And the idiot phrase "It's Bush's fault". *rolling eyes*
Good for you! You are a great parent! I mean it. I have been beaten up many times on gay threads because I take the "gay" side of things. Thanks for speaking out!
Why? Because a gay interviewer brought up Mary Cheney in an interview during a discussion about whether homosexuality was 'selfish hedonism'?
All threads lead to immigration, through Terri Schiavo, over Elian, and, ultimately, to Southern secession and the evil Abraham Lincoln.
I don't know what you mean by "celebrate." The kid is what she is, vice president Cheney is what he is. In some very personal fashion they have to find some way to accomodate each other.
Ain't it a BEAR when there are more issues to life when just one interests you?
No. Because he turned his back on his own lesbian daughter. What kind of father does that?
Alan Keyes was right on...Cheney's daughter is a hedonist!!
I have the utmost respect for the VP. During the last Presidential election I was appalled at that lib website 'Dear Mary' that slammed Mary Cheney for sticking by her parents. IIRC her partner was on the stage at the convention when the Cheneys were up there waving. The libs and the lib press make me sick. Every parent has hopes, dreams and aspirations for each of their children. That being said, if you are a good person, you love the children you get. No matter what. (well, maybe not a serial killer)
Hey, as long as gays don't marry or flaunt their lifestyle in front of me, I don't care what they do. I wish they'd all vote Republican. Would save us from losing the House this year.
Knock knock.
"Who's there?"
"GOD"
"Really?"
"Yes" THWAP!!! "Don't speak for me again, Conservative Coulter fan. Now, go read the part of the Bible speaks of compassion."
You'd have to live in a cave to miss it.
I wish they'd all vote Republican.
They won't. Besides, they're 5% or less of the population according to census records.
Is it any wonder the Keyes continues to get fewer and fewer votes every time he runs?
He stomps on other peoples' kids in the same way he stomps on his own.
ping
I believe homosexuality is a sin, but in my book, someone who would disown a child for their homosexuality is a very small person indeed.
Alan's a friend of mine. I know his daughter and happened to be around him quite a bit in the time frame he's being once again attacked for.
He handled what could only be described as a very painful situation like a true Christian in every way. How would you like to have to deal with a child's tragedy in such a public way? Contrary to the press spin on the subject, he never 'disowned' her, or threw her out in the street.
One last thing: he never disrespected the vice-president or his daughter, no matter how much his enemies love to portray things that way. He simply gave an honest answer to a simple question.
It's amazing how high the price can be these days for simply telling the truth straight out without equivocation.
Liar.
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