Former VP Dick Cheney made news when he expressed support of gay marriage stating that gay couples should have "any kind of arrangement they wish." This position is at odds with that of most conservative Republicans, whose causes Cheney usually champions.
I wonder how long it will take for liberal pundits to ask if Cheney will be "thrown out of the GOP"? Obviously, he won't, and its because no one in the GOP expects absolute ideological purity from every single Republican on every issue of the day.
In fact, in the same remarks, Cheney noted his respect for Federalism regarding the issue saying:
"I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish," he said, adding that regulations on marriage have traditionally been handled at the state level rather than the federal level, and should remain in states' jurisdictions. "Different states will make different decisions and I don't have problem with that."
I bet some liberals may want to change their views on the issue just so they don't have to admit they agree with Cheney on something!
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2 comments:
Repoman:
A few thoughts at large:
The support of gay marriage is the conservative approach to the issue. The heavy hand oF government saying no to gays - BLOCKING THEIR PERSONAL WISHES is INTRUSIVIE GOVERMNEMT REGULATION OF PEOPLE'S FREE CHOICE.
A woman's freedom of choice over her body and reproductive properties is conservative. The government telling women what is O.K. to do with their own body is governnment interference of the highest order. "Conservatives" are complaining about the gov't running General Motors - but routinely argue that the government should determine the reproductive options of women.
All of which is to say that the GOP right wing needs to do some soul searching. Labels such as conservative and liberal, which you use, almost always in your politcial musings, are meaningnless. This is especially true if the definition of these terms is, as used by you, the generally percieved definition circa 1975-2000.
When George Bush turned his plane around to get Congress involved in the Terry Shiavo case - I railed against it as intrusive government interference. The "Conservatives" at the time applauded that action of massive government intervention. This "liberal" was seriously depressed by the government's interference in the personal lives of even a woman on her death bed. ( I still see the turning around of Air Force One as the symbolic beginning of the end of the Bush presidency.)
So many important issues : doctor assisted suicide, de-criminalization of drugs and many more. The GOP need to get a few things straight. Most Americans are in favor of gov't funded stem cell research. Most Americans would support doctor assisted suicide. They want these things and they don't want the government interfering with thier wishes. To me a conservative position. But if Rush Limbaugh is screaming against the Liberals because they support stem cell and assisted suicide, his labeling is all mixed up and he is helping the cause he wants to hurt.
Chaney can't be thrown out for being conservative with his gay marriage thinking. But Rush may say is is "liberal' on that issue.
He doesn't get it.
Amen to Anonymous. He or she gets it John. Bottom line: both parties support government intrusion (or oppose it) when it is consistent with their ideology on a particular issue.
Today CNN reported that a Gallup Poll says 89 percent of the Republican Party is white. That's pretty lopsided when compared to the demographics electorate. Your party is at a crossroads: does it want to follow the positions taken by Cheney, Gingrich and Limbaugh or does it want to follow folks like Powell and Ridge?
More to the point, who do you prefer take the lead? And no fence sitting, take a stand.
Either way, its a choice that is only comprised of white men.
Rubes
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