Mary Quite Contrary - Updated /w New Video

Cashing in on a nation's and GLBT folks' curiosity, vice-presidential daughter Mary Cheney appeared on Primetime Live last night to promote her new book, Now It's My Turn.

During the course of her chat with Diane Sawyer, Cheney describes coming out to her parents, her fourteen year relationship with partner Heather Poe, why she remains loyal to the Republican Party, her disagreements with right-wing orthodoxy, her reaction to her lesbianism-as-Democratic-demagoguery during the debates, and the careful balancing act of existing between a vitriolic gay left and the venemous religious right.

It's remarkable how poised and likeable Mary comes off in this interview. By virtue of her middling position on the political divide, it's safe to say she's subjected to a great deal of unfair attacks from opponents on the Right and Left. Lesbian Traitor and Unrepentant Sinner, Mary Cheney seems to take it all in stride.

[Watch video – 14:10, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 14:10, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Update: Mary Cheney took live viewer questions today with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America. Somehwat related, John Aravosis reacts to Rosen and Birch's recent op-ed. His commenters are not quite as charitable. Andrew Sullivan pens an article on the closet tolerance of the president and vice-president. Though I feel he utterly mischaracterizes Dick Cheney's public statements and opposition to the Federal Amendment (not to mention the equating with Darth Vader shtick), there are some good points offered, especially about the potential effects of the November elections on gay rights.

[Watch video – 5:45, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 5:45, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Comments

[kc]

The Cheneys sold their souls for power. Not a good thing.

[Scott]

How did they sell their souls for power? The odds were against them (going to public school in Casper WY isn't exactly a fast track to anywhere powerful), but they got an education, accepted a few challenging assignments, and met a few key people along the way. Contrast them to the Clintons, who will say or do anything to claw their way to the top, all the while acting with the expectation of entitlement.

[Queer Conservative]

The Cheneys sold their souls for power. Not a good thing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to the stage KC and the Ad Hominems! Singing their latest hit single "Side Swipe."

[Jason]

"Can you be too respectful of the President of the United States?"

What is that crap? Hello, there is a point where you have to stand up for what you believe in and Mary does not.

She's in a position to make change. It has been part of her job, yet she has chosen to do nothing and maintain a working relationship with an "employer" with whom she disagrees.

That is wrong. Plain wrong. If you don't like the direction your "work" is going, you either try and make change or leave. She did neither.

That is how you sell your soul.

[Malcontent]

The tagline on my old blog used to be "Selfish Hedonism Daily Since 1970."

[Tommy]

But you came to "care":)

[Malcontent]

Jason makes those kinds of comments about Mary's employer with a bls.gov email address? I think I can see at least one "labor statistic" in Jason's own future.

[Jason]

Why attack me like that? Is that really the type of person you are?

And in case you didn't know, BLS is one of the most apolitical agencies out there.

[222]

So the President is a "good man" in spite of his opposition to gay rights, but Kerry is "not a good man" for speaking the truth about the administration's hypocrisy?

This poor woman is so obviously caught between her love for her family and her knowledge that she deserves the rights she is not getting from her government. The strain she feels in expressing her opinion is evident. It is an untenable and tortuous position to be in.

[Sean]

I think it's sweet that she considers her 14-year relationship with a woman to be a marriage.

"We have built a home and a life together," she said. "I hope I get to spend the rest of my life with her. The way I look at it, is we're waiting for state and federal law to catch up with us." ...while campaigning for a regime that wants to prevent that from ever happening.

Mary, you are quite mentally ill.

[Aatom]

hmmm...let's see. a lesbian who puts her family before her sexuality? sounds like exactly the right poster child for the gay rights movement if you ask me. her refusal to rebel against her father publicly is the most subversive thing she could do to the theocons in the beltway. she practices what they preach, and refuses to sacrifice her sexuality in the process. this will do more to change our enemies' minds than a thousand HRC dinners ever could.

bravo!

[North Dallas Thirty]

Kerry lied directly to gays, 222.

Just as Bill Clinton did, just as Howard Dean does, and just as every other Democratic politician who is well aware of the fact that, even if they sent you to the gas chambers, you and yours would still be inanely chanting "At least they're not Republicans".

And also, since you obviously don't believe that Kerry opposed gay rights even though he supported stripping gays of rights via constitutional amendments, I fail to see from where your criticism of Bush comes.

[North Dallas Thirty]

Mary, you are quite mentally ill.

LOL....you have no idea how much irony there is in that statement, Sean.

You see, Cheryl Jacques, erstwhile leader of HRC, and Jennifer Chrisler, current leader of Family Pride, both of whom are married under Massachusetts law, both strongly supported John Kerry in 2004. HRC, in fact, under Jacques's direction, spent literally tens of millions of dollars in promoting the Kerry campaign as "pro-gay" and "gay-supportive", diverting funds from fighting state antigay intitiatives and even deep-sixing gay events because they might embarrass the Kerry campaign.

John Kerry supported invalidating their marriage under Massachusetts law and stripping them of their rights.

But that's OK, because they're Democrats.

The double standard and hypocrisy of you Kerry/Clinton/Kaine/homophobic Democrat supporters in bashing Mary Cheney is astounding. Utterly astounding.

[Queer Conservative]

Why attack me like that? Is that really the type of person you are?

And in case you didn't know, BLS is one of the most apolitical agencies out there.

Liberals are just puckered at both ends aren't they? Jason, Mal wasn't attacking you, he was being facetious; as many around here are wont to be.

[Queer Conservative]

Well said Aatom.

[Sean]

Umm, Thirty, I don't like John Kerry. I was furious when he supported amending Massachusetts' constitution to ban gay marriage. What does that have to do with Mary Cheney's mental illness?

Robbie has a good point that Mary is caught between expectations of the far right and the far left. So I stopped and thought, what would I do in a similar situation. My dad is staunch far-right Republican (although even he has turned against the Shrub these days)... what would I do if Dad were using an anti-gay-marriage amendment to the federal Constitution in a bid for the White House? Well, in reality, I'd speak out against him, but for the sake of argument, let's suppose that I cared equally about distancing myself from the far left and the far right. To distance myself from the far right, I could continue living my life as a happy, out gay person with my partner of 14 years (assuming that, in this scenario, I have a partner of 14 years). To distance myself from the far left, I could... actively campaign for my dad, anti-gay-marriage amendment and all? Yeah, if I'm completely mentally ill. More likely, if I'm really that big of a coward that I can't say a word against one of my parents in public no matter what, I would just stay out of the campaign altogether.

[Daniel DiRito]

I don't know Mary Cheney but it isn't difficult to make some observations about what she finds important in life.

She, like many people, chose what appears to be the path of convenience and priveledge at the expense of principle. She is entitled to that choice but not the respect that one might afford a person who pursues their beliefs even if it makes life difficult.

In the end, she is her father's daughter...which means that is where she likely learned her values. It is hard to doubt what Dick Cheney finds important...money and power. As the old saying goes, "the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree."

read more here:

www.thoughttheater.com

[North Dallas Thirty]

Umm, Thirty, I don't like John Kerry. I was furious when he supported amending Massachusetts' constitution to ban gay marriage. What does that have to do with Mary Cheney's mental illness?

Considering your diagnosis doesn't then extend to Cheryl Jacques and Jennifer Chrisler, I have to wonder on what grounds you make it.

And I've seen "furious" people like you; generally they project that fury onto other people who have nothing to do with the issue because they can't confront the real problem.

But here's the main issue:

To distance myself from the far right, I could continue living my life as a happy, out gay person with my partner of 14 years (assuming that, in this scenario, I have a partner of 14 years). To distance myself from the far left, I could... actively campaign for my dad, anti-gay-marriage amendment and all? Yeah, if I'm completely mentally ill.

Again, why don't you apply this rule to Jacques and Chrisler? They campaigned for Kerry even though he wasn't a family member and supported antigay amendments, including one that would invalidate their own marriage.

Watch as the double standard is tortuously explained.

[Tommy]

Gay marraige does not have universal support in the gay community. *Gasp*

[Sean]

Interesting... so if you want this standard applied to Cheryl Jacques and Mary Cheney equally, Thirty, that implies that you think Mary Cheney is in the wrong? Could you please expound on her wrongess; you haven't really covered that point explicitly so far.

If not, can you explain how Cheryl Jacques was right to do what she did, oh you without a double-standard?

[tedinla]

Speaking of double-speak:

Just as Bill Clinton did, just as Howard Dean does, and just as every other Democratic politician who is well aware of the fact that, even if they sent you to the gas chambers, you and yours would still be inanely chanting "At least they're not Republicans".

Are you saying that Democrats want to kill all the gays? Are you saying that Democrats are operating gas chambers in concentration camps? Well, ARE YOU????

REPUDIATE IT!!! REPUDIATE IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(For those confused by this outburst, it's in reference to a previous discussion and it's meant to be taken as slightly sarcastic...excuse my interruption.)

[North Dallas Thirty]

Unfortunately, Sean, I didn't say that such actions indicate mental illness. You did.

Now, back to the point before you started trying to spin: why don't you apply this rule to Jacques and Chrisler? They campaigned for Kerry even though he wasn't a family member and supported antigay amendments, including one that would invalidate their own marriage.

But do try coming up with another excuse for not answering. I'll be amused to see what else you can generate.

[Queer Conservative]

Hello Ted.

[North Dallas Thirty]

Are you saying that Democrats want to kill all the gays? Are you saying that Democrats are operating gas chambers in concentration camps? Well, ARE YOU????

Absolutely not.

That's why I put these words (bolded) in my statement:

Just as Bill Clinton did, just as Howard Dean does, and just as every other Democratic politician who is well aware of the fact that, even if they sent you to the gas chambers, you and yours would still be inanely chanting "At least they're not Republicans".

Future tense, hypothetical statement.

I don't believe all Democrats want to kill gays. I merely believe the vast majority of them see gays as a minority that by rights belongs to them and from which they may exploit without penalty or danger all they wish.

[Sean S]

Now, Thirty... I didn't say a word about John Kerry or Cheryl Jacques -- you did. Without disagreeing with my statement that Mary Cheney is mentally ill, you commented that if Mary Cheney is mentally ill, then so is Cheryl Jacques. Your comments on Cheryl imply that you think she did something wrong, which by your own words means that you think Mary Cheney did something wrong. You predicated your attempt to bait me on the (false) assumption that I'd have some interest in defending Cheryl Jacques, whom I don't really give a rat's ass about.

So the ball is in your court, my friend. What is your opinion of Mary Cheney, the topic of my comments?