Both Cheney and Edwards Suck on Gay marriage

As with most issues being discussed during the presidential and vice presidential debates, you have to take the facts with a grain of salt. It seems that the candidates disagree on just about everything, yet every candidate has his own set of facts to back up what he is saying. The fact that his facts completely contradict the facts of the other candidate doesn't really seem to matter much to them. What set of facts are we, the voters, suppose to believe?

One topic all the candidates have been consistent in is marriage rights for gay couples. Kerry/Edwards don't believe gay couples should be able to get married. The believe that gay couples should be able to form civil unions (separate but equal, hopefully, but I doubt it). We assume that they are talking about civil union recognition by the Federal Government in addition to the states, but they have never really been pinned down on this subject to that extent.

The Republican ticket is a bit more conflicted on the subject. Bush believes that gay couples should not have recognition by the Federal Government or the states. He advocates an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to prevent gay couples from ever achieving marriage at the federal and state level. I would also venture to guess that he would also have an issue with gay couples even having civil union status. He's a bigot, but at least he's an honest bigot, on this topic at least.

Vice President Cheney is a complete and total wuss on this issue. There's no other way to say it. He believes that the states should be able to decide for themselves the best way to address (treat) gay couples. He therefore doesn't think the President should pursue an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but will stay out of the President's way because the President “makes policy” and he (Cheney) will support the President.

Mary Cheney, how does it make you feel that your own father thinks that the relationship you will have with your partner is just second rate, at best? I would really like to know, because I just don't understand how someone in your situation can sit around all these months and hear all the discussion coming from the White House on the amendment, and say nothing. You have done nothing but help your party use our community, your community, as a political football to win votes. It's sickening and pathetic.

I give Kerry/Edwards a “D” on this. Bush/Cheney get an “F”.

Cheney Accused Of Flip Flopping On Gay Marriage In VP Debate (ChicagoPride.com)

When the candidates were asked about same-sex marriage and the need for a constitutional amendment that is being pushed by Bush, Cheney reiterated his position from earlier in the campaign.

Cheney, with his daughter Mary an out lesbian in the audience, spoke supportively about gay relationships and said that “people ought to be free to choose any arrangement they want.” But, he acknowledged that Bush supports passage of a constitutional marriage to ban gay marriage, and said, “He sets policy for this administration, and I support him.”

Edwards said it was obvious that the Cheneys loved their daughter and that “you can't have anything but respect” for them. “I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and so does John Kerry,” Edwards said. But, he added, “We should not use the Constitution to divide this country.”

Cheney was offered an opportunity to respond and used it to thank Edwards for his “kind remarks” about his family, but declined to refute Edwards charge that Republicans were using gays to maintain support from the party's conservative base.

“Tonight we saw the worst kind of flip flop,” said Human Rights Campaign President Cheryl Jacques.