“Vice President Cheney spelled out his differences with President Bush on the volatile issue of gay marriage Tuesday [Aug. 24, 2004] while making his most revealing public comments so far about the sexual orientation of his gay daughter.
Asked his position on the subject at a town hall meeting here, Cheney replied: ‘Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it’s an issue that our family is very familiar with…. With respect to the question of relationships, my general view is that freedom means freedom for everyone. People… ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.’
Cheney went on to reiterate the position he first outlined in the 2000 campaign — that same-sex marriage should be left to the states to decide. He noted, however, that Bush has endorsed a constitutional amendment preventing the states from recognizing such marriages.
‘At this point… my own preference is as I’ve stated,’ Cheney said. ‘But the president makes basic policy for the administration. And he’s made it.'”