Dick Cheney 'Surprised' By 'Attack' on Daughter Liz Cheney Over Gay Marriage
Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said in a recent interview that he was "surprised" over his daughters' recent social media spat regarding same-sex marriage, saying he would have preferred for the matter to stay within his family, instead of going public. Cheney's eldest daughter, Liz Cheney, is currently running for Wyoming's GOP Senate seat and opposes same-sex marriage, while his younger daughter, Mary, is a lesbian and outspoken proponent of gay marriage.
While appearing at the National Press Club on Monday, the former vice president said he regretted that Liz had been attacked by Mary and her partner, Heather Poe, on Facebook following Liz's comments on "Fox News Sunday" regarding her opposition to same-sex marriage back in November.
"We were surprised that there was an attack launched against Liz on Facebook, and wished it hadn't happened," Cheney told ABC News. "It's always been dealt with within the context of the family and frankly that's our preference."
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Cheney, who was appearing at the National Press Club to promote his new book Heart: An American Medical Odyssey, added that the situation was "obviously a difficult thing for a family," but declined to speak further on the subject. "That's as far as I'm going to go on the subject," Cheney said, adding to the interviewer: "Don't waste your time."
In November, Liz Cheney was attacked by her sister's partner, Heather Poe, on Facebook after Liz said on "Fox News Sunday" that she opposes same-sex marriage. Poe wrote on Facebook that she found Liz's comments to be "offensive," and Mary Cheney also took to Facebook to say her sister's viewpoint on the subject was "on the wrong side of history."
Several media outlets picked up on the public spat between the two sisters. Dick Cheney and wife Lynne Cheney released a statement shortly after the argument stating that they were "pained" to see the issue they had dealt privately as a family for many years become public via social media.
"This is an issue we have dealt with privately for many years, and we are pained to see it become public," Lynne and Dick said in a joint statement. "Since it has, one thing should be clear. Liz has always believed in the traditional definition of marriage. She has also always treated her sister and her sister's family with love and respect, exactly as she should have done."
