double speak
Apples are red, but they are blue. Skunks smell bad, but they smell like flowers. Toilet paper should be soft, and we should make it from steel wool. Statements like these are what's coming out of Dick Cheney's mouth. I'm sure they will be taken as acceptable statements by the media, and we'll all just move on.
He made some comments today about gay marriage which I find intriguing. Bush/Cheney have tried not to even say the word "gay" recently as they try to play off their compassionate conservatism. Cheney said today that his "general view is freedom means freedom for everyone" and that "The states have made that fundamental decision of what constitutes a marriage." Interesting then how he continues to back President Bush on the Federal Marriage Amendment which would ban gay marriage nationwide, regardless of what individual states want to do.
"I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area," said Cheney. But he supports federal policy in that area specifically. I know he's a politician and double-speak is what they do, but dear god! Are we supposed to be so stupid?
He said that "The courts were making the judgment for the entire country." Actually, I thought they were legally making the judgement for their individual states, just as Cheney said they should. Am I in the twilight zone? I'm really not mad at this development; I'm finding myself more amused as I think about it. (while another part of me is thinking of 1984.) We're supposed to take these people seriously as the best and brightest to be our leaders, but they talk like they haven't mastered basic grade school concepts of the English language. (or logic for that matter)
If I weren't so intrinsically involved I'd be so amused that I think I'd throw up.
(source: Dick Cheney speaks in favor of gay couples)
When I woke up this morning, I was kind of surprised to hear Cheney was back to saying he believed the gay marriage issue should be left to the states (although he supports the FMA because that's the presidents' policy--talk about convoluted!). A bunch of things ran through my head...all of them gone into excruciating detail by other people over at dkos.
Mostly, this looks like Cheney is trying to bring moderate voters back into the GOP fold before the convention. Seems like a dumb strategy to me. I still think Cheney is a horrible person, and this hasn't improved my impression of him.
I'm not sure if there's much Cheney or Bush could do to improve my impression of them at this point.