Sullivan On Cheney's DADT Repeal Support: No Change In Two Decades

I can understand wanting to be pleased that former vice president Dick Cheney signaled his support for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It was a worthwhile question for Jonathan Karl to have asked and it should be noted that Cheney's position on the matter is essentially the one that Senator John McCain has abandoned -- now that the military leadership is behind a repeal, the repeal ought to receive renewed consideration:

"I'm reluctant to second-guess the military in this regard," Cheney said. "When the chiefs come forward and say, 'We think we can do it,' then it strikes me that it's -- it's time to reconsider the policy.

He added that "society had moved on." That said, Andrew Sullivan is smart to point out that Cheney himself hasn't moved on all that much.

Before we offer any plaudits, we should recall that this was his position as defense secretary in 1991, when he described the policy as an "old chestnut" and when his chief spokesman was my old friend Pete Williams, an openly gay man who is now a TV journalist. But, as with marriage rights, where he uttered pro forma -- but carefully parsed -- support, Cheney never moved a finger to help on any of these issues as vice-president, and led a party whose homophobia has become more and more pronounced with every year that has passed.

So, apply as much "cautious optimism" as you like to the fact that a retired man who no longer plays any sort of role in policy-making has an opinion on a policy he's opted out of affecting for nearly two decades. If there's any good news here, it's that an aversion to gay soldiers isn't included in Cheney's radical package of fact-averse national security fearmongering.

RELATED:
Cheney On DADT - Same As In 1991 [Andrew Sullivan]

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Comments

[Wolf V]

01:31 PM on 02/15/2010

Don't be so distraught. Cheney could have disregarded his daughter's "interests" and told how he really felt.

[funkyirishdem]

01:26 PM on 02/15/2010

Luke I am your father ..

but dad , I want to serve our country ...I want to join the service ..

Luke ..I am so proud of you ..

Dad , I'm g.ay

(door slams )

[RingworldEngineer]

01:25 PM on 02/15/2010

on the main page the title for this includes the words "lip service". is it just me (probably is) or was that just really kind of crass?

[zerofighter]

01:14 PM on 02/15/2010

Can we trust you on this one Jazon? Or is there going to be a [CORRECTION] later on?

[Dr. Sam]

01:04 PM on 02/15/2010

Dick Cheney and Mitt Romley always manage to get interviews with newsmen who would not aggressively question their assertions, misinformation and misstatements. Generally, they appear in interviews alone instead of facing an opposed view from another public figure. It's all a sham!

[JTHC75]

12:35 PM on 02/15/2010

You can hate him for other reasons, but Cheney was probably the highest-ranking pro-gay official to ever hold office in the US. He's way more progressive on the issue than the current administration.

[Karl Jonas]

12:59 PM on 02/15/2010

i wouldn't call him "pro-gay." far from it.

his "leave it to the states" position on marriage is the standard cop-out.

he did nothing to change dadt his entire time in office.

obama has now officially proposed repeal, sent his defense secretary and joint chiefs to testify in favor, so how can you claim cheney is more "progressive"?

the words "cheney" and "progressive" are an oxymoron.

[free thinker 3-5-7]

01:09 PM on 02/15/2010

i wouldn't attach progressive to anything Dick Cheney, but he has a gay daughter so of course he wants it repealed, and to think all I thought was in that black thing called a heart where the voiced of all the American lives we lost due to him and his boss ruining America

[BluzySuzy]

02:18 PM on 02/15/2010

No, not "of course he wants it repealed"...Don't you remember his noncommital stance on gay marriage? Daughter or no.

[valeskas]

12:33 PM on 02/15/2010

The man has not shut up, since he is not in office any longer. To me he is a psychopath and of course his fortune is connected to Halliburton and he wants the war, because the war made him rich. Thats why he talks that much and people who are to dumb, to read are for him. We should start with preceedings to indicte him. He is the person who sent our children into war, none of his family had too. Does anyone know, how much his wealth has increased between 2002-2007, not 2008, because we all got a slam dunk because of people like him. His heart needed every 5 minutes help, when he was the vicepresident, why, he has no heart. To me he is a criminal and an abuser of poor people. His family should be ashamed calling him father. Sent him to prison, then he has to call collect, that would be fun.

[Soulmentor]

12:44 PM on 02/15/2010

I am gay and have no love for Cheney for other reasons, but he gets kudos from me for this.

As for calling others "dumb" for paying attention to him, YOU should remain truly dumb (real definition) until you stop displaying your own "dumbness" with incredibly poor spelling, punctuation and sentence structure. Do you not know how stoooopid you look?

[izekman]

12:25 PM on 02/15/2010

please lets apply DADT to dick cheney.
PLEASE DON'T ASK DICK
AND DICK PLEASE DON'T TELL.
WE DON'T CARE ANYMORE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. YOU ARE A FAILED VP FROM A TERRIBLY FAILED ADMINISTRATION. YOUR ADVICE IS LIKE GETTING BUCK SHOT IN THE FACE FROM 60 YARDS.

[needintell]

12:27 PM on 02/15/2010

You never would have guessed that people don't care anymore when the VEEP spends all his time slamming the former, let me say again, former VEEP. You'd think Biden didn't have anything else to do, like run the country.

[Dr Revolt]

12:23 PM on 02/15/2010

The "Dick" is a man that should be in prison. There is no other use for him in America. He has left his filth for generations to come. No matter what he has to say, BEWARE. He has the uncanny ability to smile as he kills.

[FTracy3]

12:21 PM on 02/15/2010

Another, he agrees with us, screw him column. I get that people hate Cheney but if we're going to make progress on DADT, (thank you, Pres Clinton), and more so gay marriage, we're going to have to bring conservatives around and every time someone like Cheney and other Republicans around to publicly support the change we should be grateful. Let's face it, if you had asked 25 years ago, the majority of Dems would have opposed both issues.

If President Obama really wants to unify the country I guess what he should do what half the posters on Huffpo want, and that is to put Cheney on trial for war crimes. Bush too. Andy maybe himself if he continues to pursue some of the Bush/Cheney policies regarding the wars. And of course all three of them are motivated by evil, self-interest, and profit, and not what they believe rightly or wrongly is in the best interest of the country.

[turtlelucy]

03:06 PM on 02/15/2010

Well said, FTracy3. While he may constantly berate Obama for being 'soft on terrorism,' he can't use that argument when the Obama administration finally, finally, eliminates that hideous policy. So I won't write my own diatribe against this evil criminal. I'll simply say, "Thanks. I appreciate your support on DADT (and perhaps gay marriage, as well?).

[trappedinaredstate]

12:18 PM on 02/15/2010

Frankly any kind of 'lip service' from Dick Cheney is a deeply disturbing thought...

Ick.

[Evanescence]

12:38 PM on 02/15/2010

I can honestly say from the depths of my soul...........GROSS!

♫♥ When you came into my life.....you took my breath away ♥♫

[MESGAIN26]

12:16 PM on 02/15/2010

will mcain now flip flop back and reverse course because dick supports dadt

[Wizer]

12:31 PM on 02/15/2010

Nope/ McCain is in a battle for his seat this time around and the plan is to 'out conservative' his opponent. Which means gays get thrown under the bus at every opportunity.

[Justdontgetit]

12:06 PM on 02/15/2010

Lip service is the only kind Cheney will ever give.

He certainly ditched his chance to serve IN the military.

[Dr knowitall]

12:31 PM on 02/15/2010

A lot of people do not serve in the military. He served as the defense secretary which heads the military. Cheney oversaw the 1991 Operation Desert Storm, among other actions. Like him or not he does have some expertise in this area.

[howardmoon]

01:00 PM on 02/15/2010

Yea, he played that deferment card pretty well too.

[Justdontgetit]

01:01 PM on 02/15/2010

I didn't say he didn't serve.

I said he ditched.

[T-Haight]

12:01 PM on 02/15/2010

So if Cheney isn't serious, why even bother to write about it? Would you rather have him on the opposite side? Or is this just another opportunity to take a shot at him because you can?

Blasting him for this seems disingenuous to me. You should ask yourself what you're really trying to accomplish.

[valeskas]

12:27 PM on 02/15/2010

Who cares, you must be an idiot, too.

[Harvee Wallbanger]

12:00 PM on 02/15/2010

Dick Cheney obviously has some agreement with his daughter Liz. He agrees to support Gay issues and she agrees to support the other nonsense that comes out of his mouth.

Just my humble opinion.