Maryland Same-Sex Marriage: Key GOP Lawmaker Explains Dick Cheney Call

WASHINGTON -- Maryland Del. Wade Kach (R-Baltimore County) is a key reason the state is on its way to becoming the eighth in the U.S. where same-sex marriage is legal. Kach, who had been widely expected to vote against Gov. Martin O'Malley's (D) marriage equality bill, changed his mind a week before the vote and decided to back it. On Friday, the General Assembly narrowly voted to advance the legislation, and it is likely to pass the state Senate and be signed by the governor.

As reported by the Baltimore Sun last week, Kach was the target of a last-minute lobbying effort, in which high-profile Republicans who support marriage equality called and tried to persuade him to join them. Former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman reached out, as did New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I). Kach also received an "offer to talk with former Vice President Dick Cheney," according to the Sun.

In an interview with The Huffington Post on Monday, Kach explained that a staffer in his office actually received the call about Cheney. He didn't remember who made the offer.

"All I know is somebody on my staff said somebody called and wanted to have the former vice president contact me," Kach said.

Kach said he has great respect for Cheney, but ultimately decided not to accept the offer because he had already made up his mind to support the bill.

"I said no," Kach said. "I didn't need people to contact me to discuss this issue. I had discussed it with numerous people on both sides of the issue. It got to the point where I just needed to sit and reflect on everything that I heard. It would have been an honor to talk to him, but I didn't want to waste his time because I don't think there's anything he could have said that would have persuaded me."

Cheney wasn't the only high-profile name in the lobbying effort. Former President Bill Clinton contacted Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery County), a Democrat who ultimately decided not to vote for O'Malley's bill.

Kach said that since he announced his support for the bill, he has received quite a bit of unhappy feedback from his constituents.

"We got some calls and messages of support, but I would say more people who were not happy with the decision. I have reached out to try to contact as many as I can," he said.

Kach argued that as a pro-life legislator, he felt it important to legalize marriage equality to make sure that the children of same-sex couples have the same opportunities as couples of heterosexual parents.

"I have a great deal of concern about children that we bring into the world that they have every opportunity to grow and prosper in our society," Kach said. "When you realize that children of same-sex couples don't have the same rights that children of traditional marriage have. They're at an automatic disadvantage, and that's one of the major issues that swayed me to vote for it."

"In Maryland, we have children who are in homes where you have same-sex couples, and not every judge ... will allow both parties to adopt the child," he added. "They'll let one person adopt, but not the other. Then you have a situation where -- what if the two of them split up? What if one of them dies? You have inheritance issues. You have so many issues, and a child can get lost in the law, so to speak."

Marriage equality legislation passed the state Senate last year, and it's likely to pass again this year. Opponents of the bill, however, are hoping to get it placed on the ballot in November, as one last chance to prevent Maryland from legalizing it.

Kach said he has no problem with a referendum on the legislation and predicts a close election. He predicted that Montgomery and Howard counties will support the bill, with the Eastern Shore and western Maryland going against it. Southern Maryland, Baltimore City and Baltimore County, he said, are tougher to predict.

"I think that going back to the hearing on the bill, if my constituents had been able to be at the hearing, I think that a lot of hearts would have been changed like mine was," Kach said. "I really believe that."

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Comments

[fwd1090]

10:17 AM on 04/27/2012

When all these gay states began to sink into the ground because they are calling a Marriage a lie; then let the man in that marriage pull them out of that hole you are digging!! You are respected now, and I will always do the same, but don't ask me to help you live a "Lie". Again I say; No two anything of the same sex that chose to live together, can "ever" have a marriage (In The Name Of Marriage). You can call it what you want to, recive world class respect, but when the sun rise on a new day; you'll still be out of step! Sorry, but ture!

[ftdodger]

05:53 PM on 03/03/2012

I am proud to be an American especially today, to witness that democracy actually still works in this great nation. You don't have to personally believe in same-sex marriage equality, but as Americans we have to resepect the rights for which our our Founding Fathers risked their lives and fortunes to preserve and protect. Delegate Wade Kach, you are a patriot and I am so very proud of you!

[hnnbar]

08:52 AM on 03/03/2012

"...he felt it important to legalize marriage equality to make sure that the children of same-sex couples have the same opportunities as couples of heterosexual parents."
This is certainly a step in the right direction as long as Kach also understands that the majority of children same-sex couples have are often those given away by hetrosexuals.Common sense about equal rights is needed and appreciated.

[fwd1090]

10:28 AM on 04/27/2012

He? You mean your man or half man? Common sense is equal rights; don't stop doing the things you do daily, enjoy live to it's fullest, I do, but remember two men or two women are the ones that legalized what you call a marriage, and not "He"!

[MsMadieRuthJacksonvirtue]

10:28 AM on 03/02/2012

Oh I will be a helicopter reservist I have amovement as strong as Prince Charles.

[MsMadieRuthJacksonvirtue]

10:26 AM on 03/02/2012

Hi this is vetical I am a prosittute my next job in the united states goverment is reserves helicopter pilot my son name is Joshua I plan him sluice him for his diploma we are separated. were in an ark hold forgiveness. He will be an Rn helicopter pilot midwife lawyer I want to start my own clothing line with my vertical. and my own lingerer with my prostitute I just have a problem with jazebel and Iddo whom I rule in the goverment is supposte and was to rest on his shoulders I hate that no good out stretch

[jedikngt6294]

02:29 AM on 03/03/2012

what the f???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Ed Baker]

12:15 PM on 02/22/2012

A brave Republican doing what's right - I'll send him a check.

[fullofmitt]

03:19 PM on 03/04/2012

Cheney? I'd prefer a warrant for his arrest for war crimes!

[Ed Baker]

11:55 AM on 03/05/2012

Follow the thread if you're going to comment - otherwise - please comment to someone else and defame them.

[EscherEnigma]

12:11 PM on 02/22/2012

Wait "won't somebody think of the children" did something *good*? That's one for the record books.

[Sean Lawlor]

09:05 AM on 02/22/2012

So happy that someone was using his head, unlike Mr. Arora who will go down in history as a coward.

[Elyceia Slyjinks]

08:35 AM on 02/22/2012

It's logically consistant, I'll give him that, and it's more than I usually see from "pro-lifers." Another thing I don't usually see is a so-called "pro-lifer" actually demonstrating concern for the child after it's out of the womb. This one does, and I can respect that.

[spidermom]

08:31 AM on 02/22/2012

what a great idea, thinking about the childern.

[Mary Kessel Starr]

07:25 AM on 02/22/2012

This Md. legislator made the right call.

[GarbaGreto]

06:45 AM on 02/22/2012

A GOPer shows a shred of human decency and his constituents call all hot and bothered. "...a lot of hearts would have been changed...". Got to have one to change one. That being said - thank you Mr. Kach.

[Wacokid36]

05:32 AM on 02/22/2012

There are times I am reminded that labels and party affiliations do not mean much, and I would like to thank Wade Kach for showing me why! I admit that I'm not aware of his stances on other major issues, but for this one, he gets my props!

[tjlatwork]

12:08 AM on 02/22/2012

when all else fails, get it on the ballot. yeah that makes sense. if minorities were already getting the equal rights they deserved, the law wouldn't need to be passed in the first place.

[charles000]

12:07 AM on 02/22/2012

This is like bad novel, going from bad to worse . . . except it's real.

WHY are all fundamentalist fanatics so myopically fixated anything to do with same sex marriage, contraception, women's right to choose, etc??? That question may never be fully answered, as these sorts of bizarre fanatical obsessions are usually an indicator of severe mental disorders, which become manifest in such obsessions.

HOWEVER, what can be diagnosed here is the Republican party's desperation to somehow become relevant, by glomming onto the fanatical far right religious contingent as part of their political core strategy, while glossing over the truly relevant issues, such as the absurd levels of corruption in the financial sector, and other corporate realms of corruption which have plunged this country and much of the world into an economic sink hole.

But never mind any of that . . . it's so much more important to be myopically fixated on so-called "moral" issues of the moment . . . right???

It's as if the entire country is being dragged back into some sort of 12th century religious fantasy world of the fanatical fringe . . . .like I said, like a bad novel, only in this case, it's all too real.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:07 AM on 02/22/2012

Fanned and faved. Part of it is their need for control--control of GLBT people, Women (and coming as soon as they can manage it, control of non-Christians and others of whom they do not approve). Another part of it is hatred and malice towards those they consider to be "sinners"--"love the sinner, hate the sinner" turns out in reality to be "hate the sin, hate the sinner. Women and GLBT are groups it's easy to launch jihads against (and the religious wrong in this country is no better than the Taliban), while they might have to do real political work against corruption in the financial and political sector (that plus many politicians are "on the take" from the very sources of corruption they should be fighting).