Mary Cheney
Betsy's Page
The Washington Post has a profile of Mary Cheney and her book tour as she goes around touting her book about being involved in a political campaign. Of course, all that people want to talk about is her relationship with her father and her opinions as a lesbian. And the disappointment that some feel that she isn't more criticial of her father whom she clearly adores. Her description of her coming out to her parents when she was in high school must be so disappointing to all the Cheney-haters out there.
<<< She was 16. She and her first girlfriend had just broken up. She skipped school, crashed the car, came home and decided it was time to just do it. Mom cried ("Your life will be so hard") but quickly came around. Dad said he loved her and just wanted her to be happy. The end. >>>
That must so disappoint all those who assumed that her parents screamed at her for about 10 years before coming around to a grudging tolerance. It is also clear that the popular image of Dick Cheney as this satanic figure is just so far from reality. Unfortunately, for Cheney, he's just not one of these glad-handing guys who loves to hang out with the DC glitterati or with Larry King and Jon Stewart. People would detest him anyway for his political positions, but the common view of him as this sardonic evil genius just seems detached from reality.
<<< The whole book is steeped in the clear love and admiration Cheney feels for her father, and she dials down her wry humor when he comes up in conversation. Do they ever fight? She searches her memory bank, can't recall anything. Do they have debates at the Sunday dinner table? Nah, they talk about where to go fly-fishing. Was he really scary when she and her sister, Liz, got in trouble as kids? Nope. There was the time the girls pulled off a cabinet door in the kitchen and tried to cover it up by gluing it back to the frame. Dad pulled the whole door off the next time he went to open it. So, how did he punish them? Must not have been bad, because Mary Cheney can't remember. >>>
His daughter's book may move a few people to change their view of him personally, but I doubt it. Unfortunately, the stereotype gets set in cement no matter the lack of connection to reality.
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