“I’ve always said that we oughta review law to make sure that people are treated fairly. On Mary Cheney, it’s a personal matter for the vice president and his family. I strongly support their privacy on the issue, although there’s nothing private when you happen to be the president or the vice president, I recognize that. I know Mary. And I like her, and I know she’s gonna be a fine, loving mother.”

“Single hardest social issue for me personally. … I have a lot of personal struggle with this one … because the issue is, from my perspective, I think it is right and fair and just in America that men and women who want to live with their partner should be treated with dignity and respect and should have civil rights, as you refer to them. And the question becomes, can you accomplish that through civil unions or partnership recognition and support of partnership benefits? Does that provide the level of dignity and respect that gay Americans are entitled to? Or do you have to cross the bridge into the issue of gay marriage? I personally feel great conflict about that. I don’t know the answer. Wish I did. I think from my perspective, it’s very easy for me to say: civil unions, yes; partnership benefits, yes; obviously all the other antidiscrimination stuff, yes. It’s a jump for me to get to gay marriage and I haven’t yet gotten across that bridge, but it is something that I struggle with, and that’s just the truth – internally, I struggle with it. … It’s a very hard thing for me. I wish I knew the right answer, because I think some of it has to do with the time and history that we’re in. My daughter, who’s 24 … her generation and all her friends believe this issue will completely disappear with their generation, and they could be right about that.”

Assistance: Bill Kelley