<p>As a person who has gay friends who have kids, I think that what she’s doing is fine. I also think it would be fine if she could marry her partner.</p>
<p>What I do have concerns about is how any pregnant mother of 4 could have the time and energy to be deputy assistant secretary of state. Seems that instead of being on a leave, she needs to resign. </p>
<p>And, I don’t like sons of presidents becoming president and I don’t like daughters of VPs being assistant secretary of state.</p>
<p>"WASHINGTON - Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynne, is pregnant, according to a published report. Mary Cheney, 37, and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, 45, are “ecstatic” about the baby, due in late spring, The Washington Post reported in Wednesday’s editions, quoting an unnamed source close to the couple.</p>
<p>Earlier, the Associated Press quoted the Washington Post in reporting both Cheney daughters were expecting, but the vice president’s other, older daughter, Elizabeth Cheney, is already on leave as deputy assistant secretary of state after having her fifth child with her husband in July."</p>
<p>I know, it seems far more risky for kids to have two hard-charging 60+ hours- a-week parents than to have parents with more laid back, flexible schedules who happen to be gay.</p>
<p>I hope she gets an IPod and a Segway at the baby shower from among those the Administration, in its “hardline” approach, have prohibited from being sent to North Korea.</p>
How do you feel about wives of presidents becoming president (Clinton?) or brothers of presidents becoming Attorney General or Senators (Kennedy)? Or sons of senators who become representatives (Kennedy)? Or how about sons of senators becoming senators (Pryor, Gore, Dodd) Or sons of representatives becoming representatives (Dingell, Ford)? Or sons of senators who become lobbyists (Reid)? Or is it just Republican links between politicians/civil servants that you are not fond of? It is a common fact that relatives on both sides of the aisle find themselves in politics.</p>
<p>I wish Cheney and Poe lots of luck. They live in a state that is trying to make it illegal for homosexual partners to even enter into contracts that approximate the benefits of marriage or civil unions. I hope she doesn’t run into the kind of roadblocks that other homosexual couples have hit, but I do hope this helps her realize that the work she has done to support the GOP has hurt other families like hers, and adjusts her stance accordingly. </p>
<p>RE: Nepotism: I don’t mind when people who are related to politicians gain elected office - their connections and name open doors and probably wallets, but they still have to get the voters approval. I think it’s questionable when the family members of politicians are lobbyists or appointed, regardless of which party they are associated with.</p>
<p>I really have no problem with them raising children. But seriously, in this day and age isn’t it much more appropriate to adopt a child that is in serious need of a home instead of using medical science to create another life?</p>
<p>ophiolite: I’m not entirely sure, but there may be laws prohibiting homosexuals from adopting in the state of Virginia. Or it may be that a single homosexual can adopt, but a couple cannot, i.e., only one of the partners in a committed homosexual couple would have legal guardianship over the child.</p>
<p>“How do you feel about wives of presidents becoming president (Clinton?) or brothers of presidents becoming Attorney General or Senators (Kennedy)? Or sons of senators who become representatives (Kennedy)? Or how about sons of senators becoming senators (Pryor, Gore, Dodd) Or sons of representatives becoming representatives (Dingell, Ford)? Or sons of senators who become lobbyists (Reid)? Or is it just Republican links between politicians/civil servants that you are not fond of? It is a common fact that relatives on both sides of the aisle find themselves in politics.”</p>
<p>I actually have less negative feelings about wives of presidents or (vice presidents for that matter – thinking Libby Dole here) becoming president because I believe that may be the only way that we can quickly finally get a woman president. </p>
<p>Offspring (someday a woman will get these things) of senators and congressmembers doesn’t bother me as much as having an offspring become president, which reminds me too much of a dynesty especially with Jeb waiting in the wings.</p>
<p>When I was young and Kennedy was prez, I thought it was great that his brother was attorney general. Now, I think it would have been better of JFK had selected someone else because no matter how good Bobby was (and I think he was good), there’s something unsettling to me about a president who seems to feel he can only trust a sibling as attorney general,</p>
This can be said of straight couples just as easily. It may be better for the world if couples adopt needy children instead of having more, but there’s something to be said for the desire to have a child with your own or your partner’s genes (or both, of course). Since they almost certainly considered all of their options, including adoption, I respect their decision to have a child in the way that they feel is best for their family.</p>
<p>Exactly the reason I have that if I am unable to have children easily (i.e. without treatment), I’ll turn to adoption. I believe that if God didn’t give me the ability to have biological children, then that’s a clue that maybe I should give child who needs a home the love I have instead of using advanced medical science. </p>
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<p>I do understand the desire, but sometimes you just have to think about what is best for society as a whole. It is human nature to want your lineage to live on (I guess even if it’s only half of the relationship’s genes in the case of homosexuals). With the overpopulation in this world, why bring in another child which required more economic resources to create?</p>
<p>I guess I just see it as being selfish if you have other options, which if Irishmomof2 is correct, I see no problem in what they are doing/did.</p>
<p>I definitely understand everything you’re saying. But if adopting is best for society as a whole, why is it the responsibility of people who can’t have children easily/naturally (i.e. people with fertility problems, homosexual couples, single people) to do so? Why does the ability to have a child easily preclude a couple from the responsibility to think about the world and adopt?</p>
<p>It’s not their responsibility, it’s just what I think would be a better decision if they decided they wanted to raise a family. Not everyone wants to raise a family, and I truly respect that decision (I definately hate to see children enter the world with nobody to love them).</p>
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<p>I never said that it preculdes them from thinking about that world. On the contrary, I believe every couple should at least talk about it during family planning (maybe an oxymoron of a term, but I’ll keep it). My sister is a perfect example of someone who wants to have a mix of her own children and then adopt a few more. I’ve also thought of doing the same (but with fewer children, as I only am planning for two).</p>
I don’t have a problem with elected positions. It’s probably only natural since offspring often follow in their parents’ footsteps. I don’t see a great deal of difference in the offspring pursuing politics like their parents’ versus one entering the medical, teaching, engineering, etc. fields. If people don’t like the individual for whatever reason, they can always not vote for them. In this area I don’t see a point in distinguishing President from Governor or wife from son/daughter.</p>
<p>I do have a problem with nepotism in appointed positions. I don’t think close relatives of high-level politicians should be appointed to positions anywhere close to those politicians. I don’t have as much of a problem if the daughter of a Senator from one state is appointed to a position in another state by the Governor of that other state. Unfortunately, there are examples of nepotism being practiced by both parties.</p>
<p>So let me get this straight: Cheney’s daughter is not only gay, but now she’s going to be an unwed mother? What are those Republicans coming to?</p>