Although token non-liberal Elisabeth Hasselbeck thought inquiring into his family life was inappropriate, they all agreed the vice president is a hypocrite for not supporting gay marriage while retaining a strong relationship with an openly gay daughter. Joy Behar summed it up along with her ignorance of the vice president's role.
Behar: "But isn't it fun to watch him stuck there like that? You know, if he would have voted for gay marriage, he wouldn't have to worry about his grandchild being born out of wedlock. The Family Council wouldn't be on his case. Just vote, do the right thing. You have it in your family."
As if that were true. In this article that took about two minutes to find, Vice President Cheney has stated publicly he actually opposes the marriage amendment, and did so repeatedly in 2004. He casts no votes as Vice President, unless the Senate ties, and hasn't been a voting member of Congress since 1989, when gay marriage wasn't exactly on anyone's agenda. Unfortunately for the ladies at The View, this takes away from their juicy story, so they have to make facts up. The entire transcript, with false claims about the vice president bolded, is below.
Rosie O’Donnell: "Now, here's the question. Is it a fundamentally fair question to ask the vice president in an administration where they tried to take the constitutional rights away from his daughter, her partner, and the child they're about to have, is it all right to ask him about that or is it not?"
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: "I think a better question could have been asked about the politics instead of is it going to be ok or whatever the--"
Joy Behar: "He was quoting someone."
Hasselbeck: "It was a quote I think from Family First."
Behar: "Family Council."
O’Donnell: "Right, Focus on the family, which is a very right-wing organization."
Hasselbeck: "It is and so I think that that was a personal, it seemed to me it was a more personal sort of attack."
Tina Fey: "I think it's ok to say, this group that is a conservative group says this, how do you reconcile this with what is going on in your own life?"
Hasselbeck: "Yes."
O’Donnell: "With the policies you stand behind."
Hasselbeck: "Yes, if it was policy based, I would have been better, I would have felt better about the question."
Fey: "They wanted him to talk about Focus on the Family. I think it's tricky because those guys have to kind of appease Focus on the Family and keep them on board. But almost anyone who lives in the world, if you have a family of more than three people, you have a gay cousin."
Behar: "But isn't it fun to watch him stuck there like that? You know, if he would have voted for gay marriage, he wouldn't have to worry about his grandchild being born out of wedlock. The Family Council wouldn't be on his case. Just vote, do the right thing. You have it in your family."
Hasselbeck: "I think though, there he was acting as that parent first and I think that he was acting to protect his daughter and his grandchild."
O’Donnell: "From what?"
Hasselbeck: "I'm just saying from answering that question."
O’Donnell: "From the question of what? Of how does she feel to have a father who is against her innate nature?"
Hasselbeck: "That wasn't the question. If that were the question, I would have been fine with that."
O’Donnell: "Well what kind of question, what do you think Wolf Blitzer was trying to ask talking about her?"
Hasselbeck: "I think he was probably trying to get at the fact that there's a duality at, the fact he voted against the rights for his daughter, but yet he's having one and there are these comments made saying this may not be the best environment for a child. I think he should have been more direct asked the political question instead of going after him personally. And I feel though, Cheney, though I'm not a huge fan of his, I think he did a good job in protecting his family."
Behar: "Why aren't you a huge fan of his?"
Hasselbeck: "I just don't like his approach."
Behar: "He's so delightful."
[Laughter]
Behar: "How could you not be a fan of his?" [mocking mouth gesture]
O’Donnell: "You know, it's interesting when I heard it, and watched it actually last night and I saw that he said, you know, I love both my daughters, for a moment my heart surged. I thought he is calling the partner of his daughter his daughter."
Behar: "No."
O’Donnell: "Then he realized he has two biological children. But, you know, Kelli's parents call me their child. You know, when I fly into Baton Rouge I say I'll get a car, they'll drive me. They say, 'no we'll pick up our children. I'm coming to pick you up because you're my daughter.'"
Behar: "That's nice."
O’Donnell: "Not only is it nice, I mean, that's what you do. Don't Tim's parents consider you their daughter?"
Hasselbeck: "Absolutely."
O’Donnell: "Do your in-laws consider you their daughter?"
Fey: "Yes, absolutely."
O’Donnell: "Yes, so when he said that, I had a moment of look at this! The man is reaching out and embracing, but it wasn't that at all."
Fey: "I think he does love his daughters and he may have a perfectly good relationship with his daughter's partner. But it seems like the hesitation to answer the question might be more about not wanting to get Focus on the Family mad at him as much as it is about his family's privacy."
Behar: "Don't you think that politics-"
Hasselbeck: "You don't think he was defending his family as much as his relationship with Focus on the Family?"
Behar: "Do you believe that politics are personal? Because I kind of do."
O’Donnell: "I do too."
Behar: "I believe that what you believe is the way you vote, and that you can't believe one thing and then vote against it. I just don't."
Fey: "And your personal experience is going to inform what you think. Look at Nancy Reagan saying now we need stem cell research because of her experience."
Behar: "Well, hopefully he will see the light because of his experience. Except he'll be out of office pretty soon please! Two years. This is the first time I've wanted two years to fly by at this age."
