WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday evening he was taken aback when his daughter Mary and her wife took to social media to rail against his other daughter Liz’s stance on same-sex marriage.
“We were surprised when there was an attack launched against Liz on Facebook and wished it hadn’t happened,” Cheney told the audience at a National Press Club event.
Cheney, at the venue to promote he recently released book, “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey,” expressed regret that his daughters aired out their grievances in public.
“It’s always been dealt with within the context of the family, and, frankly, that’s our preference,” Cheney said.
When moderator Barbara Cochran, president of the National Press Club’s Journalism Institute, attempted to press Cheney to elaborate, he balked.
“I’ve gone as far as I’m going to go on the subject,” Cheney said, before adding a final word of caution. “Don’t waste your time.”
The feud between Cheney’s daughters was sparked when Liz, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Mike Enzi in Wyoming, told Fox News’ Chris Wallace in November that she does not support same-sex marriage. The interview prompted a vitriolic series of Facebook posts from her sister Mary, who is gay, and her wife, Heather Poe.
“Liz – this isn’t just an issue on which we disagree – you’re just wrong – and on the wrong side of history,” Mary Cheney posted on Facebook.
Dick Cheney’s remarks at the Washington event echoed his comments last month to CNN’s Jake Tapper. The former vice president told Tapper that his position on this issue is “well known” and he would “let (his) daughters speak for themselves.”
In a statement to Tapper, Liz Cheney did not waver from her stance while insisting she’s always treated her sister’s family with kindness.
“I love my sister and her family and have always tried to be compassionate towards them,” Liz said. “I believe that is the Christian way to behave.”
