雑誌『ピープル』誌のインタビューで、ブッシュ米大統領がメアリー・チェイニーさんの妊娠を祝福した。ディック・チェイニー副大統領の娘であるメアリー・チェイニーさん（Mary Cheney、37歳）は、レズビアンであることをオープンにおり、ヘザー・ポーさん（Heather Poe、45歳）とパートナーの関係にある。via.TransNews
米副大統領の娘が妊娠 同性愛者でも大統領が祝福 [中日新聞]
ブッシュ大統領は「私はとても喜んでいる。メアリーは慈愛に満ちた親になるだろう」「すばらしいママになり、生まれてくる子どもに愛情を十分に注ぐだろう」と語った。
ブッシュ大統領はかつて「同性カップルからも子どもは愛情を受けるだろうが、理想は男性と女性が結婚してできた家庭で育つことだ」と語っていた。インタビューでの発言に保守派は強く反発。スノー大統領報道官は「理想は変わっていないが、大統領はすべての生命は神聖であり、この世に生まれた子どもはすべて愛情を受ける価値があると信じている」と釈明した。
Bush 'happy' for pregnant Mary Cheney [CNN]
In a 2005 interview with The New York Times, Bush said: "I believe children can receive love from gay couples. But the ideal is -- and studies have shown that --the ideal is where a child is raised in a married family with a man and a woman."
He sidestepped the issue when questioned by People magazine about whether he still held that belief.
"Mary Cheney is going to make a fine mom, and she's going to love this child a lot," he said, according to an excerpt from the interview. During the 2004 campaign, Mary Cheney served as a key aide to her father.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush stood by his belief about a mother and father but also believes that "every human life is sacred and that every child that comes into this world deserves love and he believes that Mary Cheney's child will in fact have loving parents."
Bush has supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages, but Congress failed to pass it. The vice president's daughter opposed the measure.
George & Laura Bush: The PEOPLE Interview [People]
The White House family had some happy news this week: Mary Cheney, the Vice President's daughter, is pregnant.
THE PRESIDENT: The Vice President took me aside and gave me the good news. He and his wife, Lynne, are very happy for Mary.
You said in 2005 that ideally "a child is raised in a married family with a man and a woman." Knowing Mary and her partner, Heather, do you still think that?
THE PRESIDENT: I think Mary is going to be a loving soul to her child. And I'm happy for her.
Mary Cheney Opens Up on Dad, Gay Marriage [People]
You were director of vice presidential operations on the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign, but you didn't agree when President Bush announced his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban same-sex marriages?
When President Bush endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment, he let me know he would understand if I wanted to put out a statement. For me, that would have been so inappropriate. I signed on to be a staffer; I didn't sign on to express my own point of view.
But now you can state your opinion on same sex marriage?
I am in favor of legalized same sex marriage. I make it clear in the book I passionately disagree with President Bush on the issue of the Federal Marriage Amendment. But I also make it very clear that I had no doubt, even with that disagreement, that President Bush was the absolute best person to be leading us at this time in our country's history. It would be great to have the luxury of being a one-issue voter, but I didn't, and quite frankly, I don't think our country does.
George Bush Says He's 'Happy' for Mary Cheney [People]
"I am in favor of legalized same sex marriage," she told PEOPLE in May. But during the campaign, she says, "I had no doubt, even with that disagreement, that President Bush was the absolute best person to be leading us at this time in our country's history."
ところで、CNNの記事にも書いてあるが、メアリー・チェイニー氏は2005年、AOL（America Online）の重役に就任した（Wikipedia の”Notable persons associated with AOL”参照）。そして周知のようにＡＯＬはメディア複合企業タイム・ワーナー社（Time Warner Inc）の中核を担う企業であり、『ピープル』誌やＣＮＮもタイム・ワーナーの傘下企業である、ということは知っておいてもよいだろう。
- Time Warner [Wikipedia EN]
[関連記事]
- Bush's First Comments on Cheney Grandchild [ABC NEWS Political Radar]
The President also said there is no doubt in his mind that a woman candidate could be president, and the First Lady agreed. Mrs. Bush referenced Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and noted that while she would be a "really good candidate", Rice is not interested in the job.
"Probably because she is single, her parents are no longer living, she's an only child. You need a very supportive family and supportive friends to have this job," the First Lady said.
- Bush on Mary Cheney’s Baby [Caucus NY Times]
Here’s the Q&A with Mr. Snow:
Q: Tony, in an interview with People Magazine, the president was asked about Mary Cheney’s pregnancy, and said he’s confident — he believes she’ll be a loving soul to her child. In the past, he said that he believes the ideal is that a child be raised in a married family with a man and a woman. Does he still believe that’s the ideal?
Mr. Snow: Yes, he does, but he also believes that every human life is sacred and that every child that comes into the world deserves love. And he believes that Mary Cheney’s child will, in fact, have loving parents.
Q: Does he believe that children who are raised by gay and lesbian parents are at a disadvantage?
Mr. Snow: He does not make comments on that, and nor will I.
AOLは同社の英国におけるインターネット事業を，3億7000万ポンド（約6億8800万ドル）でCPWに売却する。手続きは2006年末までに完了する見込み。これにより，CPWはAOLの英国インターネット接続事業とこれに関連する顧客サービス部門を獲得する。CPWが得るAOLの英国ユーザーは約210万人で，英国で第3位のブロードバンド・サービス・プロバイダとなる。
- 米ＡＯＬの幹部3人退任へ、管理職部門のリストラで＝関係筋 [Yahoo! ニュース／ロイター]
米タイム・ワーナー
傘下のＡＯＬの幹部３人が退任する。インターネット部門のリストラと広告売上高拡大を目指した管理職部門刷新の一環という。
