Dick Cheney lobbies for gay marriage, now that he's powerless

Update: The Maryland House of Delegates passed the bill.

Dick Cheney was the second most powerful man in the world for much of the '00s, during which time the White House pushed for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and relied on a reelection strategy that demonized same-sex families. So of course the former vice president waited until 2012 to lobby for gay marriage. Better late than never?

Last year he endorsed marriage equality, saying that "freedom means freedom for everyone." Now, according to the Baltimore Sun, Cheney — whose daughter Mary is a lesbian — volunteered to discuss the issue with conservative Maryland lawmakers, where the state legislature is debating it. Ken Mehlman, who ran the Republican National Committee during the Bush years (and came out in 2010) has also lobbied the Maryland legislators.

Support for same-sex marriage has skyrocketed from 32 percent in 2004 to 53 percent in 2011. Nevertheless, President Obama — whose opinion is "evolving" — has yet to change his opposition. Not many Democrats will feel comfortable siding with Cheney over the president for whom they plan to vote a second time, but politics makes for strange bedfellows. (Whereas marriage makes for familiar bedfellows.)

Cheney supports gay marriage at the state level, but opposes national legislation. Because the federal government should be reined in, except when it's torturing people.