Lynne Cheney
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[Start of Part 2]

BLITZER: Welcome back to "LATE EDITION."

We're continuing our conversation with Lynne Cheney. She is the wife, of course, of the vice president, Dick Cheney.

Mrs. Cheney, the White house, the Republicans now pushing an amendment in the U.S. Senate, debate starting tomorrow, that would have a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. I want you to listen to what your husband said four years ago on this sensitive subject.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD B. CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that means that people should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into. It's really no one he's business in terms of trying to regulate or prohibit behavior in that regard.

I think different states are likely to come to different conclusions and that's appropriate. I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Now, I interviewed the vice president a few months ago, and he revised his position to say he supports the president when it comes to this issue. As the vice president he has no choice: He has to support the president.

But is this a good idea for a constitutional amendment to come forward that would ban same-sex marriage?

CHENEY: Well, I thought that the formulation he used in 2000 was very good. And first of all, to be clear that people should be free to enter into their relationships that they choose. And, secondly, to recognize what's historically been the situation, that when it comes to conferring legal status on relationships, that is a matter left to the states.

Of course, what's happened is we're in a situation now where the ability of the states to do that has been called into some question by the actions of the court in Massachusetts.

BLITZER: So you heard Olympia Snowe and Dianne Feinstein say it is a bad idea, even though they both said it's not a good idea to have same-sex marriage, to codify it into law, it's a bad idea to have a constitutional amendment, that's the nuance right there. That's the difference between the Kerry-Edwards position and the Bush-Cheney position.

CHENEY: I think that the constitutional amendment discussion will give us an opportunity to look for ways to discuss ways in which we can keep the authority of the states intact.

BLITZER: Well, and maybe I'm missing something.

CHENEY: No, I've answered the question twice, Wolf.

BLITZER: So your position is basically...

CHENEY: It's a good point for discussion.

BLITZER: Just leave it alone, and...

CHENEY: You bet. You bet.

BLITZER: ... and move on. This is obviously...

CHENEY: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: ... a sensitive subject that all of us appreciate, you know, your position on this matter.

Let's talk a little bit about Ken Lay. Ken Lay indicted this week. We saw his picture in our going forward. There's some confusion or at least some question in there whether he played a significant role, if any role, in helping your husband come up with the energy task force recommend-ations. Based on what you know, did he?

CHENEY: I met Ken Lay once in passing. That's all I know. I can't help you, Wolf.

BLITZER: That's it?

CHENEY: Well, I just don't know anything.

BLITZER: All right. Let's move on.

CHENEY: It's always interesting in Washington to pretend you know things when you don't, but I found that it's not usually a good idea.

BLITZER: If you don't know you just say it. I don't know.

CHENEY: Yes. "I don't know," is the answer.

BLITZER: All right. Let's move on and talk about a subject close to your heart, the books, the history books that have won the new prize and I want to go through -- the first one, "An American Plague." That's the main reason why you wanted to come on the program.

CHENEY: That's why I'm here.

BLITZER: Right now to talk about this new book by Jim Murphy, "An American Plague," that won the prize for school kids, whether elementary or middle or high school.

CHENEY: This is middle school kids and up.

BLITZER: And tell us why you picked this book -- and we're showing the book jacket on our screen.

CHENEY: Well, I have a very distinguished committee that helps in picking this book. Hugh Sidey was on the book selection committee this year, and I have wonderful historians on the larger committee, David McCullough, Ken Burns, so it's not just my selection, but this book just naturally gravitated to the top.

It's a wonderful story about a crisis in Philadelphia in 1793, when yellow plague struck and about the heroes that stepped forward to meet the crisis. And among them were the members of the free African- American community.

We gave the award to Jim Murphy, the author of this book, at Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, which was founded by one of the leaders of the free African community, who was also instrumental in bringing help to the sick and dying.

People were leaving the city and the free African-Americans were willing to go nurse people. They were taking care of orphans. It is a story of true heroism that little kids will love to have read to them, middle school and high school kids...

BLITZER: The 2004 James Madison Book Award.

CHENEY: ... really be brought into it.

BLITZER: All right. Let's talk about the others, not the winners but there were some others that were excellent as well. Give me a quick sentence on each one on as we go through them, why these books are so good. "Shutting Out the Sky," by Deborah Hopkinson.

CHENEY: This is a story of immigrants who came to this country from the late 1890s to the first decade of the 20th century about how grim their lives were and yet how also opportunity was open to them in this wonderful country.

BLITZER: "Duel of the Ironclads," by Patrick O'Brien.

CHENEY: Oh, wow, this is a book boys will love. It's about, you know, putting iron on ships for the first time. And these two ships fight, and nothing is resolved, neither wins. But the whole course of naval history is changed. Wooden ships after that would be of no good.

BLITZER: Some girls will like that book as well.

CHENEY: Well, I have to just confess, though, that little boys have been taking it off the shelf, but girls will like it. You're right.

BLITZER: "Ben Franklin's Almanac," by Candace Fleming.

CHENEY: This presents in almanac form the story of Ben Franklin's life. Wonderful use of period illustrations, great prose, really interesting book.

BLITZER: This is a weird title but you'll explain it: "Mack Made Movies," by Don Brown.

CHENEY: This is the story of Mack Sennett. This is a picture book for little kids, wonderfully illustrated about Mack Sennett, the Keystone Kops, he was there at the beginning of the motion picture industry.

Kids will like it because it talks about something they know, and tells them the history of it.

BLITZER: These are books that all of our young kids should read.
If you love American history, these are books that you strongly recommend.

CHENEY: I have been so happy to see the really good writing that's going on, and really gratified to be able to present awards.

BLITZER: Let me ask one final question, unrelated, a sensitive subject once again.

When John Kerry used the "f" word in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine, shortly thereafter Andy Card, the White House chief of staff, was on this show, and I want you to listen to what he said to me when -- and I confronted him, when I asked him to react to John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, using that word. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, I've known John Kerry for a long time, and I'm very disappointed that he would use that kind of language. That's beneath John Kerry, and I'm disappointed that he did it.
BLITZER: And do you think he should -- what do you think he should do?
CARD: Well, I'm hoping that he's apologizing, at least to himself, because that's not the John Kerry that I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Now, I've known the vice president for many years, going back to when I was the Pentagon correspondent, and when I heard that he used that word in that exchange with Senator Leahy, I was pretty surprised.

You know him a lot better than I do: Were you that surprised?

CHENEY: Well, it's very unusual, Wolf, but he was sorely tried, if I may say so, by someone attacking his integrity and then pretending to be his best friend. I think that's what set it off.

But I am glad you brought up the fact that -- you know, the way Dick did it, it was a private comment. You wouldn't know it from the amount of publicity that it's garnered, but John Kerry used the same word in an on-the-record interview about the president of the United States.

So, I'm gratified that you would bring that up, because it hasn't been paid much attention to. It doesn't look at least that way from my perspective.

BLITZER: Did you take him to the woodshed a little bit?

CHENEY: No, I really didn't. I mean, he is such a good man, and more likely to say, "Put a sock in it," you know, if he's really tried.

So, you know, I can understand, when people are pushed to extremes, that in a private setting they might say something unusual.

BLITZER: How's he feeling?

CHENEY: He's great, thanks.

BLITZER: Everything is OK?

CHENEY: Everything's great.

BLITZER: Lynne Cheney, I hope you'll come back.

CHENEY: It's my pleasure. Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us.

CHENEY: Good to be here.

BLITZER: No stranger to CNN, Lynne Cheney. And just ahead, new warnings of possible terrorist plans to disrupt this year's election here in the United States. We'll ask two members of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, Chris Cox and Jane Harman, how they view the risks. How worried should Americans be right now?

"LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk, will be right back.

With that the interivew ended, with "the last word in Sunday talk....." but it seems to me that Lynne Cheney was the one to get the last word in......and I loved it. She went right at them in a way that the politicians won't do. I have a feeling that Wolf Blitzer will not be having her back on his show anytime soon, cause she really cleaned his clock! It's about time someone did. And I hope this treatment of the press and the media is contagious.....cause it is so needed....and more often too.

God Bless America
God Bless our Troops

-Robert-