For such a little guy Samuel David Cheney, weighing in at 8 lbs., 6 oz., sure prompted a hefty debate in the run-up to his birth in Washington this morning. He’s the son of Mary Cheney, and his grandfather is Vice President Dick Cheney.
Ms. Cheney, an executive at A.O.L. and official in her father’s reelection campaign, will raise the boy with Heather Poe, her longtime partner. She has been criticized by gay rights groups for not pushing harder for gay marriage, and by social conservatives for having a child outside of traditional marriage.
The Cheneys have responded sharply to political questions about the child. At a forum in New York City last winter, Ms. Cheney said, as quoted in The New York Times:
“This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate by people on either side of an issue. It is my child….Every piece of remotely responsible research” had demonstrated “no difference between children who are raised by same-sex parents and children raised by opposite-sex parents.”
And Mr. Cheney, during an appearance on CNN, told Wolf Blitzer, the host, that he was “out of line” for asking the vice president to respond to a critical statement from Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group.
Dick and Lynne Cheney pose with their grandson Samuel David
Mary Cheney, the openly lesbian daughter of United States Vice President Dick Cheney, has a given birth to a son, named Samuel David Cheney. The baby was born weighing 8 lbs and 6 ounces (3.9 kg).

Cheney intends to raise the child with her partner, Heather Poe.

Samuel David is the sixth grandchild of the Vice President. The grandparents, Dick and wife, Lynne, posed for pictures with the newborn within hours of Samuel David's arrival. 

In February, while pregnant, Mary said: "This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate by people on either side of an issue. It is my child."