Former Vice President Dick Cheney once again reiterated his support for same-sex marriage, as long as it’s handled at the state level.

Cheney was asked about recent rulings and legislative action legalizing same-sex marriage, specifically in Iowa, at the National Press Club for the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism awards. His response was “I think that freedom means freedom for everyone.”

This is not the first time Cheney, who has a daughter who is a lesbian, has said publicly that he supports same-sex marriage. During a 2004 campaign stop in Davenport, Cheney differentiated himself from President George W. Bush by saying people “ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.” The caveat, of course, is that marriage laws should be decided on a state-by-state basis, Cheney said.

Cheney joins a growing chorus within the Republican Party calling for greater acceptance of same-sex couples. Earlier this year, Steve Schmidt, the senior campaign strategist for Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid, and McCain’s daughter, Meghan, saig the GOP’s opposition to same-sex marriage is wrong on both political and moral grounds.