My Rantings and Other Non-Sensical Thoughts

VP Cheney called himself "a pretty angry father" today after John Kerry mentioned his gay daughter during the final presidential debate - comments Kerry said were meant to be positive about families with gay children.

The Veep's wife called Kerry "not a good man" and his remarks about daughter Mary Cheney "a cheap and tawdry political trick".

Asked Wednesday night by debate moderator Bob Schieffer whether homosexuality was a choice, Kerry said: "We're all God's children, Bob, and I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was. She's being who she was born as. I think if you talk to anybody, it's not a choice."

Now, I agree it's not a choice. However, he didn't have to call out Mary Cheney like that. Seems more politically motivated than anything when you consider that John Edwards wife suggested in a radio interview that Mrs. Cheney might feel "a certain degree of shame" because her daughter is a lesbian."

Kerry issued a statement today after the Cheneys expressed anger over his remarks: "I love my daughters. They love their daughter. I was trying to say something positive about the way strong families deal with this issue."

Uh - what did you say about dealing with the issue? Nothing. In addition, Cheney has two daughters, so why in that statement didn't he say "They love their daughters"?

Mrs. Edwards said today (about Mrs. Cheney): "She's overreacted to this & treated it as if it's shameful to have this discussion. I think that's a very sad state of affairs...I think it indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences...It makes me really sad that that's Lynne's response."

Now - I've known the Cheney's have had a lesbian daughter for a long time. They've never tried to deny it or say anything that leads me to believe they don't accept it. And you know what? It *is* shameful to have this discussion because the SOLE reason it was brought up was to let redneck America know that the Cheney's have a lesbian daughter. Notice also that Mrs. Edwards said "with respect to her daughter's sexual preference an indication that she thinks it's a choice rather than the way someone's born, which is what Kerry tried to say.

Cheney had no objection when Edwards brought up Mary Cheney during their debate. Edwards stated "respect for the fact that they're willing to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter, the fact that they embrace her. It's a wonderful thing." That's because that statement fit in with what they were talking about...it didn't seem as calculated and political as what Kerry said.

While the democratic party is generally friendlier towards Gays and Lesbians, I still think it was wrong to pretty much exploit Mary Cheney like they did.

posted by Chris O. @ 10/14/2004 04:52:00 PM