I’ve been staying out of the Mary Cheney controversy, though if you’re interested you can always check out my wife versus one of my first blogfriends on the subject. Mentioning the Vice-President’s daughter wouldn’t have been my first impulse when answering that question, but I don’t think there is anything intrinsically wrong with it. Kerry didn’t say anything pejorative about her; he merely stated a fact. One that does have some relevance, as Mary Cheney is both out and listed as her father’s campaign manager. Still it was probably bad taste, as it was when John Edwards went out of his way to mention her during the VP debate.
What stuns, and impresses me to be quite honest, is the political spin the Republicans are getting for this. They’ve now controlled the news cycle for another three days, and it may continue throughout the weekend. This is all the news is talking about right now, not the President’s embarrassing gaffe about not being concerned with bin Laden, or Kerry’s awful pandering answer to the question of Social Security. To be honest, I’m firm in my conviction that at least part of the Cheney’s anger over this is manufactured. Either that, or the Cheneys are ashamed of their daughter’s sexual orientation. You don’t get this mad at someone for merely stating a fact. It isn't an insult to be called gay, especially when you are, and are so publicly. I also notice that neither Cheney reacted this way when Alan Keyes called Mary Cheney a “selfish hedonist”. Nor do they get all ticked off when other Republican Senate candidates rant about the threat of "rampant lesbianism".
But now, they’re really angry and John Kerry is just a horrible, horrible person.
Because he stated the truth.
Posted by Frinklin at October 15, 2004 07:31 PM