Posted on 10/15/2004 3:05:37 PM PDT by swilhelm73
In a desperate attempt to win the White House, John Kerry and John Edwards have sunk to practicing the lowest form of politics — using the personal lives of the other candidates and their family members for political gain. Both John Kerry's and John Edwards's specific mention of the sexual orientation of Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter during the debates was a deliberate and calculated political attempt to suppress religious conservative voters from turning out to the polls for President George W. Bush.
During last night's presidential debate, Senator Kerry said, "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." This follows his running mate John Edwards's specific reference to Mary Cheney during the October 5 vice-presidential debate, during which he said, "And you can't have anything but 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."
At a post-debate rally in Pittsburgh, Lynne Cheney said of Kerry's deliberate reference to her daughter's sexual preference: "The only thing I can conclude is that this is not a good man.... I'm speaking as a mom," Mrs. Cheney said. "What a cheap and tawdry political trick."
What else explains both Kerry and Edwards pointing out Mary Cheney's sexual orientation in two nationally televised debates? Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager said in a post-debate interview on Fox News, "There are a lot of questions here about gay marriage and she is someone who's a major figure in the campaign. I think it's fair game."
Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards, Kerry's running mate, made matters worse on Thursday morning when she ridiculed Lynne Cheney for her remarks, suggesting Mrs. Cheney was ashamed of her daughter. Mrs. Edwards said: "It makes me really sad that that's Lynne's response. I think that it indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences that I'm certain makes her daughter uncomfortable. That makes me very sad on a personal level."
This is out of control. No, Mary Cheney's personal life is not fair game. Mary Cheney heads up vice-presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney 04 campaign. She is not running for political office. She has absolutely no role in making domestic-policy decisions in the Bush administration. In fact, the policymaking process on the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage began well before Ms. Cheney formally joined the campaign in late 2003. While Vice President Cheney may hold his own private views about the need for a constitutional amendment, it is President Bush who ultimately sets policy for the administration. And the vice president fully supports the president's decision to endorse the constitutional amendment.
Fox News contributor Mort Kondracke put it best when he said last night, "I think it was totally underhanded — the outing of Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter.... And it struck me as a low blow designed to weaken the Bush-Cheney team with right-wingers who might not know that Dick Cheney has a lesbian daughter."
While the Democrats have been hurling specious and unsubstantiated charges about Republicans suppressing the African-American vote, Kerry and Edwards are leading their party's effort — on national television no less — to discourage religious and social conservatives from going to the ballot box for President Bush. This is dirty politics and the American people should reject them for it.
I would like to see a debate between Mrs. Cheney and Mrs. Edwards.
And I would like to see Lynne Cheney have Arnold Schwarzenegger as her second. Liz can have Chad Clanton.
Mrs. Edwards is a Fat Cow!....Sorry but she's fair game now.
Which gives one a very good idea of their opinion of "the religious right".
Like anyone cares that the vice-president's daughter went lesbian. Is there anyone's family that doesn't have a problem somewhere? Is it Cheney's fault? I don't think so, and if Kerry and the Edwards' advisors told them that was a smart card to play and they bought it, it tells us everything we need to know about their intelligence.
It may terrible to think of, but it could have been far more entertaining if the gin-soaked white raisins guzzlin' Pickles Heinz-Kerry had been handed the female battle axe instead of the tacky, stupid Mrs. Edwards.
The trick is working. We are all talking about this and not talking about the more idiotic things he said.
For instance;
When asked about the Church's condemnation of his stand in support of late-term abortion, a practice that most Americans find appalling... Kerry said, "I believe that I can't legislate or transfer to another American citizen my article of faith. What is an article of faith for me is not something that I can legislate on somebody who doesn't share that article of faith."
Yet at another point, Kerry said "And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people. That's why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this earth. That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith."
So he says that his faith must NOT guide his policies lest he be imposing it upon others, and then he says his faith DOES guide his policies. He is more than willing to force people to pay for his policies and even late term abortions even if it is against their faith.
To me, this was a huge admission that his faith plays a second string role to political expediency. I think this is a much stronger indictment of the guy.
I disagree. I believe that he thought it was the politically advantageous thing to do and didn't care whether or not it was wrong. His slight hesitation came from his uncertainty over the potential negative consequences of doing it.
Now, now. There is no good reason to insult innocent cows.
"...I would like to see a debate between Mrs. Cheney and Mrs. Edwards..."
Who do you think would draw the 'first blood'? I have no doubts about it. Elizabeth would be truly sorry she ever uttered those words!
"..Mrs. Edwards is a Fat Cow!....Sorry but she's fair game now..."
All along I've been trying to be polite and christian about Elizabeth's appearance. Well, as Kerry is saying...."the gloves are off now!" She gets what she deserves!
"... instead of the tacky, stupid Mrs. Edwards..."
You forgoet 'fat and ugly'!
I think he stumbled over whether to say "gay" or "lesbian." He decided on the more "in your face" of the two (lesbian). Either way, it was a tawdry political trick, but the use of "lesbian" guaranteed the most shock value.
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