Indecent tactic

The Washington Times ^ | 10/19/04 | Greg Pierce

[Pfesser]

"The memoir about the Kerry-Edwards campaign that will be the best-seller will reveal the debate rehearsal aimed at focusing national attention on the fact that Vice President [Dick] Cheney has a daughter who is a lesbian," ...William Safire writes.

"That this twice-delivered low blow was deliberate is indisputable. The first shot was taken by John Edwards...

The vice president, to show it was no secret or anything his family was ashamed of, had referred to it briefly twice this year, but the press — respecting family privacy — had properly not made it a big deal.

Mr. Safire added: " ...Other Republicans hope he will let his self-inflicted wound fester. They have in mind a TV spot using an old film clip of a Boston lawyer named Welch at a congressional hearing, saying 'Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?' "

Indecent tactic II
"John Kerry clearly felt he was riding high in the final presidential debate last week in Tempe, Ariz., when he impulsively and inexplicably noted that Vice President [Dick] Cheney's daughter Mary is a lesbian," syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak writes.

"That shocked politicians of both parties, focus group participants and just plain voters. What happened next could affect the outcome of the closely contested election," Mr. Novak said.

... The overwhelming sentiment was for no apology. Indeed, the hard language from principal Kerry surrogates described Mary Cheney as 'fair game' and asserted that her mother is ashamed of her.

" ... Still, overnight polling after the Cheney flap showed a sharp gain by George W. Bush..."