Posted on 05/10/2006 3:25:14 PM PDT by Peach
John Edwards defended his decision to mention the sexual orientation of Vice President Dick Cheney's openly gay daughter in a 2004 debate, rejecting Mary Cheney's criticism in a newly released book.
Attending a labor rally in New York on Wednesday, Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, was asked about Mary Cheney's comments about the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee. In her book, "Now It's My Turn," Cheney called Edwards a "total slime" and argued that he tried to use her sexual orientation as a political tool against her father.
She said she mouthed an expletive after Edwards praised the Cheney family during the October 2004 debate for their willingness "to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter."
Edwards said Wednesday that he stood by the comments.
"What I did was express my respect and admiration for the way the Cheney family, along with millions of other families, have embraced members of their family, and if I remember the vice president was very gracious in reacting to that," Edwards said. "I think it was appropriate."
During the debate, moderator Gwen Ifill asked Vice President Cheney about his comments that "freedom means freedom for everybody" and whether that was consistent with the Bush administration's support for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Cheney repeated his comments on freedom and added, "People ought to be free to choose any arrangement they want. It's really no one else's business." He said that was a separate question from government sanction of a union.
That prompted Edwards to mention the Cheneys' daughter and how they deserve respect for being willing to talk about her.
After additional Edwards' comments on gay marriage and civil unions, the vice president said, "Let me simply thank the senator for the kind words he said about my family and our daughter. I appreciate that very much."
In recent months, Edwards has traveled the country as a vocal anti-poverty advocate while contemplating a possible 2008 presidential bid. He refused on Wednesday to say whether he had made a decision about a possible candidacy, saying only that he is "seriously thinking about it."
David Letterman uses Cheney's gay daughter in jokes? OMG. OMG.
It proves true to me nearly every day what I've said for years: The self named party of tolerance is actually the least tolerant group of people in the United States.
What??
whattajerk.
Pretty boy can explain it anyway he likes, but the bulk of Americans from all "sides" saw that cheap shot for exactly what it was.
Kerry and Edwards really overplayed their hand on that one.
And the left tries to tell us THEY would handle diplomacy better than Bush? Hah!
Speaking of words, I was in Austin TX visiting my sister last spring when I noticed Dan Rather waiting for his plane. So I went up to him with a piece of paper and some nice words and proceeded to ask him for his autograph. He obliged and then I proceeded to blow my nose in the autograph, crumpled it up, threw it in the garbage and told him that that’s exactly what he did to journalism and his career. Some people laughed others frowned I just told him to have a nice day and boarded my plane.
I saw her on Fox the other day (I forget which show), and all I could think was: How refreshing it is to see a person who is gay NOT turning everything into the "Look at me I'M GAY" show. Seriously. Not just celebrities or public figures, even gay people I know in real life do this. Somehow every single conversation goes back to, "Oh, did I tell you? Yes, I'm GAY!!!!"
Why is that EVER my business???
Yes. And don't forget Kerry brought this matter up too. It was obviously an orchestrated and calculated attempt to drive a wedge between social conservatives and others in the party.
If one looks at the courtroom tactics of the shyster trial lawyer, Edwards, one can't be surprised. With Kerry it was his usual excursion into gutter politics to get votes.
There's only one way of desribing both: NO CLASS!
It was in the WaPo several weeks ago.
LOL. I'll bet dollars to donuts that Rather reflects on that daily....
This is a really good parallel, Darkwolf..........completely accurate, but inappropriate information for the debate.
The thing that still makes me mad is that it was an obvious attempt to pull Christians away from Bush/Cheney on the basis of Cheney's daughter's homosexuality.
It stunk on a whole lot of levels............but at least it failed. It only showed that Kerry/Edwards were both even more despicable than we thought they were......
They lost votes because of this gutter level calculation.
I wonder how Edward's family felt when they found out that he was gay.
OMG, that is priceless. I wish I had your nerve -- and originality!
OMG....I love your style....lmao
Wow! Quick on your feet.........and with your nose. :)
John Who?
Please...I'm sure I'm not the only one to piss in his wheaties.
I always think of that stunt when Dems bleat about "Bush isn't bringing us together."
I happen to have a live-and-let-live attitude about gays, but Kerry and Edwards' little "innocent remark" was such a BLATANT play to stir up anti-gay feeling that I often wonder, what do gays think of a candidate who would do that just to get votes?
Of course, black Americans have had to deal with this kind of things from the Democrats forever...as Mrs. Clinton would say, an' you KNOW what ahm talkin' about.
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