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."
"You're making that up."
- Am I now ;/
"And if John Kerry were elected President, Richard Reeves would rise from the dead and walk again!"
My great respect for Mary Cheney has been further affirmed.
Does he still have that big ugly zit on his lip?
J/K = Just Kidding.
lol...for a minute there I thought my 5 minutes of fame came and passed without me even noticing.
It is called "killing with kindness", but you are too vulgar to understand such a thing, Johnnie-Boy. All Cheney left out was the "Bless your heart..."
I loved it when he had Mary hold the Bible for his swearing-in, instead of Mrs Cheney. 'Hey Johnny, watch this, you slimeball.'
Among the lowest stunts pulled during the campaign was the use of Mary Cheney to attempt to depress, they thought, the turnout of Christian conservatives. It backfired rightly in their faces.
Another all time was suggesting the lame would walk and the dead would rise if we elected "Brother Kerry".
Truly despicable soulless men.
Does he think that child will be fodder for other people to mock some day?
~~~~~~~~
"...beside the point of the debate."
Au contraire!!! it was extremely relevant. One of the many reasons I voted for Bush/Cheney was to keep from having this:
as "First 'Lady'"!!!!!.
He said, unsolicited, that Mary was a selfish hedonist and a sinner.
Ah, but McCain takes the cake with this tasteless joke he told publicly in the late 90s:
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is the father."
The McCain-Loving media buried that. A despicable thing to say about the President's daughter and the Attorney General -- but that's McCain. He stooped even lower than Bubba IMHO.
You're right. Cheney's performance was masterful.
The best part was after Cheney "thanked" Edwards for his "kind words", Ifill turned to Cheney and asked him if he would care to comment on what Edwards had just said. Cheney reponded: "I'd prefer not to". There followed an awkward pause with Ifill and Edwards seemingly taken aback and embarressed.
The tone and body language spoke volumes. It was as if Ifill and Edwards the girly man were interviewing John Wayne.
Edwards defends choice to mention Cheney's gay daughter in debate
Edwards defends choice to be a failed irrelevant leader without principle in an irrelevant political party without principle.
The best part is that Mary Cheney could (and should) kick that little sissy's ass.
I agree with you.
However, I don't support her support for gay marriage or gays adopting.
She had stated that she supports that. That is where I draw the line. She should have waited until her Dad left office if she wanted to say that in her book.
I cannot support either thing, regardless of who is saying it, and regardless of whose daughter she is.
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