Free Republic

The wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards said Monday that Republican criticism of Sen. John Kerry for mentioning Mary Cheney's sexual orientation was a distraction from more pressing issues. Campaigning in Denver, Elizabeth Edwards also argued that President Bush has tried to politicize the issue of gay rights in pressing for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. ``I believe the president has tried to use the constitutional amendment as a wedge issue, instead of addressing things like health care or real reform and attention to our veterans' issues,'' Edwards said. Mrs. Edwards also said she was upset...

Elizabeth Edwards is blasting Second Lady Lynne Cheney for objecting to John Kerry calling her daughter "a lesbian" during Wednesday night's presidential debate. In the ugliest outburst yet in the Kerry-lesbian contretemps, the woman who wants to replace Mrs. Cheney told ABC Radio network news Thursday morning, "I think that [Mrs. Cheney's complaint] indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences." While praising Mrs. Cheney as "a wonderful advocate" for her daughter in the past, Mrs. Edwards said Mrs. Cheney had "overreacted" last night when she called Kerry "not a good man" for publicly identifying...