Mary Cheney is a Lesbian?
The hottest post-presidential debate chatter Thursday wasn't about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, the high cost of health care or wayward scowls. It was over the appropriateness of discussing the sexual orientation of Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney.
While the Kerry/Edwards-Cheney family spat made for good sound bites, experts say it was little more than late-season politics at its most partisan.
Mary's mother, Lynne Cheney, said Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry was “not a good man” for mentioning her 34-year-old daughter's lesbianism during Wednesday's debate. Dick Cheney said Thursday that he was “an angry father.” (source)
On my way home last night, they were discussing this on the radio. The show I was listening to was a talk/news show. Some of it is tongue-in-cheek. One announcer stated that although Cheney has referred to his daughter as “gay”, he has never referred to her as a “lesbian”. Perhaps he was upset because, although he knew she was “gay”, he didn't yet know that she was a “lesbian”!
I almost drove my car off the road laughing.
My opinion in this. In the vice presidential debate, it was Cheney who brought up his daughter being gay. He initiated this. It is a well know fact that she is gay (I don't say that proudly) so, as some has mentioned, Kerry did not “out” Mary Cheney.
Having mentioned his daughter's gayness in the vice presidential debate, she became fair game. Vice President Cheney is the one who opened the door on this. And, Kerry said nothing derogatory what so ever about Mary. The context of his even mentioning her was to show the family strength of everyone who was running.
Cheney is merely using this, as he does everything else, as a political ploy. He seriously needs to grow up.
5 Comments
Leave a comment
Something came to mind today while I too listened to all the hoopla of the gayness of Mary. Is this really a smart move by the Republicans to make a big deal about this if in fact it will be a wedge issue for the very devoutly Christians. This got a lot of play which I don't think is going to move independents or Democrats for that matter. I am just not so sure the expense of strongly pointing out the hypocrisy of this team is worth getting the media off the subject of losing 3 debates in a row.
Mary has also been a public gay activist for a number of years. Kerry's "outing" (in the words of Charles Dobson) of Mary Cheney wasn't news. The only thing that's reprehensible about this is how Mary's own mother and father are using her as a means to garner more votes for Bush.
...and let's not get into the fact that Alan Keyes' daughter is a "selfish hedonist!"
It's also worth noting that when Republican Alan Keyes called Mary a "Selfish hedonist" because she is a lesbian, the Cheneys offered no reaction, but Kerry's fairly positive comment about her has drawn fire.
It should also be noted that Cheney mentioned his daughter's sexuality 4 years ago! And that following Sen Edward's comments in the Vice Presidential debate on October 5th, Cheney thanked Edwards for "the kind words he said about my family and our daughter. I appreciate that very much."
Kind of simoplistic, but all I have to say to Dick adn Lynne is: go Cheney yourself!