Free Republic

"Fair Game" From the October 25, 2004 issue: Does John Kerry really think the American people will believe that he singled out Mary Cheney because he "was trying to say something positive about the way strong families deal with this issue?" by William Kristol 10/25/2004, Volume 010, Issue 07 "We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as." --John Kerry, responding to Bob Schieffer's question, "Do you believe homosexuality is a...

Disgraceful attempts by John Edwards and John Kerry to exploit for political purposes the sexual orientation of Mary Cheney, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, ended the possibility of their winning the election. Adam Nagourney of The New York Times, summed up the feelings of many, when he wrote, “Amid signs of Democratic concern, Mr. Kerry’s advisers acknowledged Sunday that some voters perceived Mr. Kerry’s remark [that Mary Cheney is a lesbian] as an invasion of Ms. Cheney’s privacy, a gratuitous personal insult, or a crass political calculation by which Mr. Kerry was trying to drive a wedge between Mr....

ctober 18, 2004 OP-ED COLUMNIST The Lowest Blow By WILLIAM SAFIRE ashington 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 Cheney has a daughter who is a lesbian. That this twice-delivered low blow was deliberate is indisputable. The first shot was taken by John Edwards, seizing a moderator's opening to smarmily compliment the Cheneys for loving their openly gay daughter, Mary. The vice president thanked him and yielded the remaining 80 seconds of his time; obviously it was not a...

Politics and government is a universe in and of itself. It expands, usually with imprudent omnipotence; contracts, albeit begrudgingly, not to mention very rarely; and there is a moon orbiting Ted Kennedy, most visible in the autumn night sky when you gaze low in the southeast toward Au Bar. This is a universe that is also governed mostly by attorneys, a breed of leader that, when told "the hour is upon us," first makes sure that the hour is billable. Speaking of attorneys, there are two doozies on the Dems' ticket this year, culled from the immense sue-happy reef in...

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...

Have You No Shame Senators? Judson Cox In January, I wrote a column entitled “The John Edwards North Carolina Knows.” I accused Sen. Edwards of being a side show huckster, a snake oil salesman, a man willing to exploit any situation and use any person to advance his career. I based my evaluation of Edwards, not only on his public statements, but on my personal experience with him. I knew his faults, because I know the man. Many people responded, angrily defending Edwards. This week, Edwards proved my point. Edwards said, at a rally in Newton, Iowa, “... when John...

With the U.S. presidential election just a few weeks away, much political discussion centers on questions of national security and economic affairs. But America's news media remain focused on the controversy that erupted last week when Democratic Party presidential hopeful John Kerry mentioned the sexual orientation of Vice President Cheney's daughter, Mary, who is gay. Debate over the appropriateness of Mr. Kerry's comment dominated several U.S. television political programs Sunday. Four days after the third and final presidential debate, a panel discussion on Fox News Sunday turned into a virtual shouting match on the question of John Kerry mentioning Mary...

OP-ED COLUMNIST Washington — 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 Cheney has a daughter who is a lesbian. That this twice-delivered low blow was deliberate is indisputable. The first shot was taken by John Edwards, seizing a moderator's opening to smarmily compliment the Cheneys for loving their openly gay daughter, Mary. The vice president thanked him and yielded the remaining 80 seconds of his time; obviously it was not a diversion he was willing to prolong. Until that...

PRESIDENT Bush has surged to a six-point lead in his battle to stay at the White House — amid a backlash against election rival John Kerry among women voters. Senator Kerry’s popularity plunged after he singled out vice-president Dick Cheney’s daughter as a lesbian in the final head-to-head TV debate. The comment while answering a question on beliefs about homosexuality enraged her family. Mum Lynne Cheney demanded an apology after accusing Kerry of a “tawdry political trick”. Bush now leads his Democrat challenger by 50 points to 44 — his strongest lead for three weeks, according to a poll by...

In one of my favorite westerns, a skinny Marlon Brando turns to his betrayer, Karl Malden, and says: "You're a one-eyed Jack around this town, dad, but I've just seen the other side of your face." The movie was aptly titled "One-Eyed Jacks." I thought of it during last week's presidential debate, while listening to the ostentatious sincerity in a politician's voice. I heard the words, "We're all God's children," and then, "... Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian." That's when Sen. John Kerry became a one-eyed Jack. He delivered the other side of his old altar boy's face on...

Despite Kerry's angel-faced sanctimony, this was a piece of premeditated gay-baiting (John Edwards used the same gambit in his debate with Cheney) whose transparent purpose was to keep some of the GOP's evangelical voters from turning out on Nov. 2. This was a miscalculation. Since the debate, the Christian right has been rallying to the side of Mary Cheney. Well-known political preachers like Jerry Falwell and James Dobson have gone out of their way to defend her right to privacy. Conservative radio talk shows and Web sites have been flooded with denunciations of Kerry and support for Mary. This reaction...

The Two Johns: So What Do You Want for Lunch? (election levity) Written by Gregory Borse Sunday, October 17, 2004 A new reality television series is being launched by Al Gore's fledgling cable channel. Titled ''The Two Johns,'' the series will capture the riveting behind-the-scenes action as two rich, white liberals plot their run for the White House during the 2004 presidential campaign. While the series is still in production, a special screening of previously filmed footage was made available to the press for review. Here's a snip: John: ''So what do you want for lunch?'' John: ''You know, we...

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Is it time for Democrats to panic? If you're a John Kerry supporter, here's some bad news to chew on: Despite winning all three debates according to opinion polls, Kerry hasn't taken the horse-race lead in a single poll that's been released since the third debate, and he seems to be trending the wrong way. Time polled voters on Thursday and Friday and turned up a statistical tie among likely voters, 48 percent for President Bush, 46 percent for Kerry, with a 4 point margin of error. Newsweek's poll, taken over the same period with a 4 point margin...

October 17, 2004 -- Add Mary Cheney's sister's name to a growing list of Cheney family members angry with Sen. John Kerry for bringing up Mary and her sexuality at last week's debate in Tempe, Ariz. Appearing on "Good Morning America" alongside first-daughter hopeful Vanessa Kerry, Liz Cheney — a married mother of four — said an apology from the Democratic nominee "would be appropriate." But Kerry's daughter defended her dad's comments and noted that Mary Cheney's sexual preference is a matter of record. "My father's point was the concept was celebrating a strong family," the younger Kerry said, adding...

The third Bush-Kerry debate may not change the outcome of the presidential election in November. But it may well be remembered as a milestone in the struggle for gay equality and acceptance. Give the credit for that to John Kerry. Toward the end of the debate, moderator Bob Schieffer asked both candidates if they believed homosexuality was a choice. President Bush said he didn't know. Kerry said that it is inborn, and cited an authority on the subject. "I think if you talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she'll say she is being who she was, she's...

October 16, 2004 Kerry Defends His Reference to Cheney's Lesbian Daughter By JODI WILGOREN enator John Kerry said yesterday that his reference to Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter Mary in this week's debate was made "constructively and respectfully," even as the White House press secretary said the president did "not believe it was appropriate." The controversy over Mr. Kerry's comment, which echoed one his running mate, John Edwards, made the week before in a debate with Mr. Cheney, reverberated for a second day on cable television and talk radio. Democrats accused Republicans of focusing on the fuss to distract...

We live in dangerous times. There is a war being conducted on multiple fronts. Our children are dying every day in the haze of desert sands. There are deficits in excess of 400 billion dollars which threaten our currency. There are civil liberty abuses occurring daily because people have the temerity to politely dissent to the way this country is being run. Fifty million people have no healthcare. We have three straight years of increases in the number of families living in poverty. The specter of a military draft hangs over the lives of our children. Our environment is in...

Senator Kerry's mention of the vice president's daughter, in answering a question about homosexuality in America, threatens to break the momentum he has established in recent weeks. President Bush's most conservative supporters invoked one phrase yesterday to describe Mr. Kerry's mention of Vice President Cheney's lesbian daughter during the last presidential debate: Low blow. And the vice president agreed.

John Kerry says he's surprised by the flack over his lesbian comment. The media now in full gear scrambling to put out the fire on the Cheney lesbian comment made by John Kerry. He's not surprised by the flack over this. Folks, don't for a minute think -- you know, Edwards did it, Kerry did it. It means it's calculated. It means they've got some sort of focus group data that makes them think it's going to help them to do it. There's no other way to look at this. Kerry knows plenty of people who are lesbian and gay...

The polls reporting that 64% of Americans are turned off by John Kerry bringing the personal life of Dick Cheney's daughter into the third presidential debate. Check the transcript of the third presidential debate and you will discover that the moderator, Bill Schieffer, did not ask "who do you know?" He asked what do you think? So there is no doubt in the public's mind, now, that John Kerry inserted his remark about Mary Cheney's personal life-style, in a gratuitous manner.