Mary Cheney Is An Awful Person

She really, really is.

Mary Cheney, as many might know, is Vice President Cheney's daughter. She is a very open supporter of her father's administration and even worked on the Bush/Cheney reelection campaign in 2004. That would be the campaign whose use of homophobic morality-baiting all across the country to get conservatives to the polls was only trumped by another issue- the fear of terrorism. Mary Cheney is also, by the way, a lesbian. But don't you dare mention she's a lesbian!!! Unless, of course, you are doing so to plug her book in which she discusses how vile and politically manipulative the GOP is proud she is to be gay.

Given the way the Republican Party (following the lead of the Bush/Cheney campaign strategy) went after the gay community and fanned the flames of bigotry on the Christian right in 2004, and given the way the Kerry/Edwards team refused to cave to consultant pressure to denounce gay marriage as well, which of those do you think Ms. Cheney saves her harshest words for? If you guessed Kerry/Edwards, then congratulations, you know the selfish hypocrisy of the Republican party well.

Although Mary Cheney does note that the proposed constitutional amendment was a "gross affront'' to gay Americans, she refuses to place the blame for it on the White House- as if it were randomly created idea that President reluctantly endorsed, instead of a political tool of his own creation. Being interviewed by Larry King tonight, a caller asked her why she didn't speak out against the state-based anti-gay-marriage ballot measures intended to get out the conservative vote. Cheney replied that she didn't see any connection between the ballot measure and more voters turning out for Bush. Out of the closet, but still in denial. The numbers don't lie. She also praises the President, who she says is a "very good man" who simply "hasn't caught up."

No, who's she really angry at John Kerry and John Edwards, who memorably brought up Ms. Cheney during the '04 debates as a way to expose the hypocrisy behind the marriage ban efforts.

Apparently lacking any sense of irony, Mary Cheney has said that Sen. Kerry "was obviously trying to use me and my sexual orientation for his own political gain." Indeed, using homosexuals for political gain is pretty disgusting, no Mary? She refers to Kerry as a "son of a bitch" and Edwards as a "total slime" for mentioning her during the debates. She also said that when Sen. Edwards mentioned her during his debate with her father, she mouthed "go fuck yourself" to him from the audience. Like father, like sellout. But hey, she only mouthed the phrase, she's a good Christian after all.

Sen. Kerry isn't taking this criticism lightly and has responded. The Senator's spokesman said that it "Seems like a suspicious lecture from a political operative who flacked for the most anti-gay administration in history and allowed Karl Rove to divide America for political gain. She’d be more credible if she pushed dad’s administration to support hate crimes legislation and equal rights for gay Americans."

Good for the Kerry crew for firing back. If only Sen. Kerry had been this quick to defend himself against the Swift Boat guys (also totally not connected to the White House of course *cough*), we might not have to be sitting through Mary Cheney's self-loathing media blitz right now.

Thank you Mary Cheney for making Howard Dean's pandering look less awful in comparison.