July 2000 USA Today article BURIES the Mary Cheney issue

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/conv/037.htm

Republicans to face gay, lesbian issues
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
07/31/00

PHILADELPHIA — Gay Republican activists say Texas Gov. George W. Bush's outreach efforts and the prime-time convention speech of openly gay Arizona congressman Jim Kolbe could help the GOP alter its image as hostile to gay and lesbian voters.

Also, the party's expected embrace of former defense secretary Dick Cheney's openly lesbian daughter could help convince voters that Bush's "compassionate conservatism" is genuine.

The daughters of Bush's vice presidential pick arrived here with their parents Sunday. A close friend said that Mary Cheney, 31, will have a role beyond the convention and will be constantly at her father's side during campaign trips.

"It's a very positive thing for this country to see, for the first time in history, someone on a national ticket with an openly gay child," said Kevin Ivers, spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans, a national organization of 11,000 gay voters that Bush met with during the primaries. "It shows that it's something they know very personally about. It's an issue they have a special sensitivity about."

Still, the GOP faces staunch opposition to progress on gay issues from its far-right wing. This faction restored to the party's platform anti-gay language that Bush had removed. Over the weekend, one of the right's best-known voices, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, created a minor furor by calling Cheney's daughter "errant" in his newsletter. Both gay and mainstream Republicans dismissed Falwell's remarks. "I don't think Dick Cheney is going to allow the fringe to affect his family, " Ivers said.

...more...

[blm]

1. Sent to my local paper. Media blast this to network shows, folks.

.

[JohnnyCougar]

2. done!

[pelagius]

3. Mary Cheney Should Express Her Outrage...

...if what Kerry said was so hurtful.

Speak up, Mary!

[sangh0]

4. Why are we talking about lesbians when bush* forgot about OBL?

Whenever someone mentions something about a lesbian to you, start talking about how bush* forgot about how he forgot about OBL. Don't talk about Mary Cheney. There's no votes in that. Talk about how bush* denied that he said he didn't think about OBL very much.

[Demit]

5. because it exposes their hypocrisy. Pugs are trying to have it both ways--

and the more they protest that Kerry was somehow disrespectful of Mary Cheney the more they are revealed to be very definitely embarrassed by her in front of the fundamentalists, who are quoted here and elsewhere as reviling gay people's behavior as unnatural.

It's actually outing them as repulsive bigots and I say let it rip.

[sangh0]

6. So saying "I don't know where he is and I really don't care" about OBL

is not hypocrisy? You'd rather people know about bush*'s hypocrisy on lesbians than letting them know about his hypocrisy on OBL and terrorism.

[WilliamPitt]

7. Take command of the mainstream media for us, sangha

and make sure the right stuff gets reported. Let us know when you're done. In the meantime, we have to wrestle the alligator where we find it.

[sangh0]

9. Nice dodge, Will

The media is not attacking Kerry over the lesbian remark, and no one is voting for bush* because Kerry isn't "pro-gay" enough.

You can't argue that the lesbian remark is a more important or more influential issue that bush* saying he "doesn't care" where OBL is, so instead you use hysterical straw men.

[WilliamPitt]

11. "The media is not attacking Kerry over the lesbian remark"

Have you been watching? It's all over the place.

You're right. I can't argue that the lesbian remark is more important than Bush's OBL gaffe. I couldn't argue that the Swift Boat stuf was important, either. Guess what? The media made it important. That meant it had to be addressed.

We blew it by not taking the SBV guys seriously when it first came out. Let's not do it again. The history of national elections in the last 30 years is rife with stupid shit becoming paramount. Despising it won't make it go away. Crap like this has to be killed until its dead, and then killed again.

[sangh0]

13. Have I been watching?

I suggest you shut off the cable news. Only a small portion of the voting public gets their info from there. If that's what you were referring to when you asked me "Have you been watching?", then you should consider how your perceptions might have been influenced by cable.

Out here on the streets, no one is talking about Kerry "outing" a lesbian.



IMO, it was also people talking about it that made it important to the media, and what got people talking about that was the ads. All scandals are NOT the same.

We blew it by not taking the SBV guys seriously when it first came out. Let's not do it again

Do you really think they'll be running commercials criticizing Kerry for "outing" Mary Cheney?

IMO, this isn't the SBV guys or their ads. If you want to kill this lesbian BS, talk about OBL.

[geek tragedy]

16. Kerry is getting GORED over this.

The stupid skanks on "The View" were bitching about this--making him seem like an ogre.

That hurts, and it needs to be stopped.

[sangh0]

25. Kerry is winning. Media reports Kerry WON ALL THREE DEBATES

I don't remember that happening Al Gore.

[geek tragedy]

30. It's in progress. Which is why Kerry needs to steer the discussion away

from that crap.

And he should hide Cahill from reporters until Nov. 3.

[sangh0]

37. So Kerry is NOT getting Gored?

You just said Kerry *IS* getting Gored. Now, you're silent on that point.

[geek tragedy]

38. Getting Gored--we need to stop him from being completely Gored.

In other words--he's taken some damage, but he hasn't been fatally Gored.

[sangh0]

39. So Kerry is winning and that indicates he is getting Gored?

Nothing stops the gloom and doomers

[geek tragedy]

40. No. The press has started to Gore him. It is vital that they be stopped

before they do too much damage.

[KittyWampus]

17. "It's All Over The Place"??? No, It Really Isn't....

[krkaufman]

20. Wrong. All of the network news programs covered the "Mary" issue...

... to the exclusion of Bush's debate failures, his Osama lie and all Bush's other lies.

That's CBS, NBC, ABC -- and even CNN (Lou Dobbs).

Only Keith Olbermann gave the "issue" it's proper status and an honest review. See here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1074009&mesg_id=1074009

[geek tragedy]

21. Not to mention the major newspapers, talk shows, etc.

The media whores LOVE to talk about this kind of controversy--it involves LESBIANISM. Howard Stern made a career out of talking about lesbians.

[KittyWampus]

22. You Watch All Those Channels Simultaneously?

so you can monitor how many times this non-story was mentioned?

Bush's Usama Lie DID GET COVERED.

YOU. ARE. WRONG.

[krkaufman]

27. On Thursday's network evening news programs...

... NONE of them covered the OBL lie. ALL of them covered the "Mary Cheney" issue.

I watched CNN/Dobbs & ABC/Jennings(Gibson), and can vouch directly for those two. And am taking the word of fellow DUers who've posted regarding CBS & NBC.

I. Am. Right. :) (Believing it's reasonable to trust my fellow DUers, and sticking to the context of my statement: *NETWORK NEWS* programs.)

The OBL lie *was* covered immediately following the debate by a number of sources, and by Olbermann on Thursday -- but the Thursday network evening news programs had nary a peep on it -- or on much else re: the debates.

p.s. One word... errr... acronym...: DVR

[MsTryska]

31. I can vouch for ya too.

It was on both network and cable news last night, because i caught CBS, CNN a little FOx, and MSNBC last night.....and again this morning, CBS, NBC, and CNN. Fox didn't have it while i was wathcing.

[TankLV]

43. You. Are. Correct.

It's been the lesbian apology "scandal" all over the morning and evening news programs - all of em.

Not a peep on OBL.

[geek tragedy]

28. No, you are wrong.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/15/fri/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml (Two mentions for Mary Cheney--none for bin Forgotten)

http://abcnews.go.com/ (One reference to "cheap and tawdry"--none for bin Forgotten)

http://msnbc.msn.com/ (Three mentions (all sliming Kerry)--none for bin Forgotten)

[KittyWampus]

41. DU'ers Posted MULTIPLE Threads About Media Catching Usama Lie

after the debate.

Footage was shown on various channels.

Too bad so many DU'ers are too stupid to realise they are being used as GOP tools.

[geek tragedy]

42. Too bad the media ISN'T TALKING ABOUT IT ANY MORE!!!!

I'll refrain from returning your gratuitous insult, richly deserved as it may be.

[Snivi Yllom]

35. best post in this thread

Perfect example:

Noone took the swift vets seriously and look what happened.

[hippiegranny]

12. I agree, get the train back on track.

Although I do so love to see a Puggie wedge issue end up where it belongs: right up their butts! HA

[rumguy]

8. check this

[ibegurpard]

10. Hell, yeah

They've been "promoting" their gay daughter on the campaign trail in the hopes of softening their image on this issue. Now they're upset because someone mentioned it in a completely positive way? I'm confused...

[WilliamPitt]

14. .

[KittyWampus]

15. Frankly, Keyes Calling Her A Selfish Hedonist & A Sinner Works For Me

where was the outrage then... several weeks ago?

[krkaufman]

19. Exactly. This is such a transparent propaganda ploy by BC04 n/t

[DrFunkenstein]

18. It Was Alan Keyes Who Brought Up The Matter Of "Choice"

And that was what Kerry was responding to. It wasn't out of thin air.

[Snivi Yllom]

23. how does this bury the issue?

You are thinking about it from the wrong point of view.

Think about it from the viewer who watched the debate and found the exchange very uncomfortable. How does this address those women voters who thought "how dare they bring her daughter up"?

[WilliamPitt]

24. Because her daughter has been brought upo *by her parents*

in the political discourse for the last four years. Kerry didn't just invent this.

[Snivi Yllom]

26. yes, by HER parents

I wont use an analogy, but there are certain lines you dont cross, and one of them is bringing up another parent's child to make a point. It looks poorly on you.

[geek tragedy]

29. That is helpful, but I don't think that quite buries it.

The media smells blood.

Kerry should say something like "Dick and Lynne Cheney have been very vocal in discussing their daughter's orientation. I thought that treating the subject in a positive manner would be perceived as respectful. I deeply regret that they misunderstood the purpose of my remarks--I never meant to cause any offense."

[MsTryska]

34. Yes!

the non-apology apology.


that imo, is the only way to unruffle the protective mom feathers. (and i don't mean Lynn Cheney - it will just shut her up)

[Blue-Jay]

32. but...but...but... according to Rush, Kerry OUTED her!

I'm so confused!

Seriously, the reason that this non-issue has become a RW talking point is that Republicans consider homosexuality to be a dirty little secret. Something not to be talked about in public.

Hush, hush! Only liberals have gay children! It's a choice! Bad parenting and all that...

This is only an issue because RWers are douchebags. Where was the faux outrage when Cheney thanked John Edwards for his kind comments regarding Mary?

[progressivebydesign]

33. Gosh! I posted this same thing 4 times in the past 24 Hours!

I should had Will Pitt post it for me... too funny.

[Neecy]

36. good find

I'm sick to death of this - it's not as though Mary was in the closet and Kerry outed her. She was on the stage after the VP debate with her female partner, she's part of the bogus GOP outreach to gay voters, and she worked for Coors SPECIFICALLY to do gay outreach.

And now the Cheney family is pissed that Kerry mentioned their lesbian daughter - well, I'm sorry, but this girl is one of the most prominent and OUT lesbians in the country today. You can't have it both ways - it's just faux outrage, and a bogus issue.