Does anyone believe the statement released by Mrs. Cheney saying she that the reference to her daughter was "a cheap and tawdry political trick" that led her to conclude Kerry "is not a good man."? Me neither. I think it is an attempt to turn yet another loss by Bush into a win.
But I still think that Kerry should make a statement about it. Something like this:
"My intention was to praise Mary Cheny and her parents. I respect them for their support of their daughter. I respect Mary Cheney for being open and honest about her lifestyle. Being open and honest about her homosexuality was no doubt a difficult choice and I have nothing but admiration for her willingness to be so forthcoming about her sexual orientation."
The great thing about this is that Kerry gets to take the high road while reminding Bush's supporters once again that Cheney's daughter is lesbian.
Don't get me wrong. I fully support gay rights. But you may as well use the prejudice of their base against them if they give you the chance.
Update [2004-10-14 8:0:56 by KariQ]:
The Kerry campaign is much smarter than I am. Here's a paraphrase of the response to the issue that I heard on CNN:
"If Lynn Cheney is embarassed about having a gay daughter, that is something she needs to deal with inside her family. Kerry doesn't think there is anything to be ashamed of."