Cheney's daughter and Girly Men

Being away part of last week helped me stay away from the topic of Dick Cheney's daughter and the crap flap about Kerry mentioning her in the debate. Frankly, I think both sides have bathed themselves in shit over this for using her as a political pawn. Readers would correctly guess that I think Kerry's remarks were generally appropriate. However, it is naiive at best and disingenuous at worst for Democrats to say Kerry was just bringing up Cheney's daughter to somehow honor the Veep's family. C'mon, he could have picked Dick Gephardt's daughter or even the chairman of the Log Cabin Club, Patrick Guerriero, who is conservative and from Massachussetts. Instead, he chose the Veep's daughter in order to strike a chord with social conservatives who may be bothered by this issue. No amount of protestations from Democratic friends has convinced me otherwise.

Much as I like the stab, it left open the possibility for a scripted Republican response. Dick and Lynn expressing mock outrage which drives home the family values sentiment that Republicans arrogantly think that they own. It matters not that Mary Cheney may have suggested the Republican response herself, thereby making a political pawn out of herself.

No, what matters is that both parties have chosen an individual who is not thrusting herself in the public eye (for whatever reason) and using that person as political fodder. Frankly, I don't care about the Veep's family or any other candidate's family. Unless there's something criminal going on involving the candidate, the family can stay out of the discussions. I don't even think we should spend time discussing the spouses of the candidates as it tends to reinforce the notion that a married candidate is somehow better to lead than the two fops we've been offered. Leave the family's alone and don't pick on anyone who's not running to use as political pawns. It's disgraceful for both major parties.

Now, having said that, the New York Observer published a hysterical satire today that I think cuts at both parties. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom as well and read about "Girly Men in American History. Class.