| [The campaign] ad strategically criticizes Bush without ever mentioning his name or the specific disagreement at hand...
The ad features grainy black-and-white footage of Dick Cheney talking encouragingly about gay relations during an October 2000 vice presidential debate in Kentucky. "The fact of the matter is we live in a free society, and freedom means freedom for everybody," said Cheney, whose daughter Mary is openly gay and works on his campaign. "We don't get to choose, and shouldn't be able to choose, and say you get to live free but you don't. People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into. That matter is regulated by the states." On screen, key phrases appear. "States can choose for themselves," followed by "Federal law protects them from what other states decide." More Cheney: "I think different states are likely to come to different conclusions and that's appropriate. I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area." The ad concludes, "We agree. ... Don't amend the Constitution." Fade to black. With a relatively small $1 million buy, the ad is clearly targeted at political leaders in Washington, but officials said it will air for several weeks in swing states such as Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. |
Who's running that ad? Log Cabin Republicans.
