Kerry’s lesbian remark has voters cross

An overwhelming majority of voters believe it was wrong for John Kerry to have mentioned in Wednesday’s Presidential debate, that Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter is a lesbian, according to The Washington Post tracking survey. Nearly two in three likely voters—64 per cent—said Kerry’s comment was ‘‘inappropriate’’, including more than four in 10 of his supporters and half of all swing voters. A third—33 per cent—thought the remark was appropriate.

Kerry’s comment touched off a rare row among family members of the two tickets, and has become one of the hottest topics on talk radio. In the first reaction from President Bush, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters on Air Force One on Friday, that Bush ‘‘does not believe it was appropriate’’. Asked whether he was looking for an apology from Kerry’s camp, McClellan replied, ‘‘That’s something for Senator Kerry to decide.’’ McClellan said he thinks ‘‘a lot of people’’ share the President’s view of the comment. ‘‘I cannot think of a single instance where a presidential candidate has talked about his opponent’s child in such a way,’’ McClellan said.

Kerry made the comment when asked whether he believes homosexuality is a choice. Bush answered that he did not know. Kerry said, ‘‘If you were to talk to Dick Cheney’s daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she’s being who she was, she’s being who she was born as.’’ Cheney has two daughters and one of them, Mary Cheney, who heads vice presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney campaign, has been open about being gay. Lynne Cheney criticised Kerry for raising the issue. The Vice-President expressed his anger the following day. —LAT-WP