Two veterans of the nastiest anti-gay campaigns in recent history are now apparently seeking some sort of redemption. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Bush’s former campaign manager Ken Mehlman have recently decided to work for marriage equality - at least in blue states like New York and Maryland. Cheney has a lesbian daughter and Mehlman came out of the closet after his lucrative Bush years were over.
While opinions differ, overall their recent actions have been panned by the LGBT community. It’s got me thinking a lot about forgiveness and the future, but after much contemplation, I’ve decided they can both drop dead.
The fight for equality is all about changing hearts and minds so I typically seize the opportunity to welcome former adversaries to our side. The difference with Cheney and Mehlman is that they knew better all along. They didn’t come around until they exploited our people for every redneck vote they could harvest and won every election they could win on our backs.
I’m seeing a pattern with Republicans. Get as ugly and cynical as you have to in order to win - then rewrite history later or try to redeem yourself. Even Rove’s following the script. The architect of Bush’s sinister election strategy of putting anti-gay measures on ballots in key states is now trying to rehabilitate his image by—I hope you’re sitting down—claiming to have brought “a courteous and caring tone to a divisive issue”.
As for Cheney and Mehlman, The Daily Kos summed it up this way: “If the only votes they'll work to sway are those of legislators in solidly Democratic states they'll never make a dent in the negative balance they ran up in 2004.”
After eight years of darkness the light of progress is now shining and many involved in Bush’s shameful campaigns are scattering like cockroaches. They’re not owning what they have done and they certainly aren’t apologizing. It appears to me they’re trying to have their cake and eat it too.
I lived through those years. I’ve been on the cold side of the wedge*. Cheney and Mehlman will find no redemption here.
BY: CHRIS ANDOE – VITAL VOICE WEST
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