Lynne Cheney Pulls Grandchild Into the Fray

Lynne Cheney responded angrily when Sen. John F. Kerry mentioned her lesbian daughter in his final debate with President Bush. But an aide suggested it was all in good fun Sunday when she referred to her granddaughter to criticize the Democratic presidential candidate’s healthcare plan.

Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife were joined here on the campaign trail by their three grandchildren, who were wearing Halloween costumes. Lynne Cheney introduced them to the crowd: Kate, 10, dressed as a medieval peasant; Grace, 4, in a Sleeping Beauty costume; and Elizabeth, 7, wearing a skeleton mask.

“This is John Kerry’s health plan,” Lynne Cheney said upon Elizabeth’s entrance, drawing peals of laughter.

Bush and Cheney have assailed Kerry’s healthcare proposal, saying the plan to expand coverage by building on an employer-based health insurance system would amount to a government takeover.

That charge has not only been denied by Kerry, it has been disputed by many independent analysts.

In mid-October, the Cheneys expressed outrage when Kerry mentioned their lesbian daughter, Mary, in response to a debate question about homosexuality. The vice president called Kerry “a man who will do and say anything to get elected.” Lynne Cheney said Kerry was “not a good man” and accused him of a “cheap and tawdry political trick.”

When asked if mentioning a grandchild in a political context was different, Cheney’s spokeswoman Anne Womack responded, “Oh, please.”