Who's missing?

When Dick Cheney's family came up to the stage to join him, there was a notable absence: his daughter Mary. You know, the lesbian. Gee, I wonder why?

There is something about this that is just so foul and cold. It so clearly demonstrates that political calculations trump EVERYthing, including respect for your own family and common decency.

Admittedly, Cheney is in a no-win situation. He has to deal with stuff like THIS from his some fellow Republicans:

Senate candidate Alan Keyes calls Mary Cheney a "selfish hedonist"
Republican Alan Keyes, who is running against Democrat Barack Obama for a U.S. Senate seat from Illinois, has labeled homosexuality "selfish hedonism" and said Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary, is a sinner. The former talk-show host, who has made two unsuccessful runs for the White House, made the comments Monday night in an interview. After saying homosexuality is "selfish hedonism," Keyes was asked if that makes Mary Cheney "a selfish hedonist." "Of course she is," Keyes replied. "That goes by definition."

So I imagine if Cheney brought Mary up on the stage, Keyes and his fellow travelers would be having apoplexy and screaming "selfish hedonist" all over the airwaves, joined by Zell Miller on percussion and Jerry Falwell on bass. And, of course, when he DOESN'T bring her onto the stage, he gets criticized by folks like ME and Log Cabin Republicans of his own party.

But you know what? If you are faced with two unpleasant choices like that, the ONLY proper thing to do is choose on the basis of what's right

If Dick Cheney possessed a single testicle - one OUNCE of principle - he'd tell the Alan Keyeses of the world to stuff it. This is his DAUGHTER.

But instead, Cheney chose to do the craven thing, the expedient thing, the spineless thing. He chose to hide a member of his own family as though she was something to be ashamed of rather than stand with her.

For politics.