Religious right Republicans attack Laura Bush, call her "tragic"

Picking on the first lady because she doesn't think bashing gays should be an issue Republicans exploit in the fall elections. This should be interesting. And from the American Family Association, no less.

Then again, it has to suck for the American Family Association to finally see all of Mary Cheney's inside influence coming home to roost. You don't invite an avowed lesbian activist, which Mary very much was once upon a time (she wasn't just the gay liaision for Coors, she was also on the board of a gay-straight activist group), into the inner most circles of Republican power and NOT expect her openly-gay presence and rather strong-willed views to influence those around her.

Pick up Mary's book, folks (but please don't buy it, it's really not worth it, just browse at a bookstore). In the book Mary makes clear that lots and lots and LOTS of Republican aides came into her office, closed the door, and told her how awful they thought this anti-gay constitutional amendment was. Mary was their friend, and they didn't want to do ANYTHING to hurt their friend. Does anyone in the religious right REALLY think ANY of those staffers are pulling the extra hours to help make gay-bashing a high priority in the Mary Cheney White House? I don't think so.

And you just saw Mary's influence on Laura Bush. Does anyone really believe that it's a coincidence that Laura Bush is speaking out rather unfavorably on the religious right gay-bashing agenda the same week that Mary Cheney's "I'm a lesbian and dad thinks it's okay" book comes out? Please.

The lesson here for Republicans and corporate America is that whether you're a big American company (Ford) or the president of the United States (Bush), if you get in bed with these people they WILL burn you. They know no loyalty, no limits, and have no sense of politics other than threatening to destroy you unless you agree with 110% of their agenda. To hell with gas prices going through roof, seniors getting threatened with Medicare cut-offs, the war in Iraq getting worse every day. The religious right Republicans will demand that you focus on THEIR extreme fringe agenda, even if it shoots you in the foot, or you're dead.

You created Frankenbigot, my Republican friends, now you get to live with it.