Log Cabin Republicans, Freedom

A four-year-old vice presidential debate interview with Vice President Dick Cheney, aired on C-SPAN, stars in this commercila for the Log Cabin Republicans.

With a black-and-white picture, and the sound of a film projector, an excerpt of Cheney appears as he says, "The fact of the matter is we live in a free society, and freedom means freedom for everybody. We don't get to choose, and shouldn't be able to choose, and say, 'You get live free, but you don't.' "

The ad never uses the words "gay" or "lesbian" as images of signs for the "Colored waiting room" flash by, along with photos of a black civil rights march, followed by photos of male and female couples. "People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into. That matter is regulated by the states. I think different states are likely to come to different conclusions, and that's appropriate, I don't think there should necessarily be a Federal policy in this area."

The text at the end, referring to Log Cabin, simply says, "We agree. Don't amend the constitution."

"The vice president's statement was powerful," says Log Cabin spokesman Mark Mead. "It's as powerful in 2004 as it was in 2000. It's a soft touch, not very in-your-face. The reason we don't mention the president in the ad is because his vote (on the marriage amendment) is already made."

The TV effort ran on such programs as "Meet the Press," "Good Morning America" and on Bravo, initially in seven largely swing states (Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Wisconsin) and Washington D.C. The ad will run "as long as we keep raising money for it or until it's defeated," Mead says of the amendment. Also, 1,000 copies of the commercial were delivered to Republican senators, representatives, governors and members of the Republican National Committee.