DeafRepublicans goes National!

DeafRepublicans gets Yahoo News attention on "war of words" with the Kerry/Edwards campaign. Also, see Kokonut Pundits "open letter" to the Kerry/Edwards campaign a few days earlier. leading up to this breaking Yahoo News.


US election rivals in war of words over deaf vote
1 hour, 41 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The increasingly shrill battle for the US presidency has even led to a fight to win the attention of deaf Americans.


A Republican group representing the deaf bristled Thursday at a statement by Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites)'s campaign suggesting that all Americans with hearing loss were rooting for the Massachusetts senator in Tuesday's vote.

"While they are entitled to their own opinions about their candidate, they are most certainly not at liberty to speak for the entire deaf and hard of hearing community," said Richard Brklacich, of the DeafRepublicans group.

Insisting that many back President George W. Bush, he said: "We take offense to their presumptuous claim of endorsement by a community that is as diverse in their ideas and beliefs as America's general population."

The Kerry campaign website features a statement from Gregory Hlibok, co-chair of the National Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans for Kerry-Edwards Steering Committee, which says the "27 million Americans with hearing loss" are backing Kerry.

Hlibok's co-chair, Judy Stout, added that "John Kerry has a proven record of providing opportunities to Americans with disabilities."

DeafRepublicans retorted that the 27 million figure was "inflated" and that Kerry's "paltry record on disabilities ... stands in stark contrast to the many noteworthy accomplishments of" Bush.