More romance and politics

Blogs toast Cheney's lesbian bodice-ripper
Chicago Sun Times
Lynne (Cheney) has been the toast of the blogs in the past few weeks after an erotic book she penned more than 25 years ago, Sisters, was outed by Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat who was running against George Allen for the U.S. Senate. Allen accused Webb of writing a salacious book (he wrote about Vietnam), and Webb shot back with barbs about Lynne's carnal creation, a potboiler about lesbian sex and brothel life in the 19th century Wild West.

When I read the above story in the Chicago Sun Times last week, it reminded me to follow up on the Texas state comptroller race. Both are cases of someone dredging up ancient novels and using them to further a political agenda. Scary stuff. Oh, and I have to add, while Jim Webb won the Virginia senate seat, Fred Head lost Texas state comptroller.

Sensuality sells the romance novel
From very tame to downright erotic, the genre continues to be a hot topic
Houston Chronicle
It wouldn't be wise to read Fred Head an excerpt from one of Alison Kent's erotic romance novels. Head, the Democratic candidate for state comptroller, said his Republican opponent, Susan Combs, is a pornographic-book writer and posted excerpts from her 1990 romance novel A Perfect Match (Meteor Kismet) on his vote-for-me Web site.

The morning after: The romance novelist vote
Houston Chronicle online blogger
I was pleased to Democratic state comptroller candidate Fred Head trounced by Republican Susan Combs. (Yes, you read that right.) Why? Because Head ran one of the most idiotic campaigns of the year, making it about a steamy romance novel Combs wrote long ago. Because, you know, that's really the most relevant thing to talk about when it comes to state finances. As somebody who pounds a keyboard both for love and money, I have an affinity for anybody who does the same at some point in her life; and as someone who's published fiction, I resent anybody who doesn't seem to understand what fiction is. Head behaved like a moron and got his due. Bye, Fred. Please don't come back. Ever.