The new memoir by Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of the U.S. vice president, drew pointed retorts Wednesday from Democratic Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards, as well as mixed reactions from the LGBT community.

Cheney's book harshly criticizes Kerry and Edwards, who lost the 2004 presidential election to incumbents George Bush and Dick Cheney, for mentioning her sexuality during televised debates.

"I was furious," she writes about Kerry's discussion of her in the presidential debate. "It was a blatant and sleazy political ploy." She also calls Kerry a "son of a bitch" and Edwards a "total slime," the Vancouver Sun reported.

Responding to the slap, Kerry spokesman David Wade said Mary Cheney "flacked for the most anti-gay administration in history.

"She'd be more credible if she pushed dad's administration to support hate crimes legislation and equal rights for gay Americans," Wade told The Raw Story Web site.

Edwards told the Associated Press that he stands by the comments he made during the vice-presidential debate.

"What I did was express my respect and admiration for the way the Cheney family, along with millions of other families, have embraced members of their family, and if I remember the vice president was very gracious in reacting to that," Edwards said Wednesday. "I think it was appropriate."

The book, "Now It's My Turn," hit bookstores Tuesday.

In a televised interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News, Cheney admitted that she almost quit the 2004 campaign over President Bush's opposition to same-sex marriage. She added that Bush is a "good man" who "hasn't caught up" on gay rights issues.

Cheney has been with her partner, Heather Poe, for 14 years, and said she considers them married.

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote next month on an amendment to the Constitution preventing same-sex couples from marrying. The measure failed in 2004.

John Aravosis, a Washington gay activist and political blogger, told the Vancouver Sun he believes Cheney's timing is suspect.

"For the longest time, Mary wouldn't speak. Now she gets a million-dollar book advance and suddenly she is speaking," he said. "It rings a little hollow."

Aravosis is one of the activists behind the site dearmary.com, which tried to get Cheney to speak out against the administration's anti-gay policies.

Meanwhile, Cheney's memoir received support Tuesday from the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest gay GOP group.

"There is never an easy or perfect path in the journey of speaking out as a gay or lesbian American," said Patrick Guerriero, the Log Cabin president. "Mary Cheney's story reflects the story of so many Americans who choose to be honest and open about their sexual orientation with their families."

A far harsher critique came from gay syndicated columnist Wayne Besen, who suggested this week that Cheney has betrayed the LGBT community.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Alan Keyes when he said Mary Cheney is a 'selfish hedonist,' " Besen wrote. "It took a big fat book advance before she stepped out to ostensibly advance gay rights. While I can understand family loyalty, she also had an obligation to defend her LGBT family, and she let us down."