The Republican Party has once more institutionalized bigotry as part of their charter. It fought ferociously to ban interracial marriage in the '60's. In 1967 it mounted a furious assault upon the Supreme Court for striking down state laws banning interracial marriage, much the same as they are now using their transparent caterwauling against "activist" judges to attack gay marriage.
You understand of course, that "activist judges" applies only to Democrats. Just a few weeks ago, Supreme Court conservative judges Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas used "judicial activism" in an attempt to override wetland protection provisions imbedded in the Clean Water Act. You see, when it's a Republican it isn't activism. Understand now?
Back to the 60's: The proposed anti-interracial marriage ban was part of the "Southern Strategy." Today it's called the Defense of Marriage Act, their increasingly frantic attempt to connect with the dimmest bulbs amongst their support base. It failed miserably,as rational people knew it would.
Even amongst Christian fundamentalist "know-nothings," who've supported Bush without question, his approval is plummeting. Beside the oil companies, white evangelicals are Bush's strongest supporters, but they have turned away from him by an astounding 22%. As veteran political commentator Charlie Cook irreverently quipped, "The guy's dropping everywhere, but Jesus, ---that's the biggest drop of them all."
Bush and nearly everyone with the exception of his fundamentalist pals knew this would fail well in advance. One more way of using bigotry to rally the "super-holy" who have plagued our land under his divisive leadership.
Prior to the vote, Bush told his hand-picked evangelical audience, "Americans have reached a 'consensus' against gay marriage." 60% of Americans supported that viewpoint just two years ago. The latest polls show that number has fallen to 42%, and is dropping. Incurious George may well have whiffed on this one while riding his bike.
Even Laura urged the president not to use gay marriage "as a campaign issue." It is reassuring that one member of the Bush family might have some sense of social conscience. When you've listened to guys like Karl Rove as long as Bush has, ethics become secondary to expedience.
While I doubt Bush personally subscribes to these homophobic beliefs, it's a shame he lacks the strength of character to tell these lunatics to buzz off on this one.
As Senator Russ Feingold said:
"All over the country, married heterosexual couples are shaking their heads and wondering how exactly the prospect of gay marriage threatens their marriages."
Television commentator Lou Dobbs, hardly a liberal, weighed in with:
"A constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is utter and complete nonsense. It's an insult to the intelligence of every voter, Republican or Democrat."
Y'all remember Reverend Fred Phelps, don't you? He's that nice pastor fellow from Kansas who is currently appearing at the funerals of our young men and women slain in Iraq, cheering their deaths, as God's punishment for allowing homosexuals to live amongst us. Well, even Fred is suspicious regarding the sincerity of Bush's push for the failed amendment:
"He's some kind of demagogue without any core values whatsoever," pipes up Fred. "He's shameless."
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