Bush And Dobson Sitting In A Tree...

So the President gave his big anti-gay speech today. Marriage is under attack!!!! From uhhh, activist judges and uhhh, homos, and uhhh terrorists and stuff. Surprise surprise, though, the President made sure the crazy religious fundamentalists who orchestrated this sham were kept hidden out of camera range during the speech. And in the White House Press Room, Tony Snow referred to the anti-gay measure as a civil rights bill and, when questioned about that bizarre statement, found himself stumbling yet again.

Still some posts by Andrew Sullivan give me hope that, as I asserted in my entry last night, most Americans- conservatives included- would see through this transparent ploy. He links to a Fox News website item on the measure, which has reader comments at the bottom. While there are the few that post things like "Common sense dictates that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman. Unfortunately we have to resort to a constitutional amendment to affirm what we have all known for thousands of years.", most seem to see this for what it is. Here are two encouraging comments-

"What we have here is a too obvious political play that unfortunately scapegoats a minority as a means to gather votes. This is unkind, manipulative and divisive. My wife and I are Christians. We are not remotely confused abut our own marriage. Are we supposed to care about this because some other Christians are offended? Does this really threaten traditional marriage? Are there truly couples in traditional marriages who are personally confused and threatened by this? Fear not! We know two women who both earlier had children from a traditional marriage. They later lived with one another. They’ve also made sure their children have male influences. Why not let them and all their children have health insurance benefits and no extra problems? I say this to President Bush: We as a nation ought not impose particular religious beliefs on strangers doing no harm in the name of gathering votes."

And the money comment, which says it all-

"I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Republican. That's what makes it so painful to watch the Bush administration set up another silly straw man issue in order to score a few political points. A gay marriage amendment? Forgive me, but who cares? We have stellar deficits, a pending Iraqi civil war, a foreign policy that in shambles, border security issues, gas at $3.00 a gallon etc. As a Republican, I cannot wait for the next presidential election. I'm sick of my party being led by a man whose sense of achievement is predicated on catching a big fish."

Feel the anger.

In closing I post an email Andrew Sullivan received which gives me hope Bush and his bigotry are going down in flames-

Having just watched George Bush speaking in his desultory way about gay marriage, I felt a secret glee rise up within me. I think we just watched the death of the opposition to gay marriage.

When a hugely unpopular President rises and speaks with the megaphone of the Presidency about an issue that most consider to be deeply personal, he drags this issue from the realm of family, morals, and religious tradition, into the crass world of politics. By tying gay marriage to the fading star of contemporary 'conservatism', the President has given many people who may otherwise be uncomfortable with the idea of same-sex relationships the concrete reason they need to change their minds. 'If these guys are so hard against it,' millions of Americans without a direct stake in this debate must be thinking, 'it may be a good thing'.

Just as George Wallace's extremism nailed shut the sarcophagus of Jim Crow, so this George will be trotted out as the personification of the bigotry of an era passed. Sometimes, a man's reputation rings louder then his arguments. George Bush's failed Presidency will drag this issue down as does a drowning man a healthy swimmer.

Fingers crossed, fingers crossed...

[PS- The AP article: Bush rallies gay marriage opponents ]