The Independent gets it quite right
Iraq is going to hell in a hand-basket. The trade and budget deficits are spinning out of control, and petrol prices have gone through the roof. Yet the US Senate has devoted two days to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage that everyone knew had not the slightest hope of passage.
But this was not an exercise designed to tackle the real problems facing the country. It was a cynical exercise in pandering by a beleaguered White House and Republican majority in Congress, intended to save their political skins.
In the meantime, the Senate is now to address the outlawing of flag-burning, another issue dear to the hearts of true believers, but of limited relevance to ordinary Americans.
Will Bush’s ploy work again this year? Given the general dimbulb Democratic response to such things, it could, except that Bush has fallen so badly and so obviously that even his base seems sick of him. Still, never underestimate the ability of theԚ Democrats to shoot themselves in the foot by cravenly doing nothing. God forbid they should take a principled stand on an issue when instead they can hide in the shadows and hope Bush destroys himself. Hint: That’s not working in California where Arnold is now ahead again in the polls due to the mindnumbing incompetence of the Democratic candidates.
Still, Bush’s bigotry is so obvious that it’ll probably backfire. Ditto for whatever nasty cynical racist gambits he’s planning against immigrant rights. Even a lunkhead like him and his true believer neocons are becoming aware that history is going to treat them very unkindly indeed, as in “worst president ever.”
Interesting that even six Republicans voted against it. One was a senator from Colorado. As an American friend who’s up on this stuff put it: “it sends a very strong message that someone from colorado voted against this, when the whole constitutional gay marriage ban was the brainchid pf marilyn musgrave, (R-CO).”
Oops. Forgot to say, that was last time round. This time round, SEVEN Republicans voted against it.
What the Republicans need, and they’ll probably manufacture one if they can’t find it, is a gay flag-burning Mexican immigrant Communist to foam at the mouth against.
Totally. But doesn’t it speak volumes when even the supposed faithful aren’t on Bush’s side?