Bush Goes Fishing
Trying to catch those old fundanutter supporters of his by dragging out the gay marriage ban. Yoohooo...Mary? Mary Cheney? Bushie's such a nice man, isn't he? Think of him when you can't visit your partner in the hospital or get the big fat tax breaks married people do, and repeat that mantra, dear. Jim Rutenberg talks to Bush's base in a story for The New York Times:
"It was so central in the 2004 election," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative research group, said of same-sex marriage. "And the day after, the president began a crusade to reform Social Security and it went nowhere. Why not put energy into something that's vital for our society and our country?"
Oh, you mean like institutionalized denial of equal rights for gays and lesbians, based on your primitive adherence to religion? "Vital for our country" in what way? In lurching us back to the middle ages...so maybe we can finally lay our hands on Osama?
I would like to think that playing this card would finally backfire on the Republicans, since so much of their base has already expressed bewilderment that a reelected Bush hasn't pursued these social issues. They simply don't trust him, and their mantra is "We won't get fooled again". (Though I doubt Pete Townsend will give them rights to use the song).
Yesterday on CNN someone wrote in to Jack Cafferty to the tune of "since our borders are now secure, Iraq is a success, Iran will resolve itself, social security and Medicare are on the right track, terrorism is defeated, domestic priorities like education and environmental issues are well funded, and campaign finance reform is so effective, I think it IS time we go after boys kissing and flag burning". The sarcasm seemed basic and effective.
Then last night I went to a (no alcohol) Christian birthday party, where the number one topic was how disgusting Brokeback Mountain was. (My wife and I were the only two there that actually saw the movie.) I didn't know that there never was such a thing before as a homosexual cowboy, and how this fiction had great patriots like John Wayne and Gary Cooper rolling in their graves. I also wasn't aware how adamant Jesus was against homosexuals. When I told them that Jesus never even mentioned homosexuals, at first they all disagreed, but not one could point to a passage in the Gospels where Jesus doomed gays. (I let the whole Lesbian thing pass...) Finally the consensus was that the whole topic was innappropriate with children around.
In short, I am sure Bush and company will still get lots of mileage from the gay marriage/flag burning issue.
Eric at June 4, 2006 9:36 AM
Not in proportion to the degree that they'll be hated for it, Eric. I'm not saying it's a net loss for them, just that the people who hate them most for this hated them anyway.
Crid at June 4, 2006 12:54 PM
AWOL doesn't have an agenda except to blow smoke and prove that he is the most useless dysfunctional liar possible. And provide tax breaks and graft for supporters to keep the circus going, of course.
opit at June 4, 2006 1:24 PM
I oscillate between wanting to give Mary Cheney a sympathetic hug and wanting to kick my boot up her ass.
Lena at June 4, 2006 8:05 PM
>>I'm not saying it's a net loss for them
It's not. And it won't be until the Dems, or some other political entity, makes them pay for it at the ballot box.
Bush and his cronies are nothing but bullies, and they'll continue to bully this country over gay marriage, immigration, flag-burning, and their other petty beliefs until somebody stands up to them.
If anyone in the Democratic Party has presidential aspirations, now would be a good time to start this process.
Gary S. at June 4, 2006 9:25 PM
It's a vague impression, and I couldn't chart it with a protractor and an abacus, but I have the sense that Dubya doesn't give a rat's ass where other men wiggle their weenies... He's married to Laura, fer Chrissakes, and you gotta think that drains a lot of his energy in the warmest possible way.
So if he makes hay with this, it's opportunism, not Christian Hellfire. And in politics, opportunism is the coin of the realm.
Ask anyone. Ask Hillary:
http://tinyurl.com/akr1
Crid at June 4, 2006 10:06 PM
Also:
> they'll continue to bully this country
> over gay marriage, immigration, flag-
> burning, and their other petty beliefs
> until somebody stands up to them
Or better, until someone successfully challenges them on the big stuff. It's not like there's nothing to work with.
markcridland@hotmial.con
Crid at June 4, 2006 10:11 PM
Now I've heard everything. Social Security reform, as Perkins implies, is NOT vital to our society and our country, but preventing gay marriage IS?
Patrick at June 5, 2006 11:43 AM
"Big fat tax breaks married people do"?
It's been a while since I looked, but filing as "head of household" beat "married filing (jointly or seperately) by a LOT, not so long ago. What breaks?
Radwaste at June 5, 2006 6:06 PM
Leave a comment