The Republican 'Gay Agenda' ... demonizing for votes!

For anyone not paying attention there is one clear sign this is an election year ... conservative Republicans are talking about "gay marriage." It's amazing that conservative voters haven't yet caught on that the Republican party doesn't really want to outlaw marriage between same-sex couples anymore than they want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. They need these issues to scare people to the polls!

Couples have been legally marrying in Massachusetts for more than a year, and the earth hasn't stopped spinning. Divorce among heterosexual couples hasn't spiked. "Traditional marriage" is still intact. In other words ... nothing has really changed, except for the fact that loving same-sex couples can now have their unions legally recognized. Their children can now have the same legal protections as children from unions between men and women.

The latest shot in the 'cultural war' comes from about 50 prominent religious leaders, including seven Roman Catholic cardinals and about a half dozen archbishops, who have signed a petition in support of a constitutional amendment blocking same-sex marriage.

What makes this announcement different from 2004 is the inclusion of prominent Catholic leaders.

The report in The New York Times, A Religious Push Against Gay Unions, contains these key paragraphs:

"Organizers of the petition said it was in part an effort to revive the groundswell of opposition to same-sex marriage that helped bring many conservative voters to the polls in some pivotal states in 2004. The signers include many influential evangelical Protestants, a few rabbis and an official of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"The campaign comes as many in the Republican Party are increasingly worried that their core supporters may stay away from the polls this year because they are demoralized by the war in Iraq and other matters. Senate Republican leaders have scheduled a vote on the proposed amendment in June, partly as a means of rallying conservatives.

"No one expects the measure to pass this year. But drives to amend state constitutions to ban same sex-marriage proved powerful incentives to turning out conservative voters in Ohio and elsewhere in 2004. At least two states with contested Senate races — Tennessee and Pennsylvania, where Mr. Santorum is seeking re-election against a Democrat who also opposes abortion rights — are debating constitutional bans on same-sex marriage this year."

What Republicans fail to realize is that many Catholics part company with the church hierarchy when it comes to issues like same-sex marriage, stem cell research, birth control and even on abortion. We will have to wait until November to find out whether or not this tired old strategy will work once again.