Today, we fight. Tomorrow, we win.

Today, the president took a stand against gay marriage. Today, the president officially declared his priorities at odds with America's. Today, the president pandered do his bigoted, extremist base when there are so many far more pressing issues to address. Today, the president declared the Republican Party irrelevant.

How did the president get to this point? He got here by squandering the world's goodwill in the days following September 11. He got here by rushing America into an unjust war based on a pack of lies. He got here by abandoning millions of Americans along the Gulf Coast. He got here because he knows his party's prospects this fall are dim.

Knowing this, he's taking a stand on an issue his friends admit he doesn't "give a shit" about. Knowing this, he's again appealing to a base to which he's promised so much, yet delivered so little. Knowing this, he's declaring war on millions of hard-working, tax-paying Americans. Today, he wants a fight. Today, let's give it to him.

Today, President Bush declared gay marriage America's most pressing issue. More pressing than Iraq. More pressing than Iran. More pressing than terrorism. More pressing than immigration. In other words, the Bush administration has cured all that ails America except the threat to our democracy two loving individuals pose.

Today, on the 25th anniversary of the first mentions of AIDS, the president has decided that instead of vowing to redouble our efforts to combat this terrible affliction, he would rather further stigmatize a community needlessly stigmatized nearly 30 years ago. Bush's predecessor and idol, Ronald Reagan, did little then. This president, accordingly, would rather appeal to people's hatred than people's power to affect change.

Today, the president considers banning gay marriage so important that he wants to see the U.S. Constitution amended to make it so. He wants a ban on gay marriage to join amendments that gave us rights. That gave us freedoms. That carried us out of slavery. That shaped our American identity. Funny how the president wants to add to the Constitution when his administration has done so much to shred our nation's most important document, don't you think?

Today, the president declared his allegiance not to every American, but to a radical minority. An extremist fringe that not only doesn't want gays to marry, but also doesn't want them to adopt and, quite likely, even exist. An extremist fringe that wants to relegate women to second-class citizenship, taking away their right to choose and, if they had their way, their right to contraception. An extremist fringe that hates science as much as it hates gays, women and Mexicans. An extremist fringe that would rather be a thorn in our collective side than an instrument of progress.

Today, the president willfully brought hate to the White House. The party that couldn't even unanimously oppose doing nothing about lynching is poised to hang gays in effigy on the White House lawn. Would so many Americans turn such a blind eye toward today's events had the president set a cross ablaze before a national audience? Would so many Americans seek to "defend marriage" if what the president spoke out against was interracial marriage, not gay marriage?

Today, the president hammered yet another nail in the coffin of traditional conservatism. By seeking to amend the Constitution, Bush gives lie to the notion that the Republican Party is the party of state's rights. But what else would you expect from a "conservative" that has brought us unprecedented big government? Or from a "conservative" that has presided over an explosion in spending? Hypocrisy, thy name is George W. Bush. But, then again, only a hypocrite would support such a hateful piece of legislation and then speak to the nation about treating everyone with "tolerance and respect and dignity".

Today, the president openly spoke out against two states - Massachusetts and California - in the union. His union. Using coded language, he appealed to his base's bigoted nature by again maligning the Northeast's Democratic bastion and San Francisco's progressive atmosphere. Make no mistake, every round of applause came at the expense of Americans, the very Americans this president is supposed to represent. Americans that, to the delight of those present for Bush's speech, this president today considers the enemy.

Today, the president sealed his party's fate. By declaring a constitutional ban on gay marriage his top priority, he insulted Americans' intelligence. How is this a priority over, say, Iraq? Or Iran? Or the floundering economy? Or rising gas prices? Or the Atlantic hurricane season, which just began? Or the fact that too many Americans don't have health insurance? No, banning gay marriage only matters to those few individuals still supporting this president. This amendment is the White House's attempt to keep that group politically active, because only they can save the Republican Party this fall. But it's too late. This amendment will fail. So will the Republican Party. We're the deciders now.

Today, the president picked a fight. His supporters in Congress do, too. A fight that places often-divorced, often-philandering Republicans on the side of "protecting marriage". A fight that the president admittedly doesn't have the heart to pursue. A fight that again brings us the Republican politics of division, not dialogue. A fight that further reveals the Republican Party to be the home to backwards, bigoted racists it is. A fight we didn't ask for but now face. A fight we can, and will, win.

They wanted this fight. Let's give it to them.

and welcome to DU!

K&R (kicked and recommended)

I would have deleted the earlier version of this, but I wasn't able to. Consider this one the afternoon update after having heard the terrible speech.

K&R

Tomorrow, I'm going to dinner with some Repuke aquaintances. This will help me a lot.

Glad I could help. Good luck!

But then again, he's been insulting since the first time I heard his name.

Great post! :thumbsup:

...at least he has protected the environment, workers, solved the health care problem, keep peace in the world--oh wait a minute, that was my fantasy world where Al Gore is president.

Constitution. think: Oh wait, his dad!

in the past. And that is drive a wedge into the electorate. I am hoping the electorate has figured this out and it will backfire.

Issue. What if it's simply an act. America need something to blame a republicon Victory on beside the RIGGED VOTING MACHINES. this way when any republicon candidate wins by 51% they can just pull this gay marriage thing out and use it as an excuse rather then have the truth be know that THE VOTING MACHINES ARE RIGGED!!!!!!!!! Wedge issue??? perhaps. But I think it's more then likely that it will be called a wedge issue by the MSM but really it's just a cover that lets them steal another election with their RIGGED VOTING MACHINES. (Just like that War on X-mas remember?)

Last week writer Bob Burnett had an article about what he called the "stupid vote." I followed that up with a letter to the editor of our paper asking that Americans dissappoint the Republican strategists by NOT voting stupid...citing that the war in Iraq, healthcare, etc. seem to be much less important to the far right than a ban on gay marriage. A bit of reverse psychology, I hope. This calls for a bumpersticker - Vote Democratic or Vote Stupid!

elements in our society. Gay marriage is in no way a threat to the rest of us. Look at Republican politicians track record of divorce, cheating, and abuse, and then tell me that those same politic ans have the right to deny anybody else the right to form loving, stable relationships, and have those relationships defined as marriage. This is a question of human rights, and equality. Why should a partner of many years be denied the right to make decisions in the case of the other partner who is hospitalized? Why should those decisions be handed over to a family which might have disapproved of the relationship, and wish to shut the other partner out?

As you pointed out, with global warming, the terrible economy, endless war in Iraq, and our terrible standing in the world community, if gay marriage is our most important issue, then we are too trivial as a nation. Some people, though exist to feed on hate, and Bush is more than welcome to serve up a huge dose of it, and have this shameful stance legalized by an amendment to the Constitution.

... and I'll say it again.

They know EXACTLY what they are doing.

And... the republicans WILL maintain control of both houses in November.

Case in point, my brothers don't like Bush or republicans any more than the average American. Will they be voting in the November congressional elections?

I know my brothers. Will they take the time to go vote? Very likely not. Sure, they will TELL me that they went to vote, and voted a democratic ticket (since they know my position from the constant deluge of E-mails), but I'd place my bet on neither of them actually going to the polls. If I don't remind them they probably wouldn't even know it was election day. They are your typical Americans who live their lives (who will occasionally bitch and moan about Bush if the group is with them) but have little to no political interest or involvement.

Who will be voting? Who has seen their candidates elected again and again (if not getting all their theocratic mandates enacted)? The radical evangelical fundamentalist Bible-thumpers.

They want the destruction. It furthers Armageddon and the return of Jesus. They WILL go to vote. And they WILL go to vote for those who talk the talk even if they don't walk the walk, because the alternative is someone who does neither.

New York, California, New Jersey, Washington, and other states are due to rule on same-sex marriage very soon. Very likely before November.

Everyone is laughing and making fun of the GOP now. But they are not so dumb. They know that each of those states stands a VERY good chance of ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. And when that happens. Even if just ONE of those states rules that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to be legally wed, then the radical evangelical fundamentalists WILL be out in droves come November, and they WILL be voting for those candidates that talk their talk (regardless if said candidate doesn't walk the walk).

And your friends, family, coworkers, associates, and fellow Americans who haven't made the connection between their inclusion and participation in ridiculously low voter turnout being directly related to the most harmful politicians in history being in office, won't be there to vote.

The bottom line is, unless there is massive voter turn out, enough to drown out the evangelical fundamentalists, and enough to make republican cheating impossible to pull off, the repukes WILL maintain control.

So.... the question is, HOW do we get an unprecedented number of people (your typically uninterested uninvolved Americans) to turn out for a mid-term election?

If you simply laugh at how this will backfire and be a useless tactic for the GOP, then you grossly underestimate Republican deviousness and are playing right into their hands.

Have you considered picking up your brothers and taking them to the polls? At least if it is possible to do so!

The only way WE fight back is right here at DU!

For months now I've been saying we need to start SOMETHING really big BEFORE 2006! We have nothing yet! A Big ZERO!

Waiting for voters or OUR people in Congress to help us, fugeddaboudit!! If I knew a way to get some sort of MARCH going, I'd do it. I don't KNOW WHO to contact, and I'm sick of signing petitions, writing letters, making phone calls and watching The Idiot get by with every bit of corruption he's created!

We will lose in November... we MAY pick up a little here or there, but don't expect much... don't forget GERRYMANDERING!

WE NEED TO GET UP OFF OUR ASSES & DO SOMETHING! I need help, but I've posted this far too many times before! Just sitting back and waiting for them to implode is not THE ANSWER! I've been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting.... and GUESS WHAT? The Idiot is STILL talking the same talk and walking the SAME walk!

Oh Well, Ho Hum!

or at least one of only a few issues, I'd agree. Unfortunately, there are a great many more things at issue that your average voter does care about, which is why I believe the wedge tactic won't work. You see, everyone knows that the whole gay marriage issue only really resonates with specific sections of the population, everyone else has their own resonant issues which end up largely against the Republican party.

And don't forget, with Bush taking this stand, what do you think will happen to voter turnout amongst the GBLT population? And would this not specifically and directly offset gains made by the religious right? People like to believe that the RR is this massive voting bloc that is insurmountable. They aren't, they're just loud and desperate. I'm also sure that some of the more pragmatic of these already see Bush as a man of convenience who has time and time failed to deliver on their agenda, enough to make them defect to a point of neutrality.

Let's face it, people are waking up to the fact that the Republicans have nothing left to stand on, and nothing left to offer except a will to power. While I won't go so far as to say that your prediction of both houses being Rep come the day after this mid-term election is wrong, I also don't believe you give the situation enough credit to be a force for change.

We have a disaster in Iraq, an energy crisis, a looming environmental disaster, a house-of-cards economy on the verge of a collapse, a failed "war on terror," a devastated major city that no one seems to give a damn about....but the most pressing national issue is preventing two adults who love each other from enjoying the benefits of marriage. Even the biggest homophobic dolts have got to see that in the grand scheme of things, this amendment isn't what they need to concern themselves with.

If this is going to be their big "get out the vote '06" issue, they're desperate. The sad part is they will tromp all over people's basic rights to wield this loser.

only a few people give a shit about gay marriage but, of course, those are the people who shout the loudest,use coercion,and have fox news on thier side.they will always seem to be winning the "hearts and minds" of the american public but in reality 90% of the people who can think don`t give a crap. those people are worried more about health care,food prices,gas prices,and if they can afford a vaction. gay marriage-"oh ya we are against it" doesn`t mean they are going to vote just on that issue. another factor is that the majority of americans have a person in their family,grew up with a person, work with a person, and have interacted daily with a gay person/s and those interactions are what people base their opinions on not the president or some bible thumping guy in a cheap suit.
gay marriage strikes at the heart of some weird belief that god could give a shit about what we do and if we don`t follow "his word" we are all doomed to hell. hmmm,well i don`t think my personal jesus gives a shit about "gay marriage" cause he told me we should love each other no matter, even if they are our enemy. to bad more bible thump`m people don`t understand that jesus loves everyone no matter what they do as long as they love each other..
fight? yes... we can move mountains by simple acts of faith


by the way a very well written post.

just wait til all those ex's come out of the closet

Today, the president officially declared his priorities at odds with America's. Today, the president pandered to his bigoted, extremist base when there are so many far more pressing issues to address. Today, the president declared the Republican Party irrelevant.

I would say "Today, the president declared Americans irrelevant..." but we already know that.

EXCELLENT work my friend! They want this fight - they got it. People will not be made fools of - we care about REAL issues like Iraq and the economy, not hate and fear mongering.

I'd be really worried about this if GWB could speak with a quarter of your passion.

diversion meant to divert attention from the horrendous problems facing the country today. What better way to switch emphasis from a crisis situation than to make a big issue out of a no issue. He cares not for your freedoms,just wants some way to get us to bitch about something other than his unsuccessful governing of this free country. His administration has ruined us as a world power, has crippled us economically, and has been the cause of needless death and suffering. Change the subject and it will all go away. He lives in a fairy tale world and has no magic wand to
help get him out of the mess he has put himself and the rest of the world in. It gets more bizarre every day.

I'm usually a quiet reader of the DU, but this post made me so happy that i just wanted to say thanks. It's terrifically written and dead-on as far as i'm concerned. I'm a transplanted Masshole (living in Ohio now, lord help me) but i'm flying home in a few weeks to attend my first LEGAL gay wedding!!! It boggles my mind that people out in West-BF, Ohio, somehow see this as a threat to them and their marriages. I will never understand that mentality.

Anyway, thanks again for a great post! This website always makes me feel better about the country.

Welcome to DU!! :toast: