NYT: Conservatives Watching Senate Debate on Gay Marriage

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/washington/06bush.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Conservatives Watching Senate Debate on Gay Marriage

WASHINGTON, June 5 — President Bush's push for the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage that is being debated in the Senate this week comes as many Republicans and religious conservatives are beginning a campaign to help lawmakers who support it during this year's elections — and to punish those who do not.

Though people on both sides of the debate say they do not expect the amendment to come anywhere near winning approval this week, both sides say they expect it, and an anticipated version in the House, to be used as a conservative litmus test in elections this fall.

"It is true what this vote will do will be to help the voters identify who is and is not supportive of the family," Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said in an interview on Monday. "And I think those that are not are going to have to answer for it."

Dr. Dobson's group is already running advertisements against senators who do not plan to support the amendment, including one against Senator Ken Salazar, Democrat of Colorado, that says, "Why doesn't Senator Salazar believe every child needs a mother and a father?"

[agio]

1. sweet

Fundies: please, please, please use this as a litmus test in the fall.

The rest of us will choose our candidates based on how well they have tried to serve their country.

[kainah]

3. welcome to DU, agio!!!

:hi:

[agio]

5. thanks!

Long time lurker, glad to be able to join in the conversation.

[kainah]

2. the Dobson-Salazar fight goes on

I've been watching the debate all day and it's pretty interesting. There don't appear to be a lot of repugs who actually want to get up and talk all that much about their support for this. It looks like a lot of them will hold their nose and vote to appease the Dobsons. Meanwhile, the Dems keep asking why they aren't debating important things, like the war, and reminding people that these same people weren't so keen to protect the sanctity of Michael & Terri Schiavo's marriage.

It's not a pretty sight to be led around by the nose.

Edited to add: the picture with the article is really interesting, too. I'd love to see BagNewsNotes analyze it!

[kwolf68]

4. The religious right is out of control

I can't imagine that every single Republican (Chaffee and his like) can tolerate such Neolithic assholes running their party.

We need to save this country and it may take some good-minded Republicans jumping off that sinking Christo-fascist shit ship and joining with the Dems to do it.

[warrens]

6. This is going to blow up in their face

Even a lot of hardcore xtians are sick of this hatemongering use of wedge issues that have no real meaning to distract us from the war, the economy, immigration, healthcare, etc. etc.

The only people this will affect were already going to vote Repuke. But I bet it will end up suppressing the vote, as the saner ones say, "is this all they can come up with as a reason to keep them in power?"

[Charlie Brown]

7. so if McCain is the nominee in '08

are they going to vote for Hillary? Give me a break.