Thank U R FACE.
The GOP/Marriage Coalition should really consider changing tactics. Its clear that many Americans and politicians hold contradictory views. A solid majority of Americans oppose gay marriage, and a majority in most states probably oppose civil unions as well. Yet, public support for an Amendment that bans gay marriage is much lower.
Going for a banning Amendment makes it easier for the Dems and some Repubs to hide behind the cloak of federalism and states rights. It allows them to say on the one hand that they oppose gay marriage, yet they oppose a federal ban because they think each state should be able to decide.
So the GOP should call their bluff. They and their allies on this should just accept they have lost, or will eventually lose the fight for the hearts and minds of the people in a handful of states. They should accept ultimate defeat in Mass, Vermont, etc, and focus on the 30-40 states that would not now, or in the foreseeable future choose to legally recognize any same-sex unions no matter what semantic games are played.
They should therefore call the bluff of the 'federal ban-no, let the states decide-yes' crowd and go for a more narrow Amendment. They should put forth an Amendment that says with regards to marriage and the legal incidents thereof, Congress shall handle it for federal purposes, and that the legislatures and/or people of each individual state shall set their own policy that can't be altered by any other state or the federal govt.
It would be very difficult for all of those Dems and Repubs who have preached states rights to oppose such an Amendment that explicity gives pretty much all the power to the states.
If this passed, then eventually a few states would have gay marriage, and a few more would have civil unions instead. But most states would not recognize any such union if they were able to decide. That should be enough.
ummmmm yer welcome. for what?
I wonder if this will come up for another vote after November? I suspect it will.
Libertarians for the Marriage Amendment and all that
(sorry I didn't get this sooner - I was away for a couple days)