Dividing Not Uniting
By David Sirota, Christy Harvey and Judd Legum, The Progress Report
February 25, 2004
With its economic policies failing to lift the economy, its Iraq policy in shambles, and its international credibility shredded by the failure to find WMD, the Bush Administration has done the only thing it knows how to do in a tight spot: Head straight for the wedge issue that, according to the Washington Post, "satisfies the conservative base." Despite a President having absolutely no role in the passage of a Constitutional amendment and despite opposition from many of his allies in Congress, the President – who promised to be a "uniter not a divider" – yesterday announced his support for a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. American Progress issued a statement in response, saying, "The Constitution has been amended to eliminate slavery, to give women the right to vote, and to secure for every person the equal protection of the laws. It has never been amended to mandate discrimination. Nor should it be." ......(more)