Snippets from the Post

For Foes of Same-Sex Marriage, It's the Thought That Counts

There's violence in Iraq, corruption in the House and anxiety in the markets. Somebody needs to create a diversion.
"The gays are aggressive! Gays have called war! Gays are attacking traditional marriage!"
Bishop Harry Jackson was shouting these words outside the Capitol yesterday morning, at a rally for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
"Marriage is under attack!" cried out Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), also at the rally.
"We can have anarchy!" warned Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.).
No doubt Jackson, Allard and Harris are sincere in their views about marriage. But the urgency of their alarm is a bit suspect to anybody with an eye on the electoral calendar.
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"This is in many ways the crucial question of our time," Heritage's Matthew Spalding submitted at a Press Club event.
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Added Exodus International's Alan Chambers, who said he quit homosexuality 14 years ago: "Our children are being raped every day of school by what's being taught. Are you mad? I'm mad. I'm so mad. God have mercy."
Chambers is likely to be angrier still if he checks out the results of last month's Washington Post-ABC News poll. When voters were asked about the most important issue in November's election, they chose the economy, Iraq, immigration, gas prices, terrorism and health care. Same-sex marriage merited only an asterisk, meaning it rated below 0.5 percent of responses.
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Minority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) brought a list to the floor Monday. "High gas prices, the war in Iraq, the national debt, health care, senior citizens, education, crime, trade policy, stem cell research: Each issue begging for the president's attention, each issue being ignored."
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Likewise, Allard held a news conference Monday at which the speakers said they wanted to reduce the "epidemic level of fatherlessness in America."
"How would outlawing gay marriage encourage heterosexual fathers to stick around?" was the first question.
Allard skirted the question by saying that "laws send a message to our children."
The moderator, Matt Daniels of the Alliance for Marriage, tried to find a question on another subject. But when reporters continued to press Allard on the link between same-sex marriage and deadbeat dads, Daniels blurted out: "All right, you know what? We're going to call this press conference to a close."

For the record .... Gay Marriage Amendment Fails
And Dan Froomkin points out the absence of discussion on the Important Stuff
At least I'm not the only one who wants to see a shift in our priorities....