Has Marriage become Partisan?

Gary Bauer in his mid September 2006 newsletter asks this question in light of rhetoric and reality. Here's how he addresses the question:

"Is Marriage Becoming Partisan? The citizens of 20 states have passed marriage protection amendments by such overwhelming margins that it’s safe to say traditional marriage is one issue that actually unifies Americans of both parties. That’s why I was surprised to read in this morning’s Washington Post that the Democrat governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, is vigorously opposing Virginia’s proposed marriage amendment.

During his campaign, he repeatedly stated his belief that marriage was between a man and a woman, and it was his ability to win in a conservative state like Virginia that earned Kaine high praise by national figures as an “up-and-coming moderate.” As the newly elected governor of Virginia, he was awarded the high-profile task of giving the Democrat response to President Bush’s 2006 State of the Union address. However, this decision to oppose his state’s marriage amendment seems to be yet another sign that Democrats are prepared to allow same-sex “marriage.” STOP

So one wonders when we hear certain candidates saying they believe DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Amendment, passed under the Clinton administration) covered marriage protection and is sufficient (even in the face of numerous activist justices undermining DOMA), or that they are pro protecting 200 years of marriage law etc, whether they will really hold such convictions and uphold them in public policy, or whether something else is afoot. Perhaps a new kind of 'personally opposed but *won't impose*' kind of nonsense is emerging on a new deceptive front in the contest between the culture of life and the culture of death or the culture of 'whatever'. Clearly with activist judges and a slippery US Senate, and candidate duplicities like this one mentioned by Bauer above, there is much to wonder about.

It is too bad that it make those of us who want to know truthful convictions and political stances sometimes seem like we have a hobby horse when we ask questions from a number of different perspectives but the duplicities on issues protective of marriage, family, children, infants immediately before birth (partial birth abortion ban enforcement) and human cloning etc are just getting thicker and thicker and few are calling any to account. Thanks for the info Gary. Reading lips is nearly requiring a reading of minds in the current moral relativism. Pathetic and sad.