Holy Smoke

Republicans are loving the recent New Jersey court ruling in favour of civil rights for gay couples. Naturally, the GOP, led by a beseiged George Bush, quickly co-opted the decision for equal protection under law and made it all about the "institution of marriage." Activist judges also made their requisite appearance in Bush admonishment:

Yesterday in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage.

Despite the fact that the ruling made no pronoucement about marriage at all and strictly demanded that civil law allow gay couples equal rights, Bush trotted out the usual canard to thunderous, idiot applause.

I believe it’s a sacred institution that is critical to the health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be defended.

The health and well being of families. This will be guarded by the institute of marriage. But this institution is apparently unable to help the 1 to 3 million women a year who are abused by spouses and former spouses. Nor does the institution guard itself against a 50% divorce rate or joke Las Vegas drive-through weddings. Nor does marriage help reduce Bible-thumping marriage defenders from killing their wives, where the highest rates of domestic murder are seen in the reddest parts of Bush's Jesusland.

But such material considerations are, of course, not part of the political equation for Republicans and those supercilous boors who will insist that gay couples are a threat to American values. This comes at a time when deflection was needed. Dead and dying in Iraq? increasing violence and mayhem there? budget deficits ad infinitum? Wait! we've got gay people getting equal rights in New Jersey!

Oh, how they will use this in yet another repetition of the painfully maudlin act of righteous indignation that Republicans have so come to repeat as oft as possible and the one which we have so grown to loathe and expect in every election cycle.

Besides beating up on a shaking Michael J. Fox, what else have they got? Nothing.