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As the battle over gay marriage in the District heats up -- the Washington Blade reports today that D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At Large) may introduce a bill before the end of the month -- a number of politics watchers have warned of political tension and conflict that may ensue.
In the Examiner today, longtime local politics watcher Harry Jaffe argues that Catania's move may provoke what he terms a "political storm." "My dog isn't howling yet, but I sense a political storm the likes of which we have not seen since D.C. tried to legalize abortions, and Sen. Jesse Helms emphatically put it down back in the 1980s," he writes. Fellow Examiner scribe Jonetta Rose Barras darkly warned last week that Catania and fellow Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) may feel some electoral heat over their support for gay marriage, while DC Watch's Gary Imhoff posits that "widespread voter resentment" may be the result of gay marriage being approved without a direct public say.
However you slice it, it seems like we've got a political and cultural hurricane coming, right?
Yes and no.
Imhoff has been most strident in playing up the possibility of a big political backlash should marriage equality come to pass, but he has also consistently expressed his general discomfort with same-sex marriage. Warning of conflict to come is a typical tactic of those opposing policy changes -- especially if they strongly disagree with them. So far, activism on the local level against marriage equality has been, with the exception of a small but vocal group of black religious leaders, actually pretty muted, and a pair of polls cited by Loose Lips last week both indicate D.C. voters don't see marriage equality as something to oppose.
Jaffe, on the other hand, wisely relies on past congressional meddling and the existing national sensitivities over gay marriage to predict that should legislation make it through the council -- which, given the 10 members already on record supporting it, it will -- local and national anti-marriage equality activists will work with members of Congress to make sure it never actually takes effect. Given the number of times that this has happened -- both in response to legislation passed by the council and by activist members of Congress looking to impose their views on the District -- Jaffe is going with a safe bet. Then again, Congress is looking at a busy fall, so a local gay marriage initiative might not make the same splash it otherwise would. And it's still a Democratic Congress, so there's theoretically Democrats should be able to hold off any attempts by Republicans or conservative members of their own party.
Even if Congress does find a way to get involved, there's some silver lining to the rising storm clouds. Passage of the coming bill will surely make national news, and it will force a lot of members of Congress to square their belief in federalism with their desire to use federal power against a city making a local decision. It would also put locals opposed to marriage equality in the uncomfortable position of looking for help from members of Congress who are opposed to D.C. voting rights and home rule. Those are strange bedfellows.
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Only in this storm, it's raining men!!! Can I get an amen, sister? Heyyyyyyyyy.
Washington Examiner. Nuff said.
or gary imhoff, nuff said. yawn and yawner...
Bring it on. I would love to see those who call for denying civil rights based on sexual choice be brought into the light. Line them up so we can take pot shots at them.
Except potshots have been thrown for several years now and yet things like Prop 8 get passed in a mostly Democratic stronghold of a state.
I'll take a storm of gay marriage debate over a storm of overused HDR like in that photo. That sh*t makes little baby Jesus get a migraine.
not getting why people dislike HDR shots so much
If this doesn't give you a nose bleed, you probably should go see a doctor.
At the end of this storm there will be a rainbow! So punny..
Gary Imhoff's baby gets a rainbow jesus? What?
Obligatory Gaythering Storm link.
it will force a lot of members of Congress to square their belief in federalism with their desire to use federal power against a city making a local decision.
No, it won't. Since when has hypocrisy ever presented a problem for them?
No! The constitution says they can do whatever they want with us. The principles of the Constitution don't apply because the 10th amendment don't say nothing about liberal-homosexual-babylon districts like DC.
Oh noes! If the storm comes, does that mean I could potentially catch the gay?? Please God, no :(
It's catch "teh" gay. And yes, you might get it, so you had better stay inside and adopt a Howard Hughes-like existence. It has worked for Monkey, who, other than one sighting with a group of paid actors posing as his "family", has spent the last three years wearing an adult diaper and flinging poo in an abandoned garage in Woodbridge.
Set your rectal barometers to "Fabulous!"
Wait, what? I was supposed to get paid? Where my money at, Monkey?
Catania and fellow Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) may feel some electoral heat over their support for gay marriage
REALLY? How on earth could you possibly vote for Catania and expect him to oppose gay marriage?
Yeah, Catania should be safe even if he doesn't retire. On the other hand, I'm sure the anti-gay crowd will be eager to make their distaste for Phil Mendelson known by throwing their muscle behind Clark Ray's challenge.
This crap really gets my goat. Baaaaaaa. Either you are for equal rights or against equal rights. You can't be both, right? Or neither. Which is it? All men are created equal or just those people that I approve of. Baaaaaaa.
Get back in the crate, liz!
Well, you see, we can't spin it like that. Because that wouldn't do. Oh no no. We need to spin it as a defense of marriage. Sounds much better. Oh yes yes.
Or you can be a moral politician.
Good thing that Congress isn't about to consider any high profile issues where this could be used to divide the Democrats and/or as a bargaining chip.
Wow, this lends some truth to the rumor I've been hearing about David Catania and Phil Mendelson planning a wedding together.
Nice day for a white wedding.
There is nothin' fair in this world.
START AGAAAAAAAAIIINNNNNN
START AGAAAAAAAAIIINNNNNN
On a separate but equal note- The Nat'l Org for Marriage has apparently set up a new headquarters in DC, but has yet to saw where this office is located. Any word? I'd hate to waste this 2 month old box of eggs.
yet to * say * where.