Last week, Sen. Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican from Kansas, expressed concern over the issue of gay marriage, stating, quoted by the Post:

I have been and continue to be a strong believer and protector of traditional marriage. I think it’s an important issue for society and for the country.

Surprising wasn’t the content of his opinion, but rather the context in which it was offered. Brownback was speaking as the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the District of Columbia, the five-person Senate panel charged with amending and approving the $8 billion D.C. budget, and he was speaking in opposition to District plans to allow married gay couples to file taxes jointly. Again, circumstances like these highlight the awkward nature of representative democracy in the capital of the country that is trying to spread democracy around the world.

This is hardly the first time this has happened, much less is it likely to be the last.