ch: Conservative ‘Values’

More Evidence the Republican Congress is Out of Touch

Devoid of campaign issues that break their way, Congressional Republicans are increasingly turning to the bread and butter campaign tactic of ‘fear, smear and queers.’ Just listen to Colorado Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave speak about the “most important issue that we face today” at a conference held by the far-right Family Research Council:

As Maggie and I were talking before we came on, I wasn’t attacked on marriage, because the people in Colorado believe that marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman. In fact, it’s on the ballot this year for a constitutional change. [...] I believe that when you’re in a cultural war like this, you have to respond with equal and hopefully greater force if you want to win this battle. But this battle is the most important issue that we face today, and what an honor it has been to serve in the United States Congress and carry the Marriage Amendment.

If Rep. Musgrave sounds like she’s out of touch with the priorities of everyday Americans, it’s because she is. When the Harris polling company asked the open-ended question of “What do you think are the two most important issues for the government to address?” voters didn’t include gay marriage as a response on a list of 8 (strangely, our men and women dying overseas and jobs topped gay people having relationships).

And it’s not just a wacko Congresswoman in Colorado. Earlier this year, the Republican Congress took up the “American Values agenda”—a week of bills that included an “amendment to ban same-sex marriage” and “protecting the Pledge of Allegiance from pesky federal judges.” All of which, of course, took time away from real issues ordinary Americans care about.