Forget the "War on Terror"...

[melon]

It's time for that thing we call "diversion legislation." Yup, that's right. When you're the party of laissez faire capitalism, what's a do-nothing party to do? Call up impeachment trials on sitting Democratic presidents, introduce anti-flag burning amendments, rename food products to remove any trace of the French, gay bash, and, yes folks, create hearings to "promote marriage."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040425/ap_on_go_co/healthy_marriages_2

Senate Republicans to Promote Marriage

By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans this week will launch a series of hearings to promote the value of traditional marriage, a move some Democrats are calling an election year ploy that is none of Congress' business.

According to a GOP memo obtained by The Associated Press, the hearings will represent a "full-court push to educate the public on the importance of marriage."

Four committees are expected to hold hearings over the next two weeks, beginning Wednesday with a Health subcommittee's discussion on "Healthy Marriage: What is it and why should we promote it?"

"All of this could be very good for America to reacquaint itself with the importance of marriage as an institution for our culture and the danger we face as we move away from them," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who will preside over the first hearing.

Democrats say the publicity blitz smacks of politics and dismiss it as an effort to garner votes among the nation's largest constituency ? heterosexual married couples.

"This is the kind of silliness the public finds appalling," said Democratic political consultant Michael Goldman, who teaches media, politics and law at Tufts University. "Talk about being totally and completely out of step. People don't need Republicans to tell them what a healthy marriage is."

Bruce Cain, professor of political science at the University of California-Berkeley, called the motives "transparent."

"The Republican Party believes that since the majority of Americans favor heterosexual marriage, not gay marriage, and since it's an issue the Democratic Party has a somewhat more complicated position on, anything they can do to keep the issue on the front-burner of politics is a plus," said Cain.

Republicans concede the political dynamic surrounding the same-sex marriage debate in California, Massachusetts and Oregon was part of the reason for the hearings. But they stressed these sessions aren't designed to examine whether homosexual marriages should be recognized.

"We have to understand the significance of marriage to society before we go about the process of what happens if we change it," said Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who will chair a May 5 Finance subcommittee discussion on "The Benefits of Healthy Marriage."

Winnie Stachelberg, political director of the Human Rights Campaign, said if the debate is limited to that topic, it could actually help make the case that homosexual marriages could be beneficial for society.

"I believe that through these hearings, one will see there may be certain threats to marriage ? divorce being one of them," Stachelberg said. "But one of those things is not gay and lesbian couples seeking to be married."

The third hearing, May 13 in a Commerce subcommittee, will consider "What social science can tell us about marriage, divorce and children." Another hearing, likely in the Judiciary Committee, hasn't yet been scheduled.

Although the hearings won't focus on any specific legislation, one of the other reasons for them is to help nudge a welfare bill that is hung up in the Senate awaiting reauthorization. The bill includes the Healthy Marriage Initiative, proposed two years ago by President Bush as a way to offer cohabiting low-income couples incentives to marry.

I'm bemused to see that the GOP now fashions themselves as some sort of "Vatican." Well, maybe that's not too far off; they're equally arrogant and out-of-touch with the general public, looking for any scapegoats to sidestep their failures in office.

I'm almost afraid to see what's going to happen next in this country.

Melon

 

[BVS]

It's too bad that we don't have a little smiley that sticks up his middle finger, that we great for right now.

 

[martha]

OMG.

Is this the same Senate that rubber stamps the war bullshit? They have nothing better to do?

 

[theSoulfulMofo]

If the law and government are the only ones who can sanction marriage and if by definition marriages are destroyed by infidelity, then all adulterators should be considered as criminals, and they should be prosecuted.[/sarcasm]

 

[martha]

That would clear out much of Congress.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

The third hearing, May 13 in a Commerce subcommittee, will consider "What social science can tell us about marriage, divorce and children." Another hearing, likely in the Judiciary Committee, hasn't yet been scheduled.

Oh i'm sure this part of the conference will be great . I'm sure they won't twist the findings of social science research at all *sarcasm*, seeing as I have never met a social science professor who ever agrees with conservatives on these sort of things, nor have I read any literature supporting their agenda either, not that I have a PhD on the subject or anything, but I think i know enough to know that this is going to be a big pile of bullshit for the most part.



Where were all their conferences when shows like who wants to marry a millionaire were popular? Oh that's right, nothing that straight people do is ever "destroying the sanctity of marriage".
I wonder how many of these politicians have been divorced, cheated on their wives, etc. Gotta love the hypocracy.


Don't pay attention to the economy or anything else that might actually affect your lives! If we allow those gays to marry western civilization is going to fall [/sarcasm]

 

[pax]

Actually, there are some very respected social scientists whose research on children of divorce is not what you would call encouraging. Judith Wallerstein immediately comes to mind, though I am sure there are others as well. As a child of divorce myself, I know that not all is rosy even for adult children of divorced parents.

That said, I do think you're mostly right; that is, this will mostly be an excuse to reinforce heterosexist, antifeminist views of marriage and family.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

yes, that is what I meant. I know that divorce can be quite damaging to children, but I think they'll twist it (among other things, I didn't necessarily mean divorce) to show something other than what the research was trying to show.

 

[RockNRollDawgie]

The Republican Party is brought to you by Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell, and all those other wonderful right-wing televangelists.
The same crew that spewed forth that AIDS was God's way
to get rid of homosexuals.
They control the Repbublicans; they control what textbooks
are used in public schools, etc.
Not surprising in the least what the Republicans are doing now
with this marriage stuff. It'll guarantee them large donations
from said right-wing religious fanatics.

 

[martha]

they control what textbooks
are used in public schools, etc.

Um, not to hijack the thread or anything, but this is completely untrue. COMPLETELY.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

What the hell...?

...

Have I mentioned that this government is kinda scaring me? ...

Angela