A luxury issue

The National Organization for Marriage poured a ton of money into Iowa for a special election in the state Senate. If the GOP candidate had won the balance of power would have been a tie. The GOP could have brought a marriage amendment to the floor, overturning the state's gay marriage law. In spite all of NOM's money, the Dem won.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal gets to say what bills will make it to the Senate floor. He has said that he will not allow any votes that would undermine marriage equality.

The state House is under GOP control and could pass all kinds of symbolic votes to keep their base happy. In response to Gronstal's declaration, House Speaker Kraig Paulsen -said the equivalent of, "Oh well."

Timothy Kincaid of Box Turtle Bulletin says this is important. Inaction is speaking louder than action. The GOP knows that pressuring Gronstal won't work. "Sending a message" to the GOP base is a waste of time better spent on more important issues. The anti-gay base doesn't have the influence it used to. And anti-gay activism is a luxury issue for politicians.



The mainstream media may lob softballs at the GOP candidates (or accept dodging answers), so leave it to the teenagers to ask the tough ones. Jane Schmidt in Iowa asked Michele Bachmann about gay marriage. Sure, Bachmann said, a gay man can already get married -- to a woman. But she's not into special rights for gays. Schmidt went on to ask how to keep a Muslim student from being ostracized if Bachmann is pushing Christian prayer in public schools. I don't want to listen to the lady rant to hear her answer to that one.