Can Gay Marriage Help GOP? - Newsweek

Can Gay Marriage Help GOP? Newsweek article indicates Bush may simply be pissing everybody off with his speech today: "Though Bush himself has publicly embraced the amendment, he never seemed to care enough to press the matter. One of his old friends told NEWSWEEK that same-sex marriage barely registers on the president's moral radar. 'I think it was purely political. I don't think he gives a s--t about it. He never talks about this stuff,' said the friend, who requested anonymity to discuss his private conversations with Bush. White House aides, who also declined to be identified, insist that the president does care about banning gay marriage. They say Monday's events with amendment supporters—Bush will also meet privately with a small group—have been in the works 'for weeks' and aren't just a sop to conservatives.

Whatever Bush's motivation, his actions aren't likely to quiet his critics. Land says he's happy Bush is speaking out, but he'd like to see signs of real commitment to the issue. 'We know what a full-court press looks like when we see one,' Land says. A White House official, who declined to be identified discussing strategy, says Bush has not made calls on the amendment because 'nobody has asked us.'

Whatever the political maneuvering, it's the courts that could make the next move. Last week New York's highest court heard arguments that the state must allow gay couples to wed. A similar case in New Jersey was argued in February. Decisions could come later this summer. At the same time, judges recently struck down 2004 bans from Georgia, Ohio and Nebraska. 'It's just a matter of time before the other shoe falls,' says Family Research Council president Tony Perkins. 'This is not an issue you can take a pass on.' For politicians and activists, that may be true. But average voters might do exactly that."