Via Secular Blasphemy:

Remember the Internet poll about gay marriage the American Family Association put out? I and many other bloggers linked to it, and word got around. The result was a poll where pro-gay-marriage (and civil union) votes beat the homophobes 2:1. So of course the AFA has annulled the poll, and they don’t intend to take this to Congress to lobby for the infamous anti-gay constitutional amendment.

Wired writes:

“We’re very concerned that the traditional state of marriage is under threat in our country by homosexual activists,” said AFA representative Buddy Smith. “It just so happens that homosexual activist groups around the country got a hold of the poll — it was forwarded to them — and they decided to have a little fun, and turn their organizations around the country (onto) the poll to try to cause it to represent something other than what we wanted it to. And so far, they succeeded with that.”

Of course, no such poll can be said to represent an accurate picture of popular opinion. But, clearly, the AFA had hoped Congress would take the numbers it planned to produce as exactly that kind of evidence.

Now, Smith says, his organization has had to abandon its goal of taking the poll to Capitol Hill.

Ha-HAH!! Though why shouldn’t somebody take the the poll results to Capitol Hill? Maybe it doesn’t support the AFA’s standpoint, but it evidently supports the views of a lot of Americans, and that should sure as hell count for something.

See? We can make a difference. A vast difference [ahem].

From the Boston Globe:

… From the spring of 2002 until at least April 2003, members of the GOP committee staff exploited a computer glitch that allowed them to access restricted Democratic communications without a password. Trolling through hundreds of memos, they were able to read talking points and accounts of private meetings discussing which judicial nominees Democrats would fight — and with what tactics. …

Score another one for no underhanded-tactic-too-low Republicans. I take it Family Values and lying, spying, prying and deceit go hand in hand? Are these the Moral Majority we’re supposed to be looking up to? The Compassionate Conservatives? Sounds like plain old cheating to me.

You know, for people who claim to have a real hard-on for “morality” [witness the train wreck that was Clinton’s cigar-related indiscretions], they have no problem doing everything they can to retain the upper hand.

Thanks to Erik for the tip.

And take your tax dollars with you.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

COLUMBUS - The Ohio Senate narrowly passed a far-reaching ban on same-sex marriages Wednesday, just one day after President Bush signaled he would fight to create a constitutional amendment to do the same.

From the Toledo Blade:

Backers said the provisions are needed to protect the state’s coffers, to prevent unmarried couples from using Ohio law references to marriage to collect survivor spouse pensions under the state’s five retirement systems.

Alarmingly, some people think it’s not enough: They want Bush to go full steam ahead with the Federal Marriage Amendment, which change the Consitution to include a nice little ‘graf on just who, exactly, can get married.

It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again, in a very sarcastic voice: Marriage is so sacred, that to have reality television shows starring pop music stars is A-OK, but to allow two people who have committed their lives to each other and to creating a new family is way out of line. Yeah, that makes a whole lotta sense.

I have to say I’m really proud I left Ohio right about now.

For more, see my previous post.

Thanks to David for the tip.