Let the States decide?

Reported in today's NY Times:

Patrick Sammon, the president of Log Cabin Republicans, a gay Republican group, said in a statement: “We are pleased that Senator McCain clarified the remarks, and we thank the senator for once again re-iterating his belief that issues concerning marriage and family laws should be left up to the states — not the federal government.”

Because it is such a bad approach to civil rights questions to let the federal government take the lead...I'm sure the states would have ended Jim Crow by now if the matter had been left to their discretion. The real point here is to move the question off the presidential agenda, and relieve Mr McCain from further questions.

Maybe that's not so bad - many states are moving forward today, even if the federal government is immobilized by an Evangelical headlock. Unfortunately, we have seen that the Republicans don't really mean to leave anything to the states, at least not anything that will offend the moral preferences and beliefs of the Established Church of America.

Republicans don't hesitate to intercede when the states decide to legalize same sex marriage, or to count the votes. They have been quite happy trying to stop Oregon from allowing physician-assisted suicide or California from reducing auto emissions or allowing medical use of marijuana.

The Log Cabin Republicans "are pleased" and "thank the Senator" for dodging these tough questions. Let the states decide. Whatever. LCR refused to endorse Bush in 2004, but they are lining up to support a Bush third term. Why?

Technorati Tags: Log Cabin Republicans, Gay marriage, We Shall Be Moved

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