With the war in Iraq, global warming, the failing education system, the disaster with FEMA, immigration reform, public scandal, and a host of other important topics to worry about you would think that the Republicans in congress would have something more important to worry about than gay marriage.

But with the midterm elections looming, and the poll numbers for republicans sinking, the GOP is once again going to try and play the “gay” card. They feel that they can get enough of the “base” riled up by once again parading the issue of gay marriage before the public. They are going to try and pass a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. An amendment that has less than zero chance of passing, but will keep congress busy for at least the next three weeks.

It’s an insult to the American people that the republicans in congress and the white house are ignoring a host of deadly serious issues to worry about who marrys who. If two men can’t get hitched will this prevent a hurricane from destroying Cape Cod this summer? Maybe if we ban gay marriage it will solve the looming social security problems, perhaps preventing the love of two American citizens will do something about the economy.

If you listen to the parade of conservative talking heads they will say again and again things like “we need to defend the institution of marriage.” As if gay people getting married will suddenly cause a rise in the divorce rate, or gay marriage will cause straight people to get married less.

The issue of the “defense of marriage” is on its face a bigotry laden, bald faced plea for votes. The speeches that republicans make in support of a ban on gay marriage are almost identical to speeches made in support of a ban on interracial marriage made many years ago. They are counting on the very worst in people, pitting two groups against each other in a calculated attempt to eek out just one more term in office.

The republicans should realize that this ploy is not going to work again. We have too many important issues that we need to deal with right now. They will learn this midterm election that they can not simply tote out the culture wars every time they need a couple more votes. The “base” will eventually wake up and realize that the republicans are keeping them poor, ruining there environment, sending there jobs overseas, and getting there kids killed in an unnecessary war. The gay marriage ban is a phony issue devised to drum up votes, and one would hope the American people are too smart to fall for it again.