The Ban Gay Marriage Amendment strikes me as an election year stunt by Bush to win back the extreme Right after the hurt they felt when he became the first president to increase the budget of NASA and the National Endowment of the Arts. It seems very unlikely the amendment would ever pass (needing 2/3rd majorty in house and senate, and ratified by 3/4's of the states). I suspect a lot of state supreme courts are going to start saying that banning gay marriage is against the constitution, just like the Massachusetts State Supreme Court. I don't think populism is going to win this one, Kirk. And it's at times like these that even an athiest like me has to say 'thank god for that'
The accusations about this being an "election year stunt" are reasonable, especially in light of the fact that it pushed Kerry over on the front page, not quite below the fold, even though he swept 3 caucuses/primaries in the last 2 days. (So did, I presume, Bush.) At any rate, while it doesn't appear that Kerry supports the amendment, it also doesn't appear that he supports gay marriage. But his positions have been flip-flopping enough lately (NAFTA, Gulf War I, etc.) that he might be in favor of them tomorrow. He is but liberal north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, he will push over like Clinton did on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act.
Nice Twelfth Night reference LAN3!