Republicans Play ‘Political Games,’ Ignore Substance
From the Chattanooga Times Free Press: WASHINGTON — Democrats and some conservatives contend GOP leaders are wasting legislative time in an election year on hot-button issues that have little chance of passing while ignoring more important issues such as rising energy and health care costs. “Like this Senate’s intrusion into the Terry Schiavo case, it is a cynical attempt to score political points,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., last week during Senate debate of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Sen. Kennedy was one of a long list of Democrats last week accusing Republicans of pandering to their base with general elections just five months away.
The amendment banning gay marriage and a bill to repeal the estate tax permanently were defeated last week. However, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said bringing the marriage and estate tax measures to the floor last week was part of a long-term strategy, planned months ago, and has nothing to do with the current political climate. Marriage is under assault by the court system with judges overturning state amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman, Sen. Frist said. Currently, nine states have lawsuits pending on the issue with five state courts declaring voter-approved marriage amendments unconstitutional.
“With all of this litigation pending, there is little doubt that the Constitution will be amended,” Sen. Frist said. “The only question is by whom: a small group of activist judges, or by the people through the democratic process? That is why we need to take action here in the Senate.”
John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University, said bringing such divisive issues to the floor that rally a party’s base has long been politics as usual in Washington. “Democrats, if they were in power, would be doing the same thing to please their supporters,” Dr. Geer said. “It is smart politics.”
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said the fact that 81 percent of Alabama voters last week voted to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman proves that the American people care about the issue. “It’s almost amusing to see senators say we’re wasting our time discussing marriage, that the American people don’t want us to be involved in this issue,” Sen. Sessions said soon after the federal measure failed in a procedural vote on Wednesday.
But Marshall Whitman, a former adviser to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and current Democratic strategist, said bringing the amendment up for debate had a lot less to do with marriage and more to do with GOP leaders trying to satisfy a frequently disappointed conservative base.
“The Republican Party has a lot of cleanup work to do because the right is dissatisfied with a lot of issues,” said Mr. Whitman, citing President Bush’s dwindling public approval ratings.
Steve Gill, a conservative radio talk show host based in Nashville, said many conservatives he has talked to are seeing through what he called “political games.”
“They (Republicans) are playing political games at a time when we have some serious problems,” said Mr. Gill. “A lot of callers think the marriage amendment is good policy, but the timing makes it seem like a ploy. It is not a red meat issue that most conservatives are concerned about.”
Chris Devaney, executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party, said a majority of Republicans appreciate Sen. Frist’s willingness to bring up controversial issues even if the chances of passage are slim. The issues need to be debated,” Mr. Devaney said. “That’s the role of Congress.”
Getting recorded votes on such divisive issues will continue this summer. Sen. Frist has announced that a proposed constitutional amendment banning flag burning will be debated before Independence Day.
E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com
Critics denounce GOP strategy on issue votesBy Edward Lee Pitts Washington Bureau
