Slash & burn politics

In a post summarizing the machinations behind Bush's decision to back a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, Josh Marshall observes that the political dynamics behind this move seem to resonate with past history.

"The White House has decided that the long-predicted rising economy won't float them through this election," Marshall conjectures. "The situation in Iraq looks wobbly and likely to get worse before it gets better. So deprived of the ability to run on his record he's decided to save his political hide by trying to tear the country apart over a charged and divisive social issue which is being hashed out through the political process in the states.

"It's his dad and the flag burning amendment all over again. Is there really anything that tells you more about a man's character than this?"