I am disgusted with the way that President Bush is using the New Jersey decision about same-sex marriage to divide and conquer. Today’s NYT quotes Bush as saying, “Yesterday in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage… I believe it’s a sacred institution that is critical to the health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be defended.”

Has anyone actually read the text of the decision? Clearly, Mr. Bush has not, as it states, “Although we cannot find a fundamental right to same-sex marriage exists in this state," the 4-3 majority ruling reads, "the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our state constitution." The court does not find for same-sex marriage – it finds for equal rights.

Mr. Bush trots out the usual meaningless buzz words about “activist judges,” but has nothing at all to say about the rights of gay Americans. He ignores the welfare of the many thousands of children being raised in same-sex households, and glosses over the basic questions: how do same-sex unions threaten our families? what is the real threat to families?

Thank God we have judges active enough to realize that when a state constitution promises equal protection, it actually means equal protection.

I know it is not a presidential election year, but this does seem to be yet another attempt to divide, to sow fear, to appeal to activist right-wing Christians – and it is irrelevant to this election – it is an attempt to create smoke, not thought or useful debate, and as such, is deeply dishonest. How can anyone vote for people who operate in this manner?

From today’s Guardian (UK)“America's Democrats will carry the hopes and fears of global liberal opinion in the midterm elections on November 7.” (In fairness, the article goes on to say: “fears - because the party has so often squandered such opportunities in the past. But, as the Washington Post's veteran conservative columnist George Will has recently suggested, if the Democrats cannot win back the Congress in 2006, ‘they should go into another line of work’.”)

Nat