You can't hide what's wrong

I'd have to believe that there comes a point when even the best magician can no longer use smoke and mirrors to hide the real problems. Corruption in government, health care, war, gas price gouging, etc.

(Washington) New polls show that using same-sex marriage as a wedge issue may not work for Republicans in this fall's mid term election.

A Peter D. Hart poll shows that a proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage is at the bottom of voter concerns. Surveys taken for the major networks show that immigration reform and rising gas prices are key concerns.

Only conservative religious groups seem focused on the proposed amendment - and they are threatening to desert the GOP for not passing the measure.

The Hart survey, taken for the Human Rights Campaign last month, before immigration reform and gas prices hit the headlines, and released Friday shows that only 18 percent of perspective voters felt the marriage issue should be a priority for Congress.

The poll showed that the top concerns were affordable health care (55 percent), dealing with Iraq (55 percent), passing new ethics/lobbying laws (25 percent) and passing an amendment banning flag burning (20 percent).

"The Federal Marriage Amendment consistently ranks dead last on a list of voters priorities but that won't stop Congress from using this discriminatory amendment as a political ploy going into the elections," Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign spokesperson told 365Gay.com.

"It's critical that fair-minded voters speak out," said Brown. "Our polling shows that when voters move on these issues, it's toward fairness, not away from it. It's critical to make that point clear to Congress."

Opposition to the proposed amendment was strongest among Democrats. Sixty-one percent of respondents who identified as Democrats oppose the amendment, while 49 percent of independents and 20 percent of Republicans oppose it.

Despite calls for the amendment by Catholic Church leaders a majority of Catholic voters say states should make their own marriage laws - 53 - 37 percent.

The Hart poll also found growing support for some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples with 25 percent supporting marriage, 40 percent for civil unions and 33 percent believing there should be no legal recognition.