Bush & the FMA:

So Bush never really cared much about the FMA to begin with, it now seems. On social issues, I have always seen a marked difference between Bush on the one hand and his religious right supporters on the other. Perhaps it's Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, or perhaps it's because Bush is just a nicer guy, but from the beginning Bush has always seemed a lot more moderate on this particular social issue (and others as well). (Although he is certainly no social libertarian).

We shouldn't forget that early on in his first administration, Bush was criticized, pretty seriously by groups like CWFA and FRC for being too nice to gay people (i.e., appointing openly gay individuals to certain posts, refusing to roll back the pro-gay gains of the Clinton administration, etc.).

He needed to shore up support for his base to win the election; his views on social issues appeared to converge with theirs. But now the election is over, Bush is going back to his more moderate stance. He will compromise on these issues. And ultimately his positions won't satisfy the extremes of either side.

But Bush is not Gary Bauer or James Dobson, thank God.