Are you racing to buy tix for the Values Voter Summit?

Mark your calendars! On September 12-14 at the Hilton Washington Hotel the professional "Christian" set will hold its 2008 Values Voter Summit. Featured confirmed speakers include Newt Gingrich, Tony Perkins, Michael Medved, Phyllis Schlafly and Gary Bauer. The bleating in the press release indicates California marriage equality is going to be the rallying cry for this dying, hypocritical fundie movement.

The summit, sponsored by FRC Action, Focus on the Family Action, American Values and the Alliance Defense Fund, will equip voters to defend marriage, life and religious liberty.

“Family advocates may feel disheartened in light of the attack on marriage in California,” said Sonja Swiatkiewicz, director of Issues Response for Focus on the Family Action. “The Values Voter Summit will equip voters to make a difference at the ballot box this year — despite the judicial activism.”

Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly, a featured speaker at the briefing, said she is hopeful the California court decision will inspire others to fight to save marriage in their states.

“We should make sure that all the other states stand up and say, ‘We are not going to follow the leadership of California or recognize the unconstitutional things that they’re doing,’ ” she told Family News in Focus. “Just because the judges have ruled that way, it should not be accepted by the American people.”

Wait a minute. Were these not the same characters supporting last-minute races to the courthouse to file ludicrous petitions at the feet of the activist judges to try to stop the marriages from going forward?

I just want to ask these people one question -- using their logic, shouldn't all civil rights be determined at the ballot box (including womb control and fetus citizenship), including religious freedom, the rights of racial minorities, the disabled and women? Should we just hold a nationwide poll to determine such matters? Or is the issue that Mother Schlafly's gay son and the rest of LGBTs -- deserve second-class status? Oh never mind.