Arizona Republican legislators are so worried about depressed turnout among their base in November if their senator, John McCain, is the GOP nominee that they have introduced a bill that would put yet another anti-gay marriage before voters on the general election ballot this fall. Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts documents the absurdity:
The real purpose of this ballot measure, of course, is to throw out red meat to entice voters for Mike Huckabee — who has made homophobia a hallmark of his presidential campaign — to go to the polls.

But wait … Didn’t we already vote on that, you ask?

Well … yes. We did. In 2006, the Protect Marriage Arizona amendment was put to a public vote, and it failed. Not because voters support gay marriage - most don’t - but because the proposal reached too far, outlawing domestic-partner benefits to government employees who decide to take a pass on a trip to the altar.

(Because, you know, anything straight people want to do is just fine.)

But wait. Don’t we already have a state law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, you ask?

Well … yes. We do. But you know how those activist judges can be.

But wait. Hasn’t the state law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman already been upheld by those activist judges, you ask?

Well … yes. The Arizona Court of Appeals in 2003 ruled that the law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman is constitutional.

So naturally, legislative leaders on Monday introduced a proposed amendment to the state constitution, decreeing “only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in this state.”

All but three Republican legislators have signed on to co-sponsor the bill, which would do absolutely nothing to ban gay marriage.

The real purpose of this ballot measure, of course, is to throw out red meat to entice voters for Mike Huckabee — who has made homophobia a hallmark of his presidential campaign — to go to the polls.

Of course, the initiative may be as unnecessary politically as it is legally if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, since rightwing Christians have a propensity for racism as well as homophobia.