Wanna be a Badger? Bash gays along with me

So Wisconsin will get a chance to write discrimination against gays into its state constitution in November. Can't wait. Makes me proud.

"If you want to be a Badger, bash gays along with me ..."

In the Assembly debate before the vote that was a foregone conclusion, it was a Republican who captured the essence of what's wrong with this picture. The Journal Sentinel reports:

Rep. Gregg Underheim (R-Oshkosh) was the only Republican to vote against the amendment, saying that it was an "anti-constitutional" measure because it singles out a particular group rather than protecting the rights of all citizens.

"In virtually no other area do constitutions prohibit private individuals from engaging in an activity," Underheim said. "We are taking a document which has protected people from their government and saying, 'We're changing the character of that document.' "

He's exactly right. The constitution exists to protect people's rights, not take them away.

And lest there be any doubt about what really drives this issue, we had some rare candor from Republicans:

Getting Republicans to polls

That history has Rick Wiley, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, confident that the amendment will pass here and at the same time bring Republican voters to the polls to defeat Doyle.

Doyle is facing a challenge from two Republicans, U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Green Bay and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.

In 2003, Doyle vetoed a bill that would have defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, prompting backers to seek a constitutional amendment. Doyle said he vetoed it because state law already makes that distinction.

Both the Senate and Assembly passed the amendment last session. With the Assembly action Tuesday, the Legislature gave the measure its required approval by a second consecutive session.

"It's our job to be sure that people go to the polls to vote for the marriage amendment and the Republican candidates for governor," Wiley said. "Not only are they out there in force voting for this amendment, but because Gov. Doyle is vulnerable, you get a two-for-one shot."

Paul Soglin says the vote tells us a lot more about legislators than just their willingness to discriminate against gays for political gain.