With the invocation of “activist judges forcing their arbitrary will upon the people” still dominating his remarks, President Bush tonight issued a statement in response to the Massachusetts ruling on gay marriage calling the ruling “deeply troubled.” He went on to say:

“Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. If activist judges insist on re-defining marriage by court order, the only alternative will be the constitutional process. We must do what is legally necessary to defend the sanctity of marriage.”

What about the “activist judges” that arbitrarily and willfully handed him the presidency?

On a different note, I’m deeply troubled myself by this constant reiteration of the “sacredness” of the institution of marriage. Civil marriage is divorced from religion; you don’t have to be blessed by a minister or priest to partake of all the thousands of federal benefits bestowed by marriage. If it’s a “sacred” institution, then the state ought to be out of the business altogether of endorsing and rewarding it, for all, straight as well as gay.