The White House declared this week "National Character Counts Week", and issued the following proclaimaion: "America's strength is found in the spirit and character of our people. During National Character Counts Week, we renew our commitment to instilling values in our young people and to encouraging all Americans to remember the importance of good character." Uh, huh. ...

A new report on the growth in the number of self-identified same-sex couples suggests an unexpected -- at least to social conservatives, I'll wager -- benefit from the marriage amendment slugfests that have been occurring in recent election cycles. The report, from the Williams Institute at UCLA, examines recently released census data, documenting a 30 percent increase in the number of self-identified same-sex couples in the United States over five years, from nearly 600,000 couples in 2000 to almost 777,000 in 2005. The increase is five times the rate of growth in the U.S. population, according to the study. The increase does ...

I took part in a panel discussion on the proposed amendment Thursday night. About sixty people attended the discussion, from both sides of the discussion. Our local paper ran this account: Panel airs pros, cons of marriage amendment By Anna Krejci Proponents and opponents to a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage argued their positions before a crowded room of area residents at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lake Delton on Thursday. On November 7 Wisconsin residents will be asked to vote on whether to amend the state's constitution defining marriage between one man and one woman. The proposed amendment reads, "Only a marriage between ...