Indianapolis Star opinion page editor Tim Swarens doesn't hink much of Sen. Joe Donnelly's recent announcement that his opinion on gay marraige has "evolved" to the point where he now supports it:
"How convenient for Sen. Donnelly, who won’t be on a ballot again for more than five years." Elsewhere in his piece, Swarens wrote, "Joe Donnelly, as his critics insisted before the election, really is Evan Bayh all over again."
The likes of Bayh, and now Donnelly, can be seen one of two ways, perhaps: As a pragmatist in demanding situations who tries to make sound choices for the sake of his constituents, or as a relative pawn, cowtowing to the seeming powers that be, to the trendy position of the times.
Am I too cynical to think "evolving" is just a code word for "Now I can finally say what I always believed all along but knew you didn't want to hear"? When George H.W. Bush did his "Read my lips" schtick, did he already secretly wish to raise taxes, or did he "evolve" into that position?
Oh, well. The "I'm for gay marriage, too!" bandwagon is certainly picking up speed, isn't it? Gotta say, though -- as any hobo who ever tried to hop a freight train can tell you, if the thing is going too fast, there's a chance you might end up under the wheels.
