Do we take it for granted that we're able to see through President Bush's anti-gay marriage agenda as a means to motivate his conservative voting block? Perhaps. But what's not so errily clear, at least until you look into the matter, is that the White House's efforts to boost sagging approval ratings – especially religious conservatives, where approval of the president "has plunged twenty-two percent among white evangelicals" – and gear up for mid-term elections is an old political trick, circa the Civil Rights Movement.

When it comes to the politics of distraction, Bush's decision to stoke fears among religious conservatives about gay sex is part of a historical pattern among Republicans. In fact, the last time the party fought a battle over ''traditional'' marriage -- attempting to uphold state bans on interracial marriage during the 1960s -- the political landscape was eerily similar. Sixteen states had laws on the books outlawing marriage between whites and blacks, and seventy percent of Americans opposed interracial marriage. Those are almost precisely the numbers that Bush marshaled to justify his call to ban gay marriage. ''Nineteen states have held referendums to amend their state constitutions to protect the traditional definition of marriage,'' the president observed. ''In every case, the amendments were approved by decisive majorities, with an average of seventy-one percent.'' The president also flashed the same kind of scorn that was heaped on the Supreme Court when it struck down bans on interracial marriage in 1967: ''Unfortunately, this consensus is being undermined by activist judges and local officials who have made an aggressive attempt to redefine marriage.''

As San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom so eloquently puts it: "Nothing has changed. It is the same playbook, and it is as shameful today as it was then."

The Politics of Fear [Rolling Stone]

• Only a few more days to make your audition tape for Rolling Stone Magazine's reality show. Audition tapes must be received by April 7. If you make it to the finals, let us know and we'll give you some pointers. [RollingStone]

• First the Toronto Blue Jays, and now the Washington Nationals rain on the gays' parade. Look at the devastation on this drag queen's face! We're starting to hate baseball. (Except for the Cubs. Go Cubbies!) [WashingtonPost]

• Michael Hutchence, former lead singer of INXS and early-90's heartthrob, is coming to the silver screen. We're interested to see how they depict his "death by doorknob" suicide. [HeraldSun]

• "Invisible condom" testing underway in Africa, in the hopes it will prevent HIV infections. If the stuff works, this could be a revolution. Are you sponge-worthy? [CapeArgus]

• The Madonna media train keep on trucking. We have two words for her new Rolling Stone cover: Fucking hot!

• Of course the ex-gay movement would recruit this guy to write a book about his past queer lifestyle. The media is going to just eat up his Christian-fashioned name: God Easter.

• Anna Nicole Smith took home a female bartender in West Hollywood last week for a night of lesbian love. E! needs to give this woman back her own reality show.

• Kinky gay supernatural sex on cable isn't going away anytime soon. Here! has signed Dante's Cove on for a second season.

• If you missed Mariah Carey's stop at the Virgin Megastore in Hollywood yesterday, not to worry. Another queen stops by tomorrow night: Tab Hunter.