Even the Dems see the whole gay marriage issue as a political hot potato:

President Bush, in his first public comments, condemned the city's actions, and said they are influencing his decision over whether to push for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage. His wife, Laura Bush, on a trip to Los Angeles, called same-sex marriage ``a very, very shocking issue'' for some people. As of Wednesday, the city had issued more than 2,700 marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

But the biggest surprise of the day came from U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, seeking her third term this fall and long a champion of gay rights, who publicly stated that she does not believe in changing state law to allow for the recognition of same-sex marriage.

The announcement, which came after two Republican opponents challenged her on the issue, was a blow to some of her longtime gay and lesbian supporters, and demonstrated the acute political sensitivity of same-sex marriage in an election year.

Bush should just back off and leave Kerry to take a stand on this issue.