Speaking of "smoke screen", did you notice the number of "really urgent issues" that have been raised by both the government and press in the US recently? Let's see... Immigration reform, gay marriage...

I think that these "high profile" debates are being thrown out in desperation as a distraction from other things, like, for example, global warming, climate change, energy policy, debt, Afghasistan, Iraq, election reform, etc...

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...