Actually I do have a fairly good idea of how the Catholic church works. And I also realize that these Bishops are using their influence as a couple of guys in funny robes in a single city - they are using their authority as leaders in an entire religious community in the US. If Dennis Hastert stands up and whines about something, he isn't doing it because he is from Illinois. He is doing it as a leader in the entire GOP.
I have no illusions about whether these bishops represent the actual membership. Hell, they don't even represent the leadership of the Church (which I do mostly always side with). I'm pointing out that their effort to do something good for families and this country has already been sabotaged by the actions of those tools who already spent the last two months on TV giving away our country to Mexico. (btw, I didn't see a single Catholic group or Bishop or Priest come out against the no-borders campaign. That didn't help matters).
Just like Bush showing up late on the immigration debate, there is a huge credibility loss and a negation of any moral authority which otherwise would have existed. Both Bush and the Bishops here in the U.S. are going to have to spend some time building up some good deeds before they get the support of anybody but foreign nationals, communist cells and democratic special interest groups. Many of the Cardinals already sent droves of worshippers into the wilderness in the last decade with the gay priest recycling program. And for non-Catholics, it all looks the same from the outside.
But with all that being said, I stand with all faithful Catholics who want to protect marriage in this country. People of faith are the only thing standing between forced gay marriage in our places of worship and forced abortion in all faith-based hospitals (see Massachusetts). Even if our leadership fails, we still must stand for what is right.