Posted on 08/06/2011 9:25:19 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has joined Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Sen. Pennsylvania Rick Santorum in signing a pledge to oppose same-sex marriage on a number of specific fronts.
The three candidates signed the pledge advanced by the National Organization for Marriage, which has led national and state campaigns to limit marriage to a man and a woman. The signature of the front-runner, Romney, is a bit of a coup for the group, as he's been careful about committing to other pledges, including a broad promise to a socially conservative Iowa group that caused trouble for other candidates.
Romney, Bachmann and Santorum signed on to support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage, to appoint federal judges who don't see a constitutional right to same-sex marriage and to back the Defense of Marriage Act.
They've also pledged to support a referendum on marriage in Washington and to establish a "presidential commission on religious liberty" aimed at protecting the rights of marriage foes to speak out.
The pledge is less meaningful for its direct consequences than for the fact that it fully commits the three candidates to the hottest front in the culture wars.
Weather vane? "Any way the wind blows..."
Sometimes it is better never than late.
It can be the difference between having scant credibility and none whatsoever.
Trying to pick up some red states should he be the nominee?
btw it might be interesting in ‘12: unlike the likes of
JFK, Dukakis, and Kerry, Mitt might be a Massachusetts candidate (well, that and Utah & Mich.) who might LOSE
that state.
(Algore lost his home state too btw; and had he won it it could have put him over the top)
But will he sign a pledge against plural marriage..THAT is the real question
To do so he’d have to be saying Joseph Smith was a fake prophet. He won’t do that. Then again, it’s okay for him to lie about.
today’s Bos Globe:
>>Romney has opposed gay marriage in his presidential campaigns both this year and in 2008. But he said in his 1994 Senate campaign against Democrat Edward Kennedy that he would be a greater advocate for gay rights than Kennedy.
Take my wives....please!
Didn’t Utah have to outlaw polygamy to join the union though?
Milt, himself, imposed gay marriage by personally overturning the Mass. Constitution.
"While former Massachusetts Gov. Milt Romney claims he did everything possible to throttle homosexual marriage in his state his campaign now saying he took "every conceivable step within the law to defend traditional marriage" several constitutional experts say that just isn't so.
"What Romney did [was] he exercised illegal legislative authority," Herb Titus said of the governor's actions after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court released its opinion in the Goodridge case in 2003. "He was bound by what? There was no order. There wasn't even any order to the Department of Public Health to do anything."
Titus, a Harvard law graduate, was founding dean of Pat Robertson's Regent University Law School. He also worked with former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, ...
Romney's aides have told WND that after four of the seven court members reinterpreted the definition of marriage, he believed he had no choice but to direct clerks and others to change state marriage forms and begin registering same-sex couples.
Some opponents contend that with those actions, Romney did no more or less than create the first homosexual marriages recognized in the nation. And Titus agrees."
"....But the court's decision conflicts with the constitutional philosophy of three co-equal branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial, Titus said. It also violates with the Massachusetts Constitution, which states: "The power of suspending the laws, or (suspending) the execution of the laws, ought never to be exercised but by the legislature..."
And it cannot even be derived from the opinion itself, asserts the pro-family activist group Mass Resistance, which says the decision did four things:
* First, it acknowledged that the current law does not permit same-sex marriage.
"The only reasonable explanation is that the Legislature did not intend that same-sex couples be licensed to marry. We conclude, as did the judge, that G.L. c. 207 may not be construed to permit same-sex couples to marry."
* Second, it said it is NOT striking down the marriage laws (among other things, the Massachusetts Constitution forbids a court to change laws)
"Here, no one argues that striking down the marriage laws is an appropriate form of relief."
* Third, it declared that not allowing same-sex marriages is a violation of the Massachusetts Constitution.
"We declare that barring an individual from the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage solely because that person would marry a person of the same sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution."
* And fourth, given that the court is not changing any laws, the SJC gave the Legislature 180 days to "take such action as it may deem appropriate."
"We vacate the summary judgment for the department. We remand this case to the Superior Court for entry of judgment consistent with this opinion. Entry of judgment shall be stayed for 180 days to permit the Legislature to take such action as it may deem appropriate in light of this opinion."
After the Legislature did nothing during the 180 days, Romney then took action "on his own," the group said.
"Gov. Romney's legal counsel issued a directive to the Justices of the Peace that they must perform same-sex marriages when requested or 'face personal liability' or be fired," the group said."
I know... but give the man credit for eventually getting it right.
Hmm...looking up George Romney (his dad) in Wikipedia:
>>Romney’s grandparents were polygamous Mormons who fled the United States with their children because of the federal government’s opposition to polygamy
Under “Mormons”:
>>Mormons are often associated with polygamy. Many early Mormons did in fact practice polygamy, though the practice was disavowed by the LDS Church in 1890 and phased out over the next 15 years. The vast majority of modern Mormons are monogamists.
The page shows some famous Mormons incl. Romney, Dingy Harry, Marie Osmond, Jon Huntsman, Glenn Beck
Someone explain to me why Gay marriage is a Federal issue?
“Romney signs marriage pledge”
What is the guys name that romney is marrying?
LLS
I believe nit rummie almost as much as I believe mac, the crybaby liar, daddy.
He didn’t get it right, it was the direction of the wind.
The LDS has never rescinded the doctrine of plural marriage it was OFFICIALLY tabled but it is still; there and observant Mormons must accept it if they hope to be gods.. because there is plural marriage in heaven... The temple sealing is still a valid marriage with or without the state in the eyes of the LDS
Now that gay marriage is seemly ok they will eventually try to bring back state sanctioned plural marriage as a religious freedom issue...
ok.. so you would prefer for him to come out in favor or gay marriage?
I don’t get it, if he doesn’t do what you want you hate him, and if he does what you want you still hate him. Is there anything he can do politically that you would approve of?
When someone, even a former enemy comes over to my way of thinking I welcome them with open arms.
Lick index finger.....raise in the air....see which way the wind is blowing....take a stand.
Romney is a whores whore : )
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.