Posted on 12/30/2011 6:51:37 PM PST by neverdem
TEMECULA, California — As a gay-marriage proponent, I was pleased to learn that then-Governor Willard Mitt Romney (R – Massachusetts) issued at least 189 special-issue, one-day marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2005 alone. These documents let these 378 people enjoy nuptials officiated by relatives, friends, and others who normally do not perform weddings.
This boost for gay marriage surprised me, given Romney’s numerous contrary pronouncements on the matter.
“I agree with 3,000 years of recorded history,” Romney announced as governor. “Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.”
“I oppose same-sex marriage,” Romney declared at Iowa’s December 15 GOP debate. “That’s been my position from the beginning.”
Romney’s statements, however, conflict with his gubernatorial behavior.
In Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled on November 18, 2003 that the Bay State lacked a “constitutionally adequate reason for denying marriage to same-sex couples.” The SJC granted 180 days “to permit the Legislature to take such action as it may deem appropriate in light of this opinion.”
Lawmakers debated various measures and even deliberated as a constitutional convention. But they never enacted a same-sex marriage law. The old, traditional marriage statute remains intact.
Nonetheless, Romney enforced the SJC’s opinion, even though it required nothing of him, having allowed the legislature a window to act “as it may deem appropriate.”
While Team Romney argues that the SJC forced it to give gay couples conventional marriage licenses, the special, one-day licenses are a strictly gubernatorial choice, as Massachusetts law unambiguously states:
“The governor MAY in his DISCRETION designate a justice of the peace in each town…as he considers expedient, to solemnize marriages…” The law continues: “…the governor MAY designate any other person to solemnize a particular marriage…” (Emphasis added.)
"Even if one accepts the Goodridge decision as constitutional, the one-day permits were above and beyond what was required by the court decision; they were purely discretionary,” says Steve Baldwin, former executive director of the Center Council for National Policy and a one-time Republican Whip in California’s State Assembly. “Romney did not have to issue any permits at all. This calls into question his authenticity as an alleged social-conservative candidate.” Baldwin, with whom I served on the national board of Young Americans for Freedom, has studied this issue and first alerted me to it.
Scott Helman and Scott S. Greenberger reported in the January 2, 2006 Boston Globe that “The applications Romney approved from same-sex couples included at least four from state legislators, including Jarrett T. Barrios, a state senator from Cambridge, members of the clergy from out of state, family members, and friends.”
If Romney truly opposed gay marriage as fervently as he claims, he could have exercised his discretion and refused to grant these one-day licenses to same-sex couples. A tougher-but-fairer policy would have denied such licenses to everyone — gay or straight. Instead, under no obligation to do so, Romney chose to give these particular licenses to gay couples.
“In Iowa, I don’t care who you are, you do something like that, you’re going to have to explain yourself,” Leon Mosley, then-co-chairman of Iowa’s Republican Party, told Helman and Greenberger. “I don’t care if I am governor or not, I don’t rubber stamp anything I don’t believe in.”
Joan Wheeler, former chairwoman of the Cherokee County, South Carolina Republicans said of Romney: “In my opinion, it looks like he’s doing the opposite from what he believes.”
Romney’s inconsistent words and deeds leave GOP voters two options:
Fans of gay marriage should thank Romney for these 189 or more instances in which he voluntarily used his gubernatorial authority to unite these same-sex couples so they might live happily ever after.
Foes of gay matrimony should ask Willard Mitt Romney if he really meant it when he said, “I have never supported same-sex marriage.” If so, why did he use his discretionary power to do just that — at least 189 times?
That's not what I copied from the regular webpage. Originally, it was a small square, but it became the long dash.
Paul's foreign policy is nuts. He'll never win the GOP nomination. Duh!
I'll only vote for Romney in November. ABO means more than the three main blood groups. I prefer Bachmann or Santorum, but I might vote for Newt to deny Romney the nomination.
The Mitt Romney Deception
The definitive report of Mitt Romney’s REAL record in Massachusetts before he ran for President.
http://massresistance.org/romney/
Gov. Mitt Romney and same-sex “marriage” in Massachusetts - here’s what happened
http://massresistance.org/docs/marriage/romney/
Mitt Romney, The Father Of Gay Marriage In America, By Illegal Executive Fiat
http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/mitt-romney-the-father-of-gay-marriage-in-america-by-illegal-executive-fiat/
Is Mitt Romney The Father of Gay Marriage?: Twenty-four Reasons Why He Is
http://theinteramerican.org/commentary/284-is-mitt-romney-the-father-of-gay-marriage-twenty-four-reasons-why-he-is.html
How Mitt Romney Brought Same-Sex Marriage To America
http://robertpaine.blogspot.com/2006/06/governors-new-clothes-how-mitt-romney_17.html
Tell me again why the GOP is about to nominate Son of McCain.
The establishment doesnt really care what he believes. They just like that he has an “R” after his name and that the polls show he can be Obama. So that’s who they want to nominate.
It’s not about what he believes in, it’s about power.
I will NEVER vote for Romney, even if he is the nominee. If the GOP is stupid enough to nominate him, then the GOP is finished!
Daughter of McCain would be less likely to waffle, though few Republicans would want her.
Not a faan of Romney...at all...but he was Govenor of the Commonwealth, right? The Commonwealth legalized gay marriage...so what was he supposed to do as Govenor? Make his own laws up?...ignore the wishes of the people he governs?
“During the same period (1925) Keynes struck out against drug control. He laid down the line which has been pursued by Leftists to the present day in demanding that distribution of narcotics be unrestricted. Homosexuals find drugs a useful adjunct in loosening moral inhibitions to perversion. And this ravisher of little boys feigned sympathy for the masses by urging universal rights for users of narcotics. He declared: “how far is bored and suffering humanity to be allowed, from time to time, an escape, an excitement, a stimulus, a possibility of change?”
Keynes and his conspirators projected homosexuality and drug addiction as an intrinsic part of their collectivist society of the future. His male sweetheart, Lytton Strachey, wrote privately that they would corrupt the whole population.....”
Romney is just a part of the above group, trying to legalize sodomy so they will gain access to little boys. Romney is a homosexualist.....as is Sandusky, Hitler, Gacy, Manson, Dahmer, Bambi, Holder, Rahm, Rove, Kissinger, etc. etc.
Anyone who is for normalization of Homosexuality and the brainwashing of all our children in public schools is Satanic/Occultist/Marxist. Romney is one of these perverts.
Hey, his hiney is showing.
“Tell me again why the GOP is about to nominate Son of McCain.”
Some dead soul said that it was that dead soul’s turn, and a large number of other dead souls keep repeating it. I think that is the reason. Like the ghosts of cows all chewing phantasmal cuds in unison.
“I will NEVER vote for Romney, even if he is the nominee. If the GOP is stupid enough to nominate him, then the GOP is finished!”
I am with you. Compromise is bad enough. Romney is outright capitulation. Not going to happen.
Compromise is bad enough. Romney is outright capitulation.
- - - -
EXACTLY. It is time to overthrow the GOP establishment or make them go the way of the Whigs. I’m done with RINOS, McCain was the last straw.
It is one of the worst jokes played on the GOP electorate that this RINO is running as a Republican. Utterly disgusting.
The Commonwealth NEVER legalized gay “marriage”!
MARCH 16, 2010
Confirmed Today: Gay Marriage STILL Not Legal in Mass.!
For years now — since 2005 — the homosexual lobby has filed and refiled its bill to legalize “gay marriage” in Massachusetts. They know that the law as it now stands refers to “man/woman”, “husband/wife” relationships as marriage. Today, the Judiciary Committee once again sent the bill to “study” — meaning, they killed it. But the very existence of this bill over the years confirms that we are correct that “gay marriage” has never been made legal in Massachusetts.
SHELVED TODAY:
House Bill 1708
AN ACT TO PROTECT MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES THROUGH EQUAL ACCESS TO CIVIL
MARRIAGE
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 207 is hereby amended by adding the
following new section:—
Section 37A. Any person who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of this chapter may
marry any other eligible person regardless of gender.
Why would the Judiciary Committee continue to bury this bill? We believe they don’t want to draw attention to the fact that all the “gay marriages” since 2004 are fraudulent.
Governor Romney, who without any Constitutional or statutory authority ordered the Department of Public Health to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and ordered Town Clerks and Justices of the Peace to perform these illegal “marriages”.
http://massresistance.blogspot.com/2010/03/confirmed-today-gay-marriage-still-not.html
...as for the wishes of the people...
The people DID gather more than enough signatures to get this on the ballot,but our legislature would NOT allow us to to get it on the ballot!
Assessing Mass. Marriage movement effort, Constitutional Convention, & Mitt Romney.
http://www.massresistance.com/docs/events07/concon_0614/neary.html
Roll Call Votes of Marriage Amendment - Mass. Legislature Constitutional Convention
http://www.massresistance.com/docs/events07/concon_0614/rollcall.html
Mitt did ignore the people that he governs. The courts in Massachusetts told the legislature to change the law to allow gay marriage. The legislature knew the people of Massachusetts would throw them out of office if they did that so they refused to do anything. To this day the legislature has refused to allow the people of Massachusetts to express an opinion by allowing them to vote on the matter.
Mitt realizing the legislature was too cowardly to legislate gay marriage, decided he would throw his support to gays by ordering the justices of the peace to start marrying gays. He instituted gay marriage by executive fiat. The people had no say in the matter at all.
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Very important information about Romney(puke) and his love affair with homosexuals and their revolting anti-Constitutional agenda. Anyone who might be toying with the idea of voting for him if he's the only R left standing should read massmike's links or pass it on to people.
7 REASONS WHY MITT ROMNEY'S ELECTABILITY IS A MYTH Check the link in comment# 40.
Chavez alleges US behind his, and his allies' illnesses
Throw Out the Entire D.C. Establishment
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