Posted on 01/07/2015 9:54:11 PM PST by NetAddicted
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, the top elected Republican in Florida, says state Attorney General Pam Bondi should appeal a court decision that paved the way for the same-sex marriages that began in the state this week.
RELATED NEWS/ARCHIVE Charlie Crist: Rick Scott and Pam Bondi should not defend Florida's gay marriage ban 5 Months Ago Pam Bondi won't appeal ruling against Florida's gay marriage ban 4 Months Ago The Buzz: Bondi wants Florida Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage 3 Months Ago
In any event, Rubio said he thinks the U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide the issue, a growing possibility. States are rapidly allowing gay marriage while a federal court in Ohio recently upheld a ban. On Friday, the high court could begin deliberations on whether to decide the issue for the country.
"I do not believe that there is a U.S. Constitutional right to same-sex marriage," Rubio said in an interview with Florida reporters on Wednesday afternoon. "Now as I've said before, states have a right to change their laws. I don't believe it's unconstitutional. I just don't believe there's a constitutional right to it.
"States have always defined marriage in the laws and if a state wants to change its marriage laws, it should do so by petitioning their elected representatives in the legislature, and in the case of Florida, by placing on the ballot a question on the issue," he continued. "I'm against it. I don't agree with it. But we're in a democracy and people can debate those issues and ultimately it will be decided through that process."
Rubio's comments come as Bondi, who had pursued challenges to same-sex marriages, has been vague about what she will do now. Her office is reviewing options. Rubio's comments also come as some other Florida Republicans, while not accepting gay marriage, have effectively said the courts have decided and it's time to move on.
Rubio, who is considering a run for president, nonetheless has tried to find a softer way to talk about gay marriage. In his new book, out next week, he writes:
"Thousands of years of human history have taught us that the ideal setting for children to grow up in is with a mother and a father committed to each other, living together and sharing the responsibility of raising their children. It is for this reason and this reason alone that I continue to believe marriage should be defined as one man and one woman. It is neither my place nor my intention to dictate to anyone who they are allowed to love or live with."
While acknowledging changing public opinion, he added: "The trend that I will not accept, however, is the growing attitude that belief in traditional marriage equates to bigotry and hatred. Just as California has a right to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples, Florida has a right to define it as one man and one woman."
Same-sex marriage is now allowed in 36 states plus the District of Columbia.
Rubio says we should just accept court decisions and embrace homo marriage if it wins.
He is an imbecile.
Constitutional Amendment? We need a constitutional amendment defining “marriage” as a union between a man and a woman.
He’s for fighting something that he knows is going to lose, but he won’t fight to close the borders...Wait...He WANTS ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY, just like his master jeb bush.
Sorry rubio, not going to get FOOLED by your WORDS
All politicians sound like Charlie Browns teacher, blah, blah, blah,===LIE, LIE , LIE.
Watching ACTIONS, not listening to WORDS.
He says this after an historic election in which conservatives roared
Boehners types are on their way out. Conservative media prick pundits can push it all they want, the Rubio types know what they see
He would not do this had the election been taken by rinos Majority or not
Until the government is re-federalized, until the states are returned to the senate, we can expect more and more outrageous, unconstitutional acts from the judiciary and executive ministries of our imperial capital, Washington, DC.
The judge’s decision is bad law.
It violates the 1st, 10th, and 14th amendments.
The appeals court at the 11th circuit should overrule Hinkle.
SCOTUS has a duty to not write law and let the states handle this issue....while also protecting the 1st amendment rights of people in the states who do not believe in SSM.
Such a simple solution. Sadly, the post-modern philosophy our culture has, where words mean essentially WHATEVER WE WANT THEM TO MEAN, can’t see that truth.
This is one of the very few times I’ve agreed with Rubio. Marriage is licensed under STATE laws, not the Fed Gov’t, ala the 10th Amendment.
I lost trust in FL AG Pam Bondi when she permitted the fiasco prosecution of Zimmerman in the self-defense killing of thug Trayvon.
No... lets just follow Jeb Bush’s advice and embrace the perversion of marriage. Remember, Jeb is a CONSERVATIVE!
/SARC
Rubio says we should just accept court decisions and embrace homo marriage if it wins.
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FR postings a day or so ago indicated that Jeb Bush said that; not Rubio.
In this posted article Rubio says what MOST people believe; that people should be permitted to love and live with whomever they wish. That does not require marriage.
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