Bush Backs Amendment Banning Gay Marriage [Live Thread 10:45 Statement]

Fox News ^ | 02.24.04

[Dr. Marten]

Bush Backs Amendment Banning Gay Marriage

Breaking news...no details yet..

[Happy2BMe]

More Details Here

[justshutupandtakeit]

This will have no impact upon the Lunatic Fringe of the Lunatic Fringe determined as it is to attack Bush on every issue. Some day that 0.05% of the people might actually matter for reasons unrelated to taking up the time of the sane here with their absurdities.

[GraniteStateConservative]

No, you can impeach out-of-control activist judges. We should have done it over a lot less than this and a lot sooner than now.

[cyncooper]

WWKS (What will Kerry say)??

LOL!

[LongsforReagan]

"WWKS (What will Kerry say)?? "


"During my time fighting in the quagmire of Vietnam, we took comfort in our fellow soldiers arms and found love and companionship. President Bush's assault on same sex marriage is an affront to all of our brothers who found true love in the hell of Southeast Asia".

[ohioWfan]

I haven't memorized anyone else's speeches, Granite.

He spoke from his heart, and he spoke the truth.

(And just when did you become such a cynic)?

[Imal]

So that we understand what we're talking about, here's the text from the Constitution:

Article. IV.
Section. 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

This clause does not, and has never required, any state to accept as legal that which it specifically prohibits by law, disingenuous contentions notwithstanding. To interpret it otherwise is to effectively grant any state the ability to override the laws of any other state, which is absurd.

"Full faith and credit" does not extend the legislative authority of any state over another state. If a gay marriage, civil union or whatever is not legal in a state, it is not legal in a state.

[GraniteStateConservative]

That's funny. It's required to believe that Bush hung the moon in order to not be viewed as a Bush basher?

[chambley1]

Mayor Gavin Newsom should be given more time to prove that homosexual sex in the human sewer system results in a baby and procreation of the species.

[tuesday afternoon]

This man doesn't put his finger to the wind, and he takes political chances based on his convictions. I don't know if this will hurt or help him - and, I believe that he doesn't know, either - but, he is following what he believes is right.

Amen.

[MeekOneGOP]

Drudge is linking to this article:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040224/D80TN6O00.html

Bush to Back Gay Marriage Ban Amendment

 

Feb 24, 10:53 AM (ET)

By DEB RIECHMANN

(AP) President Bush speaks at the Republican Governors Association reception in Washington Monday, Feb....
Full Image

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in an attempt to halt same-sex unions like the thousands that have been allowed this month in San Francisco, his spokesman said Tuesday.

"He has always strongly believed that marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

He said the president wants to end "growing confusion" that has arisen from court decisions in Massachusetts, and San Francisco's permitting more than 3,000 same sex unions.

"The president believes it is important to have clarity," McClellan said.

"There is widespread support in this country for protecting and defending the sanctity of marriage."

He said Bush believes that legislation for such an amendment, submitted by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., "meets his principles" in protecting the "sanctity of marriage" between men and women.

But Bush was not expected in his announcement Tuesday to specifically embrace any particular piece of legislation. White House officials say that support for Musgrave's proposed amendment has been unraveling in the Senate.

Bush decided to take action partly because the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that it is unconstitutional to bar gay couples from marriage. That decision could result in gay weddings there as early as May, McClellan said. "We're two months away," he said.

McClellan said 38 states have passed laws protecting the "sanctity of marriage and the president will call on Congress to move quickly to pass legislation that can then be sent to the states for ratification.

"We need to act now," he said. "The constitutional process will take time."

With the announcement, Bush is wading into a volatile social issue. The conservative wing of his party has been anxious for Bush to follow up his rhetoric on the issue with action. In recent weeks, Bush has repeatedly said he was "troubled" by the Massachusetts court decision and the gay marriages in San Francisco, but stopped short of endorsing a constitutional amendment.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that it is unconstitutional to bar gay couples from marriage. Gay and lesbian couples from Europe and couples from more than 20 states have flocked to San Francisco City Hall since city officials decided to begin marrying same-sex couples a few days ago. At the current pace, more than 3,200 people will have taken vows by Friday promising to be "spouses for life."

At least 38 states and the federal government have approved laws or amendments barring the recognition of gay marriage; last week, the Utah House gave final legislative approval to a measure outlawing same-sex marriages and sent it to the governor, who has not taken a position on the bill.

Musgrave's proposed amendment would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Conservatives have been saying for a month that the White House had quietly assured them that Bush would take the step he was announcing on Tuesday.

Last week, he met with 13 Roman Catholic conservatives. They included Deal Hudson, the publisher of Crisis magazine and a friend of Bush political adviser Karl Rove; William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights; Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, former speechwriter for President Reagan; and Kathryn Jean Lopez, associate editor of National Review magazine.

Bush has indicated his support for a constitutional amendment in the past, including in a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers last month. At that session, according to one official in attendance, the president singled out Musgrave's proposal as one he could support, but did not endorse it.

The amendment that Musgrave and other lawmakers are backing in the House says: "Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."

[sinkspur]

I sure do wish we had a human life amendment, though. Since I'm a big believer in efficiency, why not push both at the same time?

Because it would never get out of Congress, much less be ratified by 3/4 of the states.

[teletech]

Would it have been more courageous and shown more leadership to have embraced this last May?

I have an idea! Lets get rid of Bush and make YOU president! You OBVIOUSLY have ALL the answers!

[C210N]

A father watched his daughter playing in the garden. He smiled as he reflected on how sweet and innocent his little girl was. Suddenly she just stopped and stared at the ground.
------
He went over to her and noticed she was looking at two spiders mating. "Daddy, what are those two spiders doing?" she asked.
-------
"They're mating," her father replied.
"What do you call the spider on top, Daddy?" she asked. "That's a Daddy Longlegs." Her father answered.
-------
"So, the other one is Mommy Longlegs?" the little girl asked. "No," her father replied. "Both of them are Daddy Longlegs."
-------
The little girl thought for a moment, then took her foot and stomped them flat. "Well, that might be OK in California and Massachusetts, but we're not having any of that shit in Texas!

[Imal]

The reason to do the amendment at all is the impact of the 14th amendment, with its "full faith and credit clause."

The 14th Amendment contains no such clause.

[justshutupandtakeit]

It is more effective to allow the dumbasses to climb WAAAY out on that limb before cutting it off. How did this obvious truth escape you?

[ohioWfan]

He laid out clearly that the people are against same sex marriages, and that activist judges cannot change the law, nor can city officials break the law in defiance of the will of the people.

It was a very clearly defined speech, citing legal, cultural and moral reasons for marriage's being defined as between a husband and wife.

Bravo, President Bush!

[Sabertooth]

Just heard the clip on the radio. President Bush was clear and unequivocal in supporting a CMA to maintain the definition of marriage.

I think he should have done this eight months ago, but I'll take it.

Anyone still on the fence about reelecting Bush or thinking about voting third party needs to understand that the worst a development of a Kerry presidency would be the destruction of the institution of marriage, which is the fundamental unit of Western Civilization. Without our definition of marriage, all hell can break loose at it's leisure.

Marriage survived both the Nazis and the Communists, yet it would not survive a return of the Democrats to power before the passage of a CMA.

This is the most important issue of this election cycle, and probably the most important issue since the Civil War.

[sinkspur]

Which amendment is it, then, nitpicker?

You know what I mean. But, I guess you've got to win on something, since you're getting your butt kicked on opposing an amendment.

[GraniteStateConservative]

If Bush spoke out in favor today of the Musgrave amendment word-for-word, that was introduced last May, nearly a year ago. Why the delay? We know the answer. It's politics. That's defensible, but it's not leadership. Musgrave showed leadership and Bush followed her lead.