Kerry on Gay Marriage

JohnKerry.com ^ | 2/24/2004 | John Kerry

[stocksthatgoup]

February 24, 2004

For Immediate Release

“I believe President Bush is wrong. All Americans should be concerned when a President who is in political trouble tries to tamper with the Constitution of the United States at the start of his reelection campaign.

“This President can’t talk about jobs. He can’t talk about health care. He can’t talk about a foreign policy, which has driven away allies and weakened the United States, so he is looking for a wedge issue to divide the American people. “While I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, for 200 years, this has been a state issue. I oppose this election year effort to amend the Constitution in an area that each state can adequately address, and I will vote against such an amendment if it comes to the Senate floor.

“I believe the best way to protect gays and lesbians is through civil unions. I believe the issue of marriage should be left to the states, and that the President of the United States should be addressing the central challenges where he has failed – jobs, health care, and our leadership in the world rather than once again seeking to drive a wedge by toying with the United States Constitution for political purposes.”

[SAMWolf]

Sorry about the earlier post.

[Intolerant in NJ]

... a President who is in political trouble tries to tamper with the Constitution of the United States...strange, Bush asks for a constitutional amendment through the procedure set out in the document itself and this is branded "tamper"(ing) - when in fact the real tampering has been the constant bending, obfuscation, and contradictory reinterpretations of that document by "activitist" judges - and no complaints from Kerry........

[Puddleglum]

Every day he comes across as more and more of a conceited, whiny, spiteful prick. I think it will make ordinary Americans despise him, and if nothing else he will sound desperate instead of confident and well-reasoned - sort of like a rabid Don Quiote.

The wording of this statement convinces me that he truly does not know how much of a worm he is and that he will obliviously flaunt it to Americans. He is at best deluded and at most dangerously so. I cannot imagine him as commander-in-chief.

[longtermmemmory]

ALL FROM JOHN KERRY: (http://www.johnkerry.com)

ALL IN JOHN KERRY'S OWN WORDS.
Brackets indicate personal notation added.
NOTE UNDERLINED AREAS. THOSE ARE EMPHASIS ADDED.


A Record of Working on Behalf of Gay and Lesbian Americans
With a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign [HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS GROUP] since 1995, John Kerry is a powerful voice in the ongoing fight for civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans.


Priorities
Preventing Hate Crimes
John Kerry is an original cosponsor of the Hate Crimes Prevention bill, which would extend federal jurisdiction over serious, violent hate crimes. These would include crimes motivated by sexual orientation. Hate crimes rose a disturbing 3.5% from 1999 to 2000.

Ending Discrimination
One of John Kerry’s first acts as a U.S. Senator, in 1985, was to introduce a bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He supports passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and has adopted a nondiscrimination policy for his Congressional offices based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

HIV/AIDS Funding
John Kerry cosponsored the first Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act (CARE) - which represents the largest discretionary federal investment in treating individuals with HIV and AIDS. Kerry also sponsored the Vaccines for the New Millennium Act, aimed at boosting contributions to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a non-profit group working to promote development of an HIV vaccine in 2000. Kerry introduced the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act, which would increase the U.S. government’s funding of international HIV/AIDS efforts from approximately $1.7 billion in 2003 to $1.9 billion in 2004. This effort led to the unanimous passage in May 2003 the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act of 2003. AIDS activists characterized Kerry as one of Congress’s top leaders on HIV/AIDS policy.

Protecting Gay and Lesbian Families
John Kerry believes that same-sex couples should be granted rights, including access to pensions, health insurance, family medical leave, bereavement leave, hospital visitation, survivor benefits, and other basic legal protections that all families and children need. [NOTE DISTINCTION OF CHILDREN AS ACCESSORY TO HOMOSEXUAL "FAMILY", NOT A PART OF A "FAMILY."] He has supported legislation to provide domestic partners of federal employees the benefits available to spouses of federal employees. He was one of 14 Senators -- and the only one up for reelection in 1996 -- to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Lifting the Ban on Gays in the Military
John Kerry opposed the Clinton Administration’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” He was one of a few senators to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee and call on the President to rescind the ban on gay and lesbian service members.

Support for Civil Unions
John Kerry supports same-sex civil unions so that gay couples can benefit from the health benefits, inheritance rights, or Social Security survivor benefits guaranteed for heterosexual couples.

[plain talk]

Uh, Mr. Kerry, he has taken decisive action on all those things you mentioned - unlike you who have none nothing in your whole life except serve in Viet Nam, marry rich ladies, screw around with women and talk cheap politics. What companies have you run or what accomplishments do you have to serve as a basis for requesting the highest job in the land, John Kerry? You, John Kerry, are not even qualified to run for President because you have not demonstrated significant leadership experience and do not even understand what leadership is.

[longtermmemmory]

kerry has successfully defied the laws of political physics. He has occupied two positions within the same political space without imploding. so far.

[jwalsh07]

JOHN KERRY STARRING AS

[concerned about politics]

Every day he comes across as more and more of a conceited, whiny, spiteful prick. I think it will make ordinary Americans despise him, and if nothing else he will sound desperate instead of confident and well-reasoned

Yepper! He's even running around speaking French to his supporters.
What a dork!

[Blood of Tyrants]

John Kerry has three simultaneous positions on EVERYTHING:

1. "I supports it."
2. "I oppose it on alternate days of the week."
3. "I WAS A VIETNAM VET"!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rome2000]

Yeah ,he will release a statement next month saying he didn't mean he was opposed to the Ammendment, just the way the President was going about it.

I'm not kidding.

[concerned about politics]

'Scarborough Country' for Feb. 23 (MSNBC)
Read the complete transcript to Monday's show (bottom of transcript)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: (SPEAKING FRENCH)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCARBOROUGH: That‘s amazing. John Kerry can say he served in Vietnam in nine different languages.

Hey, we‘ll be right back tomorrow night.

[Aetius]

The only difference is symbolic. If a 'civil union' or 'domestic partnership' has the same rights, benefits, obligations, etc as marriage then it is gay marriage, you're just not using the word 'marriage. ' That's why those who claim to support civil unions while wanting to preserve the institution of marriage in fact have a position that protects the word 'marriage', not the institution or concept of marriage.

But it is the case that a lot of Americans hold this contradictory postion. Look at the polls; almost everyone shows a strong majority opposed to legally recognized gay marriage, however if the question if of civil unions it is much less clear. Recently several polls have shown a majority opposed to legally recognizing civil unions, but others show a plurality in support, or a plurality in opposition. There doesn't seem to be consensus here except that its much closer.

Of course I'm not saying that the symbolism of the word 'marriage' is not important. I think its telling that the far left/gay community is increasingly unwilling to accept civil unions, but instead demand the word marriage as well. They have moved beyond calls for tolerance and acceptance to the point of demanding celebration of their lifestyle. That is largely what this is about. If they were reasonable they would accept the semantic compromise many Americans are comfortable with in substituting civil unions for gay marriage, but they insist on getting it all, and that includes the historical and societal status that goes along with the word 'marriage.'

Though I oppose the legal recognition of any gay union, I am beginning the think the conservatives must be willing to make this a state's rights issues. I have doubts that that an Amendment banning gay marriage will pass, but I think an Amendment that clearly stated that each state can decide for itself whether or not to adopt gay marriages or civil unions, and then whether or not to accept gay marriages or civil unions perfomed in other states, and finally that the judiciary can play no part in the matter would have a better chance of becoming law.

[johnb838]

"This President can’t talk about jobs. He can’t talk about health care. He can’t talk about a foreign policy...

This has been the rat talking point for the day. That the President doesn't have anything good to point to in his tenure thus far. It is such a pantload, but I've been hearing it all day.

The good thing is the rats have looked strident, nasty, and overly aggressive, while the President looked cool, calm, and fully at ease poking fun at Kerry last night at the Governors Dinner. Thank goodness because he looked nrevous as heck earlier. But the rats are the ones that looked a little desperate today.

How could anyone ever doubt that Kerry would be against homosexual marriage but for civil unions? It's an issue made for a crawfish like him.

[concerned about politics]

The US has decided to suspend imports of meat products from France following inspections by US vets, according to the French agriculture ministry.

Sorry Kerry, speaking French on the campaign trail isn't going to help you much.

ROTF!

[longtermmemmory]

The homosexuals see the "m" word as MONEY!

It has become crystal clear without the "m" word, civil unions will stop at the individual state borders or just not exist at all. Why should they? A cohabitation agreement will do the EXACT SAME JOB.

The FMA turns civil unions to where marriage should have been, in the states. With states citizens do not vote for homosexuals. Remember civil unions will not stand if only allowed for homosexuals, unmarried heterosexuals will also have access to the civil union argument. How about a polygamous civil union?

The word marriage opens the money train to social security and immigration. (5k min. for a visa marriage in South Beach.)

[junaid]

I disagree. I was married in GA, but lived in WI and subsequently MO. My marriage was valid in all these states because each state recognizes the other's marriage laws. If left to each state to decide about gay marriage/civil union, then either of two scenarios must occur. One, every state must recognize every gay marriage regardless of that state's laws (like drivers licenses). In the second scenario, a married couple would need to obtain a marriage license in each state to be recognized as married (like businesses need to do).

[Solson]

The Massachusetts Supreme Court made this a federal issue.

[junaid]

I disagree. I was married in GA, but lived in WI and subsequently MO. My marriage was valid in all these states because each state recognizes the other's marriage laws. If left to each state to decide about gay marriage/civil union, then either of two scenarios must occur. One, every state must recognize every gay marriage regardless of that state's laws (like drivers licenses). In the second scenario, a married couple would need to obtain a marriage license in each state to be recognized as married (like businesses need to do). That's why this needs to be decided at a national level. A constitutional amendment would be the best way for that to occur.

[John Lenin]

Does Karl Rove have perfect timing or what ? Bush announces this on the day 'The Passion' hits the moivie theatres.

[longtermmemmory]

actually, imagine the word of mouth while waiting in line in the theaters!

exccccceeeeeeelent.