Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

California Attorney General Is Pressed on Gay Marriage
NY Times ^ | February 25, 2004 | DEAN E. MURPHY

Posted on 02/24/2004 11:58:33 PM PST by calcowgirl

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24 — As President Bush declared his support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, the political and legal landscape surrounding the marriage licenses issued here to same-sex couples appeared rockier than ever on Tuesday.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, whose city was singled out by the president, held a news conference at which he called Mr. Bush's support for an amendment "shameful" and "cowardly" and accused the president of a "lack of truthfulness."

Mayor Newsom, whose directive to the county clerk on Feb. 12 has resulted in more than 3,200 same-sex marriages in San Francisco, said Mr. Bush's announcement amounted to "a terrible day" for America.

"They wanted a wedge issue," Mr. Newsom said. "He is appealing to the right wing of his party. And it's shameful to play politics with peoples' lives, and that is what the president of the United States is attempting to do."

Opponents of the San Francisco marriages stepped up their pressure on law enforcement officials to crack down on the city and Mr. Newsom.

There were calls for Mr. Newsom's arrest by some conservative groups, and two Republicans behind the recall of former Gov. Gray Davis announced a petition drive to recall the attorney general, Bill Lockyer, for not doing more to prevent the marriages. Mr. Lockyer and Mr. Newsom are Democrats.

"He was elected by the people and is responsible to the people, so let's go to the people," one of the Republicans involved in the recall effort, Ted Costa, said of Mr. Lockyer. "We are not trying to bully the man. We are not trying to threaten the guy. We are just saying there are two forces out there, and we are trying to equalize that force in San Francisco."

Mr. Lockyer dismissed the recall as a "publicity stunt" by Republicans in advance of next week's state primary. He said he had no intention of arresting Mr. Newsom, whom he described as a "principled" man who was wrong on the law.

Mr. Newsom has acknowledged that the same-sex marriage licenses violate the state's family code but has said guarantees of equal protection in the state Constitution give him the authority to issue them.

"This needs to be resolved in court," Mr. Lockyer said. "We don't need to arrest mayors."

Yet even Mr. Lockyer's court actions drew ire on Tuesday from some of his critics.

At a news conference, Mr. Lockyer said that his office would file papers with the California Supreme Court on Friday asking it to rule on the legality of the same-sex marriages. Judges in two lawsuits against the city filed in San Francisco Superior Court have so far refused to halt the weddings, with the next hearing in those cases scheduled for March 29.

But conservative groups opposed to the marriages as well as gay and lesbian groups that support them said Tuesday that Mr. Lockyer was turning too quickly to the high court. Those groups say they would rather wait until the two lawsuits are heard next month so that they can better present their arguments.

"The record in this case has no kind of full analysis of the depth of the constitutional claims," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "There has been not one word of testimony from a live witness."

Mathew D. Staver, a lawyer representing the Campaign for California Families, one of the groups that sued the city, said he did not trust Mr. Lockyer to aggressively pursue the case against the city. Mr. Staver said he was disturbed by how long it had taken Mr. Lockyer to join the legal fight as well as by comments Mr. Lockyer had made about his personal support for gay rights and for Mr. Newsom.

"The attorney general, in doing what he is doing, might make it appear as if he is defending the case," Mr. Staver said, "when in fact he is attempting to undermine the case by taking it up to the Supreme Court without a proper record."

Mr. Lockyer rejected the criticism, saying he was committed to doing his job as a lawyer regardless of his personal views. He also said that his office had devised its legal strategy in consultation with lawyers for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, who last week expressed frustration with Mr. Lockyer's lack of action but seemed to back off that position on Tuesday.

"It is clear there are critics on the left and there are critics on the right," Mr. Lockyer said. "We all know that when you are in the middle of the road you can get hit by traffic going in both directions."

A spokeswoman for Mr. Schwarzenegger said that the governor was in agreement with Mr. Lockyer's decision to take the case to the Supreme Court. The spokeswoman, Terri M. Carbaugh, also said the governor did not support the Republican-led effort to recall Mr. Lockyer.

"People need to give Lockyer the time to do his job, and he seems to be doing it," Ms. Carbaugh said.

Professor Bruce E. Cain, director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, said there was a subtext to the attacks on Mr. Lockyer because Mr. Lockyer is regarded as a favorite in the Democratic field for governor in 2006.

"If the Republicans can find a way to take him out early, with a mistake on this issue, that will make it so much easier to have Arnold run for re-election in two and a half years," Professor Cain said.

Bloomberg Rejects an Amendment

In his first significant departure from President Bush on a major policy issue, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York said through his spokesman last night that he did not support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

"The mayor believes gay marriage is an issue that should be decided by the state," Edward Skyler, the mayor's press secretary, said in a written statement. "In 2002, the mayor signed Local Law 24, which recognized gay marriages legally entered into in other jurisdictions, but since such marriages are not permitted under New York State law, the mayor will not ask the city clerk to issue licenses to gay couples."

Mr. Skyler declined to elaborate on how Mr. Bloomberg viewed the issue of gay marriage personally.

While Mr. Bloomberg's refusal to take a position of full support on gay marriage could hurt him among gay voters in New York City, his decision to take a stand against Mr. Bush's proposed amendment may be enough to gain him some support. In the past, Mr. Bloomberg has been more or less silent on the issue.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: agrecall; bloomberg; bloomberglockyer; calgov2002; civilunion; gavinnewsom; lockyer; marriage; marriageamendment; ny; nyc; tedcosta

1 posted on 02/24/2004 11:58:33 PM PST by calcowgirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

"They wanted a wedge issue," Mr. Newsom said.

And you gave it to them, Newsome.

2 posted on 02/25/2004 12:03:43 AM PST by D-fendr_2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
Mr. Lockyer dismissed the recall as a "publicity stunt" by Republicans in advance of next week's state primary. He said he had no intention of arresting Mr. Newsom, whom he described as a "principled" man who was wrong on the law.

How long would it take for Mr. Lockyer to arrest Mr. Newsom if he were, say, closing abortion clinics or handing out concealed carry permits willy-nilly?

3 posted on 02/25/2004 12:08:29 AM PST by NYCVirago
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
While Mr. Bloomberg's refusal to take a position of full support on gay marriage could hurt him among gay voters in New York City, his decision to take a stand against Mr. Bush's proposed amendment may be enough to gain him some support. In the past, Mr. Bloomberg has been more or less silent on the issue.

Mayor Bloomberg is all live and let live when it comes to the gay agenda, but those gays better not be smoking!

4 posted on 02/25/2004 12:10:19 AM PST by NYCVirago
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYCVirago
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York said through his spokesman last night that he did not support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Mike, you don't get to vote on it. Now go flounce off somewhere and sulk.

5 posted on 02/25/2004 12:20:17 AM PST by hellinahandcart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge; farmfriend; Carry_Okie; SierraWasp; Ernest_at_the_Beach; kellynla; Amerigomag; ...
ping
6 posted on 02/25/2004 12:25:44 AM PST by calcowgirl (No on Propositions 55, 56, 57, 58)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
Thanks for the ping!
7 posted on 02/25/2004 12:41:31 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
Gee stuff like this explains why G*d did away with Soddom and Gamoriah. Saved all those nasty legal bills and bad press.
8 posted on 02/25/2004 12:46:54 AM PST by fella
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: D-fendr_2
All officials who do not uphold the law should be ousted and jailed. When law officals do not uphold the laws
that they have promised to defend, it is time the citizens take over.
9 posted on 02/25/2004 3:07:47 AM PST by tessalu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
Liberals look down on the rest of us. Its a reminder that while we can control the levers of power, they control the levers of our popular culture. Gavin Newsom isn't the mayor of San Francisco; he's a street punk. Just like you know, the gang leaders who live by shooting up by standers as a rite of passage. Newsom's rite of passage is to shoot up our culture. Its beyond audacity this lawbreaker can get up there and accuse us of introducing a "wedge issue" when the real issue is the rule of law. He's right - the issue isn't amending the Constitution. Friends, the real issue is why do we put up with the likes of him and activist judges who force the radical agenda down our throats? More to the point why are we on the defensive, acting like we're the ones who need to change things? We should be getting off our duffs and a finding a way to throw these people out of office so the law will be respected and followed. That's what we should be doing.
10 posted on 02/25/2004 3:16:41 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
Larry King was likening the "civil disobedience" of Gavin Newsome to that of MLK last night.

What Larry failed to point out was that MLK was not an elected official who had sworn to uphold the law and no one pointed that out to Larry.
11 posted on 02/25/2004 5:31:42 AM PST by randita
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
Never ceases to amaze me that all these leftists are now drinking from the States-Rights trough.

How they loved to mock the Southerners during the 60s for the same stance.

In fact, it was a perjorative accusation then "States-Righters!"

12 posted on 02/25/2004 6:14:09 AM PST by happygrl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
Gavin Newsom isn't the mayor of San Francisco; he's a street punk. Just like you know, the gang leaders who live by shooting up by standers as a rite of passage. Newsom's rite of passage is to shoot up our culture.

Very astute observation.

And why do they shoot up our Western Civ Culture ?

BECAUSE THEY HATE IT!!!!!!

13 posted on 02/25/2004 6:18:05 AM PST by happygrl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: little jeremiah
Ping


What We Can Do To Help Defeat the "Gay" Agenda


Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Version 1.1)

14 posted on 02/25/2004 6:22:36 AM PST by EdReform (Support Free Republic - All donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYCVirago
FYI: My latest e-mail to Lockyer this morning titled "3rd Request -- Please Do Your Job".

As the state's Attorney General, your primary responsibility to me as a citizen of California is to see that the rule of law is upheld, including that elected officials do not abuse the power of their office to break the law.

Your inability and unwillingness to take immediate action to stop the illegal actions of San Francisco's mayor is most disappointing to me.

Despite his using the power of his office to break the law, I don't expect you to arrest the mayor, but neither do I expect you to ask the courts to do your job and allow the state-sponsored anarchy in that city to continue beyond today.

Think about the damage you are doing to the rule of law you say you hold so dear. Get off your political behind and do your job, Bill.

15 posted on 02/25/2004 6:49:06 AM PST by glennaro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
I love to see Democrats nervous and sweating with the possibility they could lose their cushy job by taking a moralistic stand.
16 posted on 02/25/2004 8:54:08 AM PST by Uncle Hal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Hal
I love to see Democrats nervous and sweating with the possibility they could lose their cushy job by taking a moralistic stand.

Absolutely right!

And they would never read this:

Judaism’s Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality

If one can speak of Judaism's essence, it is contained in the Torah statement, “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse, and you shall choose life.” Judaism affirms whatever enhances life, and it opposes or separates whatever represents death.

Christianity also!

17 posted on 02/25/2004 10:40:10 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl
"This needs to be resolved in court," Mr. Lockyer said. "We don't need to arrest mayors."

Actually we need to arrest anybody that violates the law, from illegal aliens to marxist Mayors and all those in between and betwixt.

18 posted on 02/25/2004 10:42:17 AM PST by jwalsh07
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson