Posted on 06/03/2006 8:14:25 AM PDT by nwrep
President Bush on Saturday backed a resolution to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman even though the idea has little chance of being passed in the Senate.
"Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and a wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society," Bush said in his Saturday radio address. "Marriage cannot be cut off from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening this good influence on society."
Democrats say Senate floor time is being wasted on the issue, and accuse Republicans of making a pre-midterm election appeal to social conservatives whose votes were key to Bush's re-election.
This November, initiatives banning same-sex marriages are expected to be on the ballot in Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
"Sadly, President Bush is playing election-year politics with this divisive issue," the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said Friday. "He is shamelessly using this ploy to energize his right-wing base. We should never rewrite the Constitution to enshrine intolerance."
The White House said Bush did not devote his radio address to the issue or decide to host a presidential event Monday to again endorse the amendment because it is politically expedient, but because there's a vote on it scheduled next week in the Senate.
"On Monday, I will meet with a coalition of community leaders, constitutional scholars, family and civic organizations and religious leaders," Bush said in urging Congress to pass the amendment and send it to the states for ratification. "They're Republicans, Democrats and independents who've come together to support this amendment."
The amendment would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages. To become law, the proposal would need two-thirds support in the Senate and House, and then would have to be ratified by at least 38 state legislatures.
Bush said the amendment would fully protect marriage from being redefined, while leaving state legislatures free to make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than marriage.
It stands little chance of passing the 100-member Senate, where proponents are struggling to get even 50 votes. Several Republicans oppose the measure, and so far only one Democrat — Sen. Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska — has said he will vote for it.
Acknowledging that emotions often run hot in this debate, Bush urged calm.
"As this debate goes forward, we must remember that every American deserves to be treated with tolerance, respect and dignity," he said. "All of us have a duty to conduct this discussion with civility and decency toward one another, and all people deserve to have their voices heard."
David Buckel, Marriage Project director of Lambda Legal, a national organization working to protect the rights of lesbians, gay men and others, said the amendment would be damaging to the lives of same-sex couples and families, which raise millions of children.
"It would brand lesbian and gay men as legally inferior individuals," he said. "It would write into the supreme law of the land that this group of people are inferior and when it's the law, it's a message to everyone else in society that they have license to discriminate."
In his radio address, Bush struck back at judges who have overturned state laws similar in intent to the proposed legislation.
"Unfortunately, activist judges and some local officials have made an aggressive attempt to redefine marriage in recent years," the president said.
Bush said there is broad consensus in America to protect the institution of marriage.
Voters in 19 states have approved amendments to their state constitutions that protect the traditional definition of marriage, he said. Moreover, he said, 45 of the 50 states have either a state constitutional amendment or statute defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
Now your talkin.
Bush to base: See? I'm still a conservative! ...guys?
He has been very consistant over the years. If the 'base' didn't know or believe him, well, that isn't Bush's fault.
Anyway, this is not a plea to the base, this is pure Bush. He has always been in favor of this ammendment.
Please drop the hyperbole. Before we rush to crucify him on a single issue, remember the "Big 3" items he has delivered to us, which would have been unthinkable from a Democrat.
There is a broad consensus in America today to protect marriage as only between one man and one woman. If this resolution to amend the Federal Constitution is voted down, then at least, the liberals and the RINOs in the Senate will be unmasked as being out of step with the American people on this basic issue and the people can make their own judgments next time they vote for one of these so called representatives of the American people.
Bush & Co. starts to be in an election mode. Other politicans move to the center during election period, and govern from the left/right when elected. Bush & Co does the opposite. Interestingly, the strategy works for him.
Gain control of the Borders NOW, ban gay marrage later.
Check out this blog i found on a Google news page!
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/content/2006/06/republicans_return_to_their_ho.html
or this Tihyurl address: http://tinyurl.com/rvsyn
"Republicans return to their homophobic, racist right-wing base"
Listen at this link!
"He is shamelessly using this ploy to energize his right-wing base. We should never rewrite the Constitution to enshrine intolerance."
Yadda yadda yadda blah blahblah more background noise from the mindless, decadent Left trying to drag the U.S.A. down the same path of decadence that has doomed Europe.
President Bush is now well aware of the fury of Middle America, his base support, over open borders and illegal immigration. If the Republicans satisfy their base support on this single issue, they will receive their support in November and will be re-elected.
There are other issues of profound concern--eminent domain, expanding entitlement programs, litigation crisis, government spending--but open borders and illegal immigration are the deal breaker.
Middle America has excellent reasons to support President Bush and the Republican Congress, vis.:
9/11 was never repeated--thanks to President Bush and his expert leadership.There is still time for the Republicans to pull this crisis out of the fire.President Bush has made excellent judicial appointments. (Democrats can be expected to appoint "activist judges" who will do their best to destroy America and nullify the wishes of the American people.)
Democrats openly (if covertly) encourage open borderes and illegal immigration because they expect them to enlarge the Democrat base support.
Democrats CAN NOT be entrusted with foreign policy (or anything else of importance), especially in these dangerous times.
Democrats are in bed with the trial lawyers.
The Democrat Party is the political machine of the decadent Left--which is in overdrive trying to lead America down the same path of destruction that has doomed Europe.
Et al.
If they satisfy the concerns of Middle America (and the rest of America as well) regarding open borders and illegal immigration--and do not try to pull the wool over the eyes of the American people, which would be a VERY FOOLISH MOVE!--Middle America and the Republican party will kiss and make up and Republicans will be re-elected by a good majority in November.
The American people have NO DESIRE to allow Democrats--the embodiment of looniness, decadence, irresponsibility, and the remnants of the drug-dazed counterculture revolution--to seize control of the U.S.A. and national security during these dangerous times!
I could care less about gay marriage. I don't consider it a threat to me or my family. However, I consider open borders a threat. Surely he has more important things to do.
This has always been his position.
no one talks about that in south florida, i wonder why?
He knows this won't pass anytime soon. Noting but a smokescreen to try to distract the base while he and the Senate attempt to sell out the entire nation on the borders. He must really think his base is stupid if he thinks this cheap misdirection trick will appease us.
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