Romney Personally Issued Marriage Licenses to 189 Same-Sex Couples

www.RomneyExposed.com ^ | October 4, 2011

[SoConPubbie]

Every since Mitt Romney first tossed his hat into the presidential sweepstakes in 2007, he has repeatedly maintained that he opposes same-sex marriages and has always portrayed himself as a champion of traditional marriage.

However, in an incident that has gone mostly unreported, Romney, as Governor of Massachusetts, personally issued at least 189 one-day special marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2005. He likely issued a similar number of licenses in both 2004 and 2006 but the state records for these years are not easily available. One-day marriage licenses are in effect permits issued to a couple allowing them to designate anyone they choose to officiate at the wedding. These special one-day marriage licenses are not to be confused with the thousands of regular marriage licenses granted to same-sex couples by Justices of the Peace and town clerks by order of Governor Romney in the aftermath of the Goodridge same-sex marriage decision.

More than any other action by Romney, these special licenses demonstrated where his heart was on the same-sex marriage issue since they were purely discretionary. There was no mandate forcing Romney to issue such licenses. This calls into question his authenticity as an alleged social conservative candidate.

Romney began issuing the one-day marriage licenses shortly after the Massachusetts Supreme Court issued the Goodridge homosexual marriage decision. The court urged the legislature to codify its decision but to this day, this has never occurred. The marriage statutes on the books today remain the same – only male/female marriages are legal.

Incredibly, even though the state legislature never codified the Goodridge decision, Gov. Romney unilaterally ordered his Department of Public Health to print new marriage licenses for same-sex couples and ordered all Town Clerks and Justices of the Peace to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples or lose their jobs.

Indeed, many constitutional attorneys have opined that Romney is the father of gay marriage in America since he was never compelled by the court to implement gay marriage and the Massachusetts constitution is clear that only the legislature can alter the marriage statutes.

Professor Scott Fitzgibbon of Boston College Law School wrote that the Goodridge decision “did not mandate that the executive branch issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.” Constitutional scholar Herb Titus said that Romney “exercised illegal legislative authority” and added “there was no order. There wasn’t even any order to the Department of Public Health to do anything.” Matt Staver, Dean of Liberty Law School, said that Romney “went out and ordered to licenses to be changed, and if fact, that’s not his duty. His duty was to abide by the legislature….the governor actually participated, in my opinion, in advancing same-sex marriage.”

[SoConPubbie]

Once again, Mitt lies about his record.

[mel]

So are you going to vote for Obama

[Artemis Webb]

So he was actually working the marriage license desk in Boston that day? Was he doing the filing and making coffee too?

[Artemis Webb]

So he was actually working the marriage license desk in Boston that day? Was he doing the filing and making coffee too?

[cripplecreek]

[R_Kangel]

"Romney Personally Issued Marriage Licenses to 189 Same-Sex Couples"

..... ok .... that's it!!!! I've had enough!!! ...... If this man gets the nomination ...... I'm voting for Obama!!!!

.....Oops ..... I forgot ..... < /sarcasm >

[SoConPubbie]

So are you going to vote for Obama

Sorry, not voting for the Crypto-Communist Obama or his 2nd cousin, the lying, left-wing, Progressive Liberal Mitt Romney.

In my family, when faced with two equally bad choices, we find another solution. Like an actual conservative running in a third-party or writing in another name.

And don't bother with the end-times declaration concerning our country. If Romney is the nominee, you're going to get Obama anyway because Obama and his minions in the MSM will utterly destroy him with his left-wing, Progressive record.

His loss will make John McCain's loss in 2008 look like a win.

[hosepipe]

Any that think Myth Romney is NOT a liberal Massachusetts politician is balmy in the cabeza....
a brick short of a load.. a few fries short of a Happy Meal.. just fell off the turnip truck..

---

His elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top.
He couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag.
He doesn’t have both oars in the water.
He is as dumb as a post (as a stump).
He’s dumber than a bag of hammers (than a box of rocks).
He’s a few bricks shy of a load.
He’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal.
He’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
He just fell off the turnip truck.
His lights are on but there’s nobody home.
He’s not playing with a full deck.
He’s not the brightest bulb (in the box / on the tree / in the chandelier).
He’s not the brightest crayon in the box.
He’s not the sharpest crayon in the box.
He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer..
He’s not the sharpest pencil in the box.
He’s one taco short of a combination plate.
He’s as sharp as a marble.
He’s as thick as a brick. (…as thick as a ditch.)
The wheel is turning but the hamster is dead.

[cicero2k]

I’m more concerned about Santorum’s war on porn than Romney’s war on marriage. Why?

Romney is not running on social issues, Santorum is. Social issues do not play well to the middle who will decide our next president. They don’t need the distraction.

So in this regard, Santorum makes Romney look good; sad to say.

[cripplecreek]

His loss will make John McCain's loss in 2008 look like a win.

Yep. And instead of encouraging the GOP by resigning themselves to doing what the GOP tells them to do, people better get real vocal about their opposition in a big hurry.

[JCBreckenridge]

Are you?

Seems to me that if the choice is between a socialist liar who favors gay marriage and abortion and between Obama, that there’s really no substantive difference.

[Artemis Webb]

So let me ask you this: After Romney gets the nomination (he will), are you still going to beat on him and encourage others to not vote for him in the General Election?

[cripplecreek]

He’s going to lose. Period.

Now climb back over that fence and git back to pickin the master’s cotton, boy.

[DTogo]

Glad to see you making FR a one-stop-shop for the Obama '12 campaign.

No, Romney is by no means the ideal Conservative candidate, but giving Obama 4 more years by going 3rd Party "on principle" is insane.

[hosepipe]

[ ok .... that’s it!!!! I’ve had enough!!! ...... If this man gets the nomination ...... I’m voting for Obama!!!! ]

You may be surprised to find out.. they merely use different makeup for the sound bites..
The difference is only in perception of difference..
That Clintoons/Bush/Obama/Romney are all MYTHS..

You know they are figureheads for a more sinister cabal..
The same cabal that controls the UNIONS..

You know the UNIONS.. the police, firefighters, teachers, all local, state and federal employees.. plumbers, teamsters, building trades, SEIU, and other union groups..

A cursory look at Wisconsin will expose them to you..
Unless the wheel is still turning but YOUR hamster is DEAD...

[Artemis Webb]

So what are you going to do on election day JC?

[JCBreckenridge]

Gosh, everytime the republicans run a liberal they lose. You’d think they would learn. Social conservatives are the only republicans who actually win. Odd that.

[JCBreckenridge]

If Romney is the nominee? I’ll support the party that actually represents what I believe - the constitution party.

I’m not going to be a party to the destruction of America just because the establishment GOP has a death wish does not mean that I do.

[JCBreckenridge]

Giving us the choice between Romneycare and Obamacare is no choice at all. Either way, we end up in the same direction.

Count me out here. Some principles are non-negotiable and candidates who have crossed that line by forcing people to buy health insurance have crossed mine. I’m not paying for other people’s abortion and I sure as heck ain’t going to pay just because Mitt says so.