Report: Bush Plans to Endorse Marriage Amendment

[rodbarnett]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush plans to endorse a constitutional ban on gay marriage in response to a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling requiring legal recognition, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing key Bush advisers.
In November, the Massachusetts high court ruled that homosexual couples have a right to marry. The same court ruled last week that nothing short of marriage, including civil unions, would comply with its earlier ruling.

Bush plans to make a public statement shortly endorsing a constitutional amendment proposed by Colorado Republican Marilyn Musgrave that would define marriage in the United States as the union of a man and a woman, the newspaper said.

"We'd like to see Congress take it up, and the president will be supportive," a top Republican official told the newspaper. "We would like to see both chambers act sooner rather than later."

news.myway.com/politics/article/id/337458|politics|02-11-2004::07:36|reuters.html

[FlashHarry]

1. This is insane.

This is a religious issue. Period. If you don't want to call it 'marriage,' then don't. All I know is, people shouldn't be treated differently by the government simply due to their choice of lifestyle. Do the words pursuit of happiness mean anything?

[madrchsod]

2. pure political

bullshit. there isn`t a chance in hell this "bill" would ever pass the required amount of states to ratify an admendment to the constitution. the states will have bigger problems to work out in the coming years trying to clean up after little georgie`s mess.

[BR_Parkway]

8. 38 states have passed DOMA's

so why wouldn't they pass this? It's more knee jerk "how can I get reelected" reactionary politics, the same that passed the Patriot Act.

[skippysmom]

3. are we shocked?

He's got to make someone on the right happy. Why not kow tow to the homophobic bible beaters?

The fiscal conservatives aren't happy with him, so he's pandering to the social conservatives.

[einniv]

4. What a sick campaign strategy.

The politics of division , hate and bigotry.

[remfan]

15. Not to mention the use of the Constitution as a

political handi-wipe.

[LeftHander]

5. Marriage is religious and should....

NOT be defined by the state.

Seperation of church and state.
Right to freely practice what ever religion ones chooses.


All references to "marriage" should be stricken from all laws as unconstitutional and the states should recognize a "bonding" or "union" of a couple with a licence. The religious organizations can be free to marry whoever they like. The state recognizes the witnessing and purchase of the "union" licence.

Marriage belongs to religion.

Churches that do not want to "marry" same sex couples are free to do so and churches that will marry same sex couple are free to do so. If you happen to be a gay fundementalist christian then you need to find a church that is welcoming.

Any amendment that attempts to usurp the right of religious organizations to define marriage how they see fit based on beliefs is wrong.

Once again this is Bush's desparate attempt to cloud the real issues with another devisive non-issue.

The federal government has NO RIGHT TO TELL religion what marriage IS!! Just as they have no right to tell christians what baptism is or jews what a bris or a Hindu what enlightenment is.

I am a Unitarian Unversalist and my congregation does perform marriage ceremonies for same sex couples. We recognize them as a marriage.


The next thing Bush will want is a official "faith".

[sweetheart]

6. Arrogant fools

Such an amendment will convert all elements of social justice against him.... it is a godsend.

Keep up the stupid work bush.... it'll never pass... yet the electorate needs more exposure of your REAL adgenda... and once the homophobia has been broadcast to teh world along with the mullah views behind the theocracy..... they'z goin' down. :-)

[Kahuna]

7. He's doing it as a dig at John Kerry. Now that Wes...

it out, they're going to go after Kerry.

[remfan]

16. It's about more than Kerry

they've just thrown a political wedge issue into EVERY 2004 race.

[SOS]

9. Since Bush and Co.

feel that marriage is a "sacred union between a man and a woman" that requires a constitutional amendment, it's time for the right-wingers to get serious...
As part of the amendment divorce must be banned. Courts must be prohibited from dissolving this holy institution. No exceptions.
The man and woman took an oath. End of story. Adultery is a violation of the holy union and must be made a federal crime.
Either these right-wing idiots defend marriage or they don't.
Allowing straight people to divorce and fool around is a mockery of this great and hallowed institution.
If an married, middle-aged rich guy is caught with his young secretary, it's off to the federal pen!

;)

[kayell]

13. Be careful what you wish for

(yeah I know it's not really your wish)

The crackpot far right wing religous fanatics are working as hard as they can to move us towards the Republic of Gideon. These are undoubtedly in their plans too.

[Razoor]

10. how does the process actually work?

if * proposes a amendment to the constitution how many states does it take to ratify it and make it law and wouldnt something like this take a long time and hopefully * will be out of office by then?
I think this is crap.
I guess * never heard of all men are created equal.
he thinks its fine for anybody else to get married but not for gays this just makes me mad.

[fizzana]

11. Read the actual amendment

"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. 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."

The key words here are 'legal incidents therof'

Theoretically this would take away any rights of 'non-married' couples including health benefits, the right to adopt, file a joint tax return or anything else.

[KansDem]

12. So this would also affect "common-law" couples?

This status has been around for centuries...
http://www.unmarried.org/common-law-marriage.html

This appears to go beyond just the religious connotations of marriage. I find this mindset very confusing...

[progressivejazz]

14. It'll relieve the pressure on him for his AWOL status.

When you're in trouble in an argument--change the subject.

[rodbarnett]

17. AP is SPINNING : Bush Vague on Gay Marriage Amendment

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House refused to commit President Bush on Wednesday to supporting a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages, although conservative groups say they already have received high-level assurances that he will take that step.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the administration was closely watching events in Massachusetts, where state lawmakers are on the verge of voting on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040211/D80L5UF01.html

cpmment : playing it safe

[David__77]

18. Interesting... some of the neocons don't want to deal with this.

We need to realize there is a cleavage between the neocons and the fundies. The neocons want to retain power in order to make their imperial fantasies come true. They could care less about marriage or abortion except insofar as it helps to build an electoral coalition. Many neocons are relatively "socially liberal" a la Guiliani or Schwarzenegger. They don't want to deal with marriage as an issue if at all humanly possible.