Some in GOP Criticize Bush's Wedding Ban (NM, Big Tent Alert)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 28, 2004 | Susan Montoya Bryan

[CedarDave]

Saturday, February 28, 2004

Some in GOP Criticize Bush's Wedding Ban

By Susan Montoya Bryan
The Associated Press

A leader of a GOP group that supports gay rights criticized President Bush's proposal for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, calling it a "recipe for disaster." The Log Cabin Republicans worry that Bush's stance on same-sex marriage risks alienating the 1 million gays and lesbians who voted for him in 2000.

"The federal marriage amendment is a big problem for us, and it should be for any person who supports equality. The constitution should not be used as a political football," Mark Mead, the group's political director, told about 25 prospective members late Thursday at the Albuquerque Press Club. Mead said he was "deeply disappointed" that same-sex marriage was the first issue Bush talked about the day after gearing up for his re-election drive. Mead was in Albuquerque to help in the creation of New Mexico's first Log Cabin chapter. The group has offices in Washington, D.C., and 20 other states.

Across town, more than 120 same-sex partners packed the Metropolitan Community Church for a special meeting late Thursday. Many had received marriage certificates from the Sandoval County Clerk's Office last Friday only to be told later that day they were invalid. The crowd talked with members of the Coalition for Equality New Mexico and Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay-rights advocacy group. The discussion centered on the couples' options, New Mexico's political environment and ways people could protect their rights. The coalition plans to hold similar town hall meetings for same-sex couples around the state, said Linda Siegle, a coalition lobbyist.

Patrick Killen, an organizer who has worked for the state GOP and served as political director for John Sanchez gubernatorial campaign in 2002, said it's time to broaden the party's ranks. "There's a lot of hate in the Republican Party and I think people need to try to put emotions aside and recognize there are so many different people in this country and that we need to work together," he said. He added that the party needs a broad base of support to win elections. "The Republican Party will win by inclusion, not subtraction," Killen said.

John Dendahl, a former state party chair, agreed. "The Log Cabin Republicans have done a nice job of providing a place in the party for a particular group of people and if that can be done in New Mexico, I think that would be a constructive step for the party." But state Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, said he had doubts the group would change much in New Mexico, especially when it comes to the debate over gay marriage.

[CedarDave]

More fallout from last week's NM gay wedding license fiasco.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Atleast our cows are sane.

[CedarDave]

How true! Based on the number of her run-ins with all sorts of folks, she does seem to have "Mad Clerk Disease".

(You dug out from the snow yet??)

[JoJo Gunn]

That's a very misleading headline, considering the group the writer quoted.

[CedarDave]

She=Sandoval County Clerk Victoria Dunlap

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

More nonsense!

See this for a good response:

I want to marry this tree

[F16Fighter]

A leader of a GOP group that supports gay rights criticized President Bush's proposal for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, calling it a "recipe for disaster."

Yeah -- let's all listen to the Kamikaze-Wing of the GOP...

The deck of the USS Dubya has already been hit hard by those who "don't want to alienate the illegal Mexican vote."

[international american]

My cows....Feinstein and Boxer....are quite mad:)

[Holden Magroin]

Homosexual Republicans - now there's a force to be reckoned with.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Yep... only takes about 6 hours to do my drive.

[international american]

BUMP

[international american]

I already asked that tree, and it accepted......I will litigate!!

[ZULU]

"The Log Cabin Republicans "

They are in the wrong party. The Democrats are the party of homosexuals, communists, PETA freaks, etc.

Bush's INTENT is perfectly correct. The VEHICLE he has selected to address it is not.

We need a Constitutional Amendment to the effect that all Federal Judges serve no more than an eight (8) year term, must resign at 70, and have their decisions regarding the Constitutionality of a Federal Law, or the creation of Juridical Mandate, reversed by a 3/5th majority of both Houses and the approval of the President. Said Amendment should mandate the same requirements on EACH and EVERY state court.

This nonesense has GOT to STOP. The way things are going, we headed towards a situation where the Legislatures appint untouchable judges who REALLY run the Country, while our Legislators serve no real functiuon other than to appoint the judges, collect their salaries, pensions and percs, and escape any heat generated by controversial issues by deflecking them to the un-elected judges, so they, the legislators, are free to enjoy what has become a full time-job instead of a term of public service.

In lieu, of the foregoing, those idiot Republican Senators and Representatives had better support Bush on this issue, or THEY will have to answer to the majority of their electorate, which still, thank God, has a moral compass and opposes this filth.

[F16Fighter]

Just curious -- where do you respectively stand on the "gay marriage" issue?

[Howlin]

Why did you ping me to this thread? Trolling? Baiting?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

For reference:

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

[nopardons]

Marriage is, as it has been for millennium, the sanctioned and blessed union between a man and a woman . If it takes a Constitutional Amendment, so be it. Obviously, the Marriage Act, passed under and signed by Clinton isn't enough to deter those who want to claim otherwise.

And just where, might one ask, do you stand on this issue?

[onyx]

Ernest. Pings to these threads are going have to have a gag alert. Don't ya think?

[DSHambone]

He jumped the gun on this one - could have come out against same-sex marriage and relied on the DMA to uphold it Federaly and hold on to "It's a States Rights Issue". Maybe Scalia told Cheney he didn't have enough votes to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act.