Crist: Gay civil unions 'fine'

sptimes ^ | July 29, 2006 | By STEVE BOUSQUET

[davidosborne]

TALLAHASSEE - Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist told a radio talk-show host on Friday that civil unions between gays are "fine."

Crist, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, added that he has not decided whether Florida should lift its long-standing ban on allowing gays to adopt children. He hasn't yet "reached a conclusion," he told Miami radio talk-show host Jim DeFede.

[davidosborne]

Makes my support for Gallagher even STRONGER..

[Tax Government]

If it's ok to have gay unions, how about platonic unions? Those could be of any number of consenting adults. Fair is fair.

[dfwgator]

Better "civil unions" than marriage.

[goldstategop]

Charlie Crist: 100% pure unadulterated RINO

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[jocon307]

So how many people are going to read this the way I did: Christ - gay civil unions "fine"

[davidosborne]

Passing it on.. ATTN: Florida Republicans....

[balrog666]

Why doesn't he worry about what his distant cousin, Jesus, said about it?

[goldstategop]

Sounds like a moderate who takes no position on marriage and the absence of a position coupled with this statement amounts to taking a position. They don't fool me.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[davidosborne]

IMHO - a "civil Union" is Gay Marriage with a different name... and I oppose it.

[RobbyS]

It is, of course, plain discrimination to deny long term roommates the same rights as those engaged in a sexual relationship. What about special rights for penpals?

[goldstategop]

Just like in Vermont and Connecticut. Now, how do you like them Yankee apples Crist wants to import into Florida - I mean the toxic brew of social liberalism.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[goldstategop]

Hey, Charlie - where do you stand on interspecies unions? Just asking.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[EagleUSA]

Charlie Crist: 100% pure unadulterated RINO
----
Where have all the conservatives gone??? Far, far away.

[Clintonfatigued]

It looks like Nurse Julie is right on this one. Charlie Crist really is a RINO.

[VeniVidiVici]

I haven't decided yet but Crist is starting to remind me of Bloomberg.

[driftdiver]

Crist loss my vote a long time ago. He's so blatant about LOOKING like he's helping and doing stuff but there's very little substance. Perhaps if he got out of the tanning booth for a minute he might realize he's not really a republican.

[goldstategop]

And he's the FL GOP's front-runner! So much for conservatism in the South.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[goldstategop]

What do you get when you cross a Democrat and a Republican? A squishy Main Street Partnership Republican!

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[driftdiver]

"Better "civil unions" than marriage."

They are the same thing. Marriage is one of the most fundamental parts of our society. Destroy it and the barbarians won't need to destroy the gate.

[darkangel82]

Bloomberg can't even claim to be a RINO. He's a Dem who switched to avoid losing a primary.

[Tax Government]

Gay marriage is all about getting a tax break. Let's eliminate the marriage tax break in favor of a better deduction for dependents. Then, see how much life is left in the gay marriage movement (prediction: little to none).

[goldstategop]

I'd have more respect for ol' Charlie if he came out in favor of gay marriage. That's the honest and principled stand to take. Civil unions are a form of marriage apartheid that pretends to equality but its proponents are too cowardly to come out and say they're for the real thing. Its a political dodge.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[driftdiver]

"Civil unions are a form of marriage apartheid that pretends to equality but its proponents are too cowardly to come out and say they're for the real thing. Its a political dodge."

Right, once civil unions are legal then marriage will still be the target.

[RobbyS]

Good idea.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Mind you Gallagher, at least used to be pro-choice, against school vouchers, and against school prayer. For years, he was the perennial moderate Republican in the GOP gubernatorial primary. (See This article for instance.)

Mind you, I have a personal grudge against Gallagher, on behalf of my wife. So take this with a grain of salt. OTOH, as a social libertarian, I'm really glad to see there's a reason I can vote for Crist in the primary without holding my nose.

[davidosborne]

sorry.. I disagree... it is NOT about "tax breaks" it is about "FORCED legitimization" of a destructive chosen lifestyle,

[Tax Government]

Fine. It's a bad idea, the proponents of which will get a big tax break if/when they succeed. AND, it's a travesty/trashing of a valued institution.

[goldstategop]

You're a libertarian. Conservatives who care about society's standards find there is precious little to vote for this fall.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[vox_freedom]

He's a jerk. So he must also support adoption by "two daddy's" eh? Does he also support pension reform and social security programs that allow "equal treatment" for homosexual unions? This is a slippery slope...

[meyer]

What about special rights for penpals?

LOL - I've been penpals with MasterCard for a very long time. I want surviving spousal benefits.

I'm not sure that things have been truly Platonic, though.

[FloridianBushFan]

If you all are going to bash him how about listing the whole statement of what he said"


Crist said on the radio that civil unions between gays are "fine, but I support marriage between a man and a woman."

and for gay adoptions he has said:

"My position is the traditional family is the best to adopt," Crist said.

Crist still believes and supports Marriage between one man and one woman and traditional family's.

Lets state the complete facts. Gallagher wasn't always as conservative as you all make him out to be either.

[goldstategop]

That's why they don't like that monkey business down South. Leave it to the Yankees to break a thing that ain't needed to be fixed. Like marriage.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[davidosborne]

You can vote for someone who claims to have "not formed an opinion" about an issue???.... I agree that it would have been better for him to come out in FAVOR of it.. and take a position... not dodge the question....

[Unicorn]

I'll buy that.

[goldstategop]

No one these days seems to care about being a conservative but about being elected. That's where the absence of Reagan is sinking in.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[NinoFan]

Being that I'm not in FL and I don't pay any attention to FL politics I've heard very little about Crist. Are there reasons beyond his moderate stance on gay marriage to oppose him? I'm just wondering if he could be a RINO with liberal social views.

[Unicorn]

Gallagher just started running TV adds and campaigning.

[Unicorn]

Gallagher just started running TV adds and campaigning.

[FloridianBushFan]

But you are correct Gallagher only conveniently has become far more Conservative in the last couple of years after realizing he could get no where as his moderate self as shown in the below article. Voters wonder if he really is conservative or just moving to the right cause he got no where as a moderate in his last Governor campaigns.
___________________________________________________
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2006/07/30/m12a_GOP_CHRISTIAN_0730.html

snip...

History may be hurting him

But others said that Gallagher's apparent failure so far with his conservative Christian efforts may have more to do with his long history as a fun-loving bachelor before settling down to start a family at age 54.

"There are people who I have talked to... that think Gallagher hung the moon, that are really impressed with the fact that he's a quote 'born-again Christian,' that he's making all these public statements, that he's witnessing his faith," said state Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, who had endorsed neither candidate and who himself faces a challenge from anti-abortion activist Randall Terry. "Now, there are other people in my district who have come to me and said: 'I'd believe him more if he wasn't running for governor.' "

Snip...

Crist adviser Mac Stipanovich, a former chief of staff to Gov. Bob Martinez in the late 1980s who later worked on Jeb Bush's campaign in 1994, said Gallagher probably chose the strategy he did because running as a moderate did not work for him in 1994, when he finished a distant third to Bush in that primary.
_________________________________________________________

For myself I am voting for Crist cause overall I think he is the best candidate for the job but if Gallagher wins the primary I will vote for him in November cause I know overall he is conservative and will be better off then either of the democrats that are running.

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[corkoman]

Better "civil unions" than marriage.

Exactly - I say let them have civil unions. Its all the regulatory madness without the tuxedos and cake. OTOH i think it is good whenever the gays go nuts publicly trying to get the marriage thing as it makes the libs look even crazier.

[davidosborne]

sorry..,.. NO PASS... to say that a "Traditional Family" is BEST.. is double-talk for I support allowing homosexual couples to adopt..... and to say you Support Marriage between ONE man and ONE woman.. is double-talk for I SUPPORT gay marriage...... I want to hear.. I WILL OPPOSE GAY MARRIAGE/CIVIL UNION.. and I WILL support Marriage as ONLY between one man and one woman... there is a HUGE difference...

[I got the rope]

Thanks for the ping. Crist is toast.

Dbeers...put me back on the list please...and ping!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

My point is that Gallagher is a long-time moderate -- you would have called him a RINO -- and "Chain Gang Charlie" had the reputation as the conservative.

Mind you that may be your point when yous say, "there is precious little to vote for."

To be honest, one of the two main Dems, Rod Smith, did an excellent job as State Attorney, most notably, sending Danny Rolling (Gainesville Student Murders) to death row. My wife and several other friends of mine knew some of Rolling's victims. I'm going to consider voting for him, if he gets the nomination, out of gratitude, if nothing else.

[capt. norm]

This is starting to look like a post on some liberal forum.

Hmmm...wonder why?

[bluecollarman]

Gallagher just started running TV adds and campaigning.

Gallager will lose, they are successfully tying him to higher home insurance rates. So mark this down, he will lose.

[FloridianBushFan]

And if Reagan was running for office or President now for the first time alot of you all would be saying he wasn't conservative enough for you all.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Like I said, I have a personal issue with Gallagher. I was voting for Crist or one of the minor candidates in the primary no matter what.

As such, however, it's nice to see the two switching to positions where I can more easily vote for Crist.

If Gallagher gets the nomniation, I'll gladly vote for Rod Smith, if he gets the Democratic nomination.... I'll look at the 3rd party candidates if Davis gets the Dem nomination. I'm not voting for Gallagher.

[M Kehoe]

Good evening.

Do you know who Mr. Crist's "significant other," is? Just want to know who the First Lady will be if he wins.

Checked with the wife, she's thinks that's a good question.

5.56mm

[davidosborne]

This is a PRIMARY...... LOL