Log Cabin Republicans air TV ad opposing Federal Marriage Amendment (11615)

A group of gay Republicans who supported George Bush in the 2000 presidential election will air a television ad opposing a Bush-backed constitutional amendment that would prohibit gays from marrying.

The 30-second spot, sponsored by the Log Cabin Republicans and available for viewing on the group's Web site at www.logcabin.org, shows Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary is lesbian, at a debate four years ago saying, "People should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into." The ad begins running Thursday in several states. The vice president also says, "I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area." The words "We agree" then flash on the screen.

Last month Bush called for quick election-year enactment of the Federal Marriage Amendment after the Massachusetts supreme judicial court reiterated a November ruling that it is unconstitutional to bar gay couples from marriage. Since then, several cities and mayors across the country have been conducting gay marriages in defiance of local and state laws.

The Log Cabin Republicans' $1 million effort to defeat the amendment includes lobbying, grassroots mobilization, and print advertisements concurrent with the TV ads, which will run in the District of Columbia, Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.