In what many are
describing as election-year politics of the worst sort,
President Bush on Monday reiterated his support for a
proposed federal constitutional amendment that would
ban same-sex marriage forever, despite the measure's
certain defeat in the U.S. Senate this week. "I call
on the Congress to pass this amendment, send it to the
states for ratification, so we can take this issue out
of the hands of overreaching judges and put it back
where it belongs: in the hands of the American
people," Bush said at the White House. "When judges insist
on imposing their arbitrary will on the people, the
only alternative left to the people is an amendment to
the Constitution: the only law a court cannot
overturn," he said.
The press
conference, attended by a crowd of antigay activists who
applauded every statement Bush made against same-sex
marriage, was quickly denounced by supporters of equal
rights for gays, who labeled it a mean-spirited
political ploy. "President Bush's press conference
perfectly symbolized the desperation of his administration,"
said Ralph G. Neas, president of People for the
American Way. "In the face of record disapproval
ratings, he is putting the demands of his radical
right supporters above the integrity of the U.S.
Constitution and the well-being of millions of
American families. Instead of offering solutions
to the real problems facing our country, President Bush is
pandering to extremists with a divisive and damaging
constitutional amendment that demands discrimination
against one group of Americans. Rather than addressing
real threats to families, he is trying to give
political smear experts ammunition for more election-year
ugliness."
"Why
doesn't President Bush believe that my daughter
should have the same rights as his daughters?"
asked Samuel Thoron, president of Parents, Families,
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. "Simply because my
daughter is a lesbian, the president sees fit to
forever deny her full equality and use her--and
the millions of other gays and lesbians in the
U.S.--as a reason to write discrimination into
the Constitution."
According to the
Associated Press, many Republicans support the measure
because they say traditional marriage strengthens society;
others don't but concede the reality of election-year
politics. "Marriage between one man and one woman does
a better job protecting children than any other
institution humankind has devised," said Senate majority
leader Bill Frist. "As such, marriage as an
institution should be protected, not redefined."
Senate Judiciary
Committee chairman Arlen Specter said he will vote
against the amendment on the floor, even though
he allowed it to survive his panel, in part to
give the GOP the debate that party leaders believe
will pay off on Election Day.
All but one of
the Senate Democrats--Ben Nelson of
Nebraska--oppose the same-sex marriage measure
and, with moderate Republicans, are expected to block
an up-or-down vote this week, killing the measure for the
year. "A vote for this amendment is a vote for
bigotry, pure and simple," said Democratic senator
Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, where marriage for
gay and lesbian couples became legal in 2004. (The
Advocate)
