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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: Bush to Promote a Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage at Rose Garden Event WASHINGTON - President Bush will promote a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a cause dear to his conservative backers, at a Rose Garden event Monday, the eve of a scheduled Senate vote on the issue. The amendment would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages. To become law, the proposal would need two-thirds support in the Senate and House, and then be ratified by at least 38 state legislatures. It stands little chance of passing the 100-member Senate, where proponents are struggling to get even 50 votes. Several Republicans oppose the measure, and so far only one Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska says he will vote for it. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the amendment on May 18 along party lines after a shouting match between a Democrat and the chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. He bid Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., "good riddance" after Feingold declared his opposition to the amendment and his intention to leave the meeting. Bush aides said he would be making his remarks on the subject Monday. A slim majority of Americans oppose gay marriage, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press from March. But the poll also showed attitudes are changing: 63 percent opposed gay marriage in February 2004. The Massachusetts Supreme Court decided to legalize such marriages in 2003. A year later, San Francisco issued thousands of marriage licenses to gay couples. In 2004, opponents of gay marriage were able to pass ballot initiatives banning the practice in 11 states, from Georgia to Oregon. "The president firmly believes that marriage is an enduring and sacred institution between men and women and has supported measures to protect the sanctity of marriage," White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said. Bush has lost support among conservatives who blame the White House and Congress for runaway government spending, illegal immigration and lack of action on social issues such as the gay marriage amendment. Opponents of the amendment objected to Bush's use of the Rose Garden to promote a measure they said amounts to discrimination. "This is fundamentally both a civil rights and religious freedom issue and the president's position of supporting amending the constitution is just dead wrong," said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "This is simply to give ammunition to the so-called religious right just to show that the president is still with them."
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
At this stage of the game we would need a constitutional ammendment to return to a constitutional government. Fat chance!
oh, thank God! this is, afterall, an issue of major consequence.
Stop looking at Iraq, immigration, the pathetic economy, secret illegal spying on your every move, and all that irrelevent drivel. TWO GUYS MIGHT LOVE EACH OTHER AND WANT TO SHARE HEALTH BENEFITS AND TAX BREAKS WE GIVE TO EVERYONE ELSE. BE AFRAID. And when this wears off, we'll reveal that Des Moines is about to be attacked by terraists. If we think we need votes in Des Moines.
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