Bush calls for gay marriage ban

[dreamer]

Is gay marriage over in the US President George W Bush has called for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages.
Mr Bush used his weekly radio address to deliver a plea for the US Senate to formally define marriage as the union of man and woman.
He said the measure was needed because "activist courts" left no alternative.
An amendment stands little chance of being passed but analysts say Republicans see the issue as a vote winner in November's mid-term polls.
They say the president is seeking to switch the spotlight onto positive issues for his party in the wake of his slumping popularity - particularly over Iraq. link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5044428.stm change the news headlines by look of things . Dreamer

[Scribbler1]

This is the same as abortion or gay rights. It's a play on the fears or prejudices of the Republican core supporters. It lets the right wingers know the GOP is doing something to protect the country from these forces of evil. That way the bastards can do whatever they want and the sheep will fail to notice.

"Wellll, maybe the Republicans and Bush made a few teensy mistakes with the economy and Iraq, but they're keeping those fags outta my church and that's all I need to know." Great Americans all.

[Jack]

"activist courts"

His catchphrase for any court decision that disagrees with his agenda.

You know, there's a major difference between leadership and management in both politics and business. We used to be able to look to the White House for leadership. Now the best we can expect is management, and mismanagement is all we're really getting.

[Osborn F Enready]

How can he fit in a call for a gay marriage ban, between calls to God?

[dreamer]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready How can he fit in a call for a gay marriage ban, between calls to God?

Maybe he thinks with is balls and not his head. BUSH must be in a dream. our thinking on is toes.
Dreamer.

[RickSp]

This is nothing more than a calculated attempt to mobile his pathetic base and try to distract his supporters from the Iraq debacle.

[shield772]

Congress can propose an amendment to the constitution for a month of sundays and if the 3/4 of state legislatures don't ratify it no amedment.

[Scribbler1]

They know this. They also know it plays in Peoria, just like the occasional flag burning amendment.
Watch for that one to surface soon.

[Sonart]

.

Quote by: RickSp This is nothing more than a calculated attempt to mobile his pathetic base and try to distract his supporters from the Iraq debacle.

More than just his base, Rick. This is the only issue in which the majority of Americans -- a slowly dwindling majority, but a majority none the less -- agree with the conservative position. By calling for a constitutional ban, both Hastert and Frist will promptly call for House and Senate votes, which will require legislators to go on record, and that record will be used prominently in the upcoming election to create a wedge issue against Democrats.

Gawd knows they don't have anything else.


.

[BIGMIKE]

This is nothing more than a futile attempt of a captain to save his sinking ship. Bush and the Republicans are dead. They've lost the favor of the people of the United States. Bush knows this worked in 2004 and so he is trying to play it up again. Take the heat off of Iraq and really keep the heat off of all the police state mesaures he has pushed through.

I have no respect for those people who think it is ok to ban gay marriage. To me these people are nothing more than bigots. I'm sorry, but I've heard the debate for years. Over at that other board those bible thumpers screamed about how, "It will destroy the very foundation of traditional marriage." This is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in all my life. The foundation of marriage has been weaken by an ever increasing divorce rate, marriages solely for tax cuts, hollywood weddings. When to get married you have to have a 6,000 dollar ring, a 5,000 dress, a wedding planner, etc. etc. When marriage became a business, the foundation of marriage was destroyed. End of story.

But these Neo-Conservative, Bible Thumping, Bush supporters keep on pushing for more and more discrimatory laws. In a snowball's chance in hell of winning an election.

[RedRackham]

Whenever I hear any piece of news like this, it reminds me just how unevolved some parts of the west can be. I thought we'd moved beyond this issue, but apparently: no.

Look, no offense, I love the US, but Bush has to be one of the worst things to happen to the American International Identity, ever. His adminstration is clever, but the man himself has become a modern symbol for the rest of the world - and particularly Europe - to unite against in mockery. And it reflects badly on the American voting public. I wish I could remark on the scariness of his choosing to carry out policies based on his personal religious beliefs, but here in the UK our PM Tony Blair recently said that he'd also spoken to God about whether or not to go to war. Yikes.

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: RedRackham Look, no offense, I love the US, but Bush has to be one of the worst things to happen to the American International Identity, ever.

No offense taken. You are on the same side as more than half of this country, if the polls are any indication.

His administration is clever, but the man himself has become a modern symbol for the rest of the world - and particularly Europe - to unite against in mockery.

I have to disagree there. It is not cleverness that keeps Bush and his administration getting their way, it is arrogance and plain old bullying. That, and much of this population is undeserving of the air they breathe..

[jd420]

It's also illegal. Marriage is a religious ritual, and while the Klan has lobbied for a "white Christian nation" for years, the US CANNOT create a state-established religious doctrine of any sort while the constitutional republic still stands.

Frankly, anyone who goes anywhere with the state religion banner from office is lookin' at a decade's hard time under 18 USC 242, also known as "the copkiller statute" in the queer factions. :p

[Dirty Name]

This is nothing more than a calculated attempt to mobile his pathetic base and try to distract his supporters from the Iraq debacle.

My position on this subject aside, I have to agree that the timing of this is suspect. We elected these idiots in 2004, and they wait until election season 2006 to trot this out again? Personally, as a Republican who is opposed to gay marriage, Bush and the Congress should have rammed this through in 2005. The fact that they are just now brining it up is dubious at best, shameful at worst.

We Republicans ARE in trouble this fall - because we didn't lead when we had the opportunity to do so.