redgoober4life

WASHINGTON — Some conservative groups expressed dismay Tuesday over President Bush's (search) tolerance of state-sanctioned civil unions between gay people — laws that would grant same-sex partners most or all the rights available to married couples.

"I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what a state chooses to do so," Bush said in an interview aired Tuesday on ABC. Bush acknowledged that his position put him at odds with the Republican platform, which opposes civil unions.

"I view the definition of marriage different from legal arrangements that enable people to have rights," said Bush, who has pressed for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage (search). "States ought to be able to have the right to pass laws that enable people to be able to have rights like others."

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (search) backs civil unions for gay couples, too. He opposes gay marriage but also opposes the idea of a constitutional ban.

Some conservative organizations sharply disagreed with Bush and pressed him to seek a constitutional amendment that would ban both gay marriage and civil unions.

"Civil unions are a government endorsement of homosexuality," said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute (search), an affiliate of Concerned Women For America. "But I don't think President Bush has thought about it in that way. He seems to be striving for neutrality while defending marriage itself."

Knight said "counterfeits" of marriage, such as civil unions, "hurt the real thing."

The head of another group, the Campaign for California Families (search), said it, too, wants a sweeping constitutional amendment that bars civil unions and same-sex marriage.

"Here's the truth, civil unions are homosexual marriage by another name," said Randy Thomasson, the group's executive director. "Civil unions rob marriage of its uniqueness and award homosexuals all the rights of marriage available under state law."

"Bush needs to understand what's going on and resist counterfeit marriages with all his might no matter what they're called," Thomasson said.

But Matt Daniel, the leader of a coalition that successfully pressed for legislation that would create the constitutional ban on gay marriage, said Bush had staked out just the right position.

A federal ban on gay marriage, not on civil unions, "is the way for America to resolve this in the fairest way, the best way," said Daniel, president of the Alliance for Marriage (search). "We do indeed support the president's position."



Oh noes their lovechild isn't has conservative as they want him to be and now some of them are grrrrrrrrrrrr.

ManInCamo

I don't think Bush is conservative enough.

redgoober4life

And why is that? What points specifically?

Civic2Scooby

you wouldnt

ManInCamo

Everything in general.

-------------------insert traditional conservative views--------------------------------





Well, your a hippie, and the anti-hippie... so yes.

redgoober4life

And how would you make "everything in general" more conservative?

general != specific

ManInCamo

ugh, not pro-active against gun control, the stuff in the article(debatable), he emposed the Patriot act,

stole this from elsewhere, but it fits:
"traditional conservatism is more like Libertarianism. It's all about being fiscally conservative and limiting the size and scope of government, though with a good deal of heart, NOT about peering into people's bedrooms."

We need Reagan back.

Nightshade

HOLY SHIT!!!!:eek3:

For once in our posting history about political debate I finally agree 100% with something you posted.

Epoch

Hahaha :lmfao:

I dunno about the Regan thing though, but that's peanuts to the real issue.

But there's a huge difference between being a true conservative and being the reborn christian conservative that's overtaking the Grand Old Party.

I have a cousin who's a dyed in the wool conservative who's not going to vote for Bush based on his economic policies. Of course, he wont give his vote to Kerry, so he's casting his for Nader h:

Nightshade

See thats exactly it. Many times I hear people say they are conservatives yet when asked what values they hold to they are so far right of what conservative even means that its pointless to try to talk to them any further.

Yes I am liberal but we need the values of both parties to balance each other out. I would hate to live in an all liberal nation, the same as I would hate to live in an all conservative nation.

What a frightening thought that is:a: