Bush Says His Party Is Wrong to Oppose Gay Civil Unions

[DrFunkenstein]

Mr. Bush has previously said that states should be permitted to allow same-sex unions, even though White House officials have said he would not have endorsed such unions as governor of Texas. But Mr. Bush has never before made a point of so publicly disagreeing with his party's official position on the issue.
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In an interview on Sunday with Charles Gibson, an anchor of "Good Morning America" on ABC, Mr. Bush said, "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." ABC, which broadcast part of the interview on Monday, is to broadcast the part about civil unions on Tuesday.

He added: "I view the definition of marriage different from legal arrangements that enable people to have rights. And I strongly believe that marriage ought to be defined as between a union between a man and a woman. Now, having said that, states ought to be able to have the right to pass laws that enable people to be able to have rights like others."

Mr. Bush has sought to walk a careful line between pleasing conservatives who oppose same-sex marriage and not alienating more moderate voters who might see bigotry in his views. Mr. Bush's support for civil unions and his opposition to his party on the issue is in part an effort to reach out to swing voters, whom he needs to win on Nov. 2.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/politics/campaign/26gay.html?ex=1099454400&en=dafebd106eaa4161&ei=5006&partner=ALTAVISTA1

So he opposes gay marriage, but supports civil unions. that sounds so awfully familiar...don't we know someone with that same position?

[Dem Agog]

1. Guess he never got the memo...

Everyone (even Republicans) agrees that the only way for Bush to win is to mobilize his base. He will never mobilize the staunch RW homophobic hateful pigdogs with this kind of rhetoric.

[Beetwasher]

2. FLIP!

....

[DrFunkenstein]

3. Ooops...dupe....

[elehhhhna]

4. He is still opposed to uncivil unions, as am I.

[Philostopher]

5. Yeah, I just wonder if he'll lose his uptight fundie base

while 'wooing swing voters' who already have somebody to pick who feels the same way. I kind of think it's a zero sum game for him, I'm not sure whose idea this was. Do they really think they can spin him as tolerant and moderate? Guess they think this'll bring back the Log Cabin Republicans, if nothing else. After the stink they made over the so-called 'outing' of Cheney's professional lesbian daughter, this really looks cheesy. Most of the gay people I know have more sense than to buy into that.

[Maiden England]

6. which tactic's gonna work this week KKKarl????

erm, none of them, but you get a Z for effort....

[MsTryska]

7. Oh so he changed his position huh?

How can we trust a flip-flopper who sticks his finger in the wind to figure out his position be trusted to run our country?

[bushisanidiot]

8. AWOL's Mulligan on his PITIFUL answer during the debates

Kerry's answer on this subject showed he has a heart and cares about all americans. AWOL is trying to play the "compassionate conservative" game again, but it's too late.. we've already seen what his agenda is (a discriminatory constitutional amendment in order to legally make gays second class citizens).

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. Maybe He Intends To Dump Laura For Matt Drudge (nt)

[Chelsea Patriot]

13. No. Victor will always *'s be true love...Victor and Dildo

[MrBenchley]

10. He'll say ANYTHING to get elected, won't he?

Of course, the corrupt drunk was signing a different tune when he was trying to amend the Consitution to oppose such unions just a few months ago...

""After more than two centuries of American jurisprudence and millennia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization," Bush said. "Their actions have created confusion on an issue that requires clarity." (Transcript of Bush comments)
Bush has been under pressure from social conservatives within his political base to come out in favor of such an amendment, several versions of which are floating around Capitol Hill.
Until Tuesday, Bush had only suggested he was open to an amendment, but stopped short of calling for one. "

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/24/elec04.prez.bush.marriage/

“I believe marriage has served society well, and I believe it is important to affirm that — that marriage between a man and a woman is the ideal,” Bush said. “And the job of the president is to drive policy toward the ideal.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4360783/

[Plaid Adder]

11. If he thinks this is going to pick up the gay vote he's on crack.

I don't say "he's on crack" lightly, people. But absolutely this man has to be smoking something.

What the hell is the point of this? He's already irrevocably identified himself with the Christian right on this by supporting the amendment. We are not just going to *forget* that he and his operatives tried to win this election by whipping up hatred against us. Now he wants to pretend to be tolerant? How dumb does he think we are?

Anyway, politically speaking this is totally incoherent. Supporting civil unions...why that's almost...a LIBERAL thing to do! Doesn't the LIBERAL senator from Massachusetts take the same LIBERAL position?

Is this guy so friggin' desperate that he's decided he actually needs to court the Log Cabin vote? Or is he trying to move Kerry to the left? I thought Kerry was already the most LIBERAL member of the Senate?

This doesn't make any sense at all. The ONLY way the gay issue is any use to them is as a wedge. Trying to play nice after an entire season of bashing us into the ground is not going to increase his percentage in the polls.

Hey George, I have a new idea...how about you give another interview in which you express your support for a woman's right to choose? And you could express your commitment to peace, justice, and human rights while you're at it.

Asshole,

The Plaid Adder

[demokatgurrl]

12. Flip-flopper in chief at it again. n/t