Kerry on the Record: The Gay Marriage Flip-flop
Dave Eberhart
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2004
When it comes to the gay marriage issue, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.,
finds himself in a delicate balancing act -- trying to avoid appearing
bigoted while catering to heterosexual and religious voters.
With his own home state of Massachusetts coming up on a court-imposed
two and one-half year window (starting May17) in which gay couples can
legally marry, Kerry says that he would support a proposed amendment
to the state constitution that would prohibit gay marriage -- so long
as, while outlawing
gay marriage, it also ensured that same-sex couples have access to all
legal rights that married couples receive.
A good moderate position that does well by the balancing act test, but
that is now; what about then -- Kerry on the record?
In 1996, a less compromising Kerry gave an impassioned 10-minute
speech on the Senate floor against an effort in Congress to define
marriage only as a union between a man and a woman:
"This is a power grab into states' rights of monumental proportions.
It is ironic that many of the arguments for this power grab are echoes
of the discussion of interracial marriage a generation ago. It is hard
to believe that this bill is anything other than a thinly veiled
attempt to score political debating points by scapegoating gay and
lesbian Americans."
In the end, Kerry was one of only 14 senators to vote against the
"Defense of Marriage Act." It denied federal recognition of same-sex
marriages and gave states the right to refuse to recognize those
licensed in other states. President Clinton signed it into law.
In 2002, Kerry teamed with his congressional colleagues, signing a
letter opposing Massachusetts' last effort to outlaw gay marriage.
Kerry and company professed that they feared it could be used to
prevent communities "from acting as they might wish to provide some
form of recognition for same sex relationships."
The letter, organized by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., was sent on
congressional stationery in July 2002 as the Massachusetts lawmakers
first considered a constitutional amendment that limited marriage to
"only the
union of one man and one woman."
"We believe it would be a grave error for Massachusetts to enshrine in
our constitution a provision which would have such a negative effect
on so many of our fellow residents," Kerry and 11 other members of the
state's congressional delegation wrote.
The Legislature's 2002 effort failed.
When the Republicans started to make hay with the 2002 letter, Kerry
spokesman David Wade countered: "He [Kerry] opposed a proposed
constitutional amendment in Massachusetts in the summer of 2002
because a sweeping proposal would have threatened civil unions, health
benefits, or inheritance rights for gay couples that represent equal
protection under the law."
In the hierarchy of issues looming in 2004, gay marriage will
undoubtedly matter less than the economy and the war Iraq. However,
same-sex marriage is a polarizing issue disturbing to Democrats.
A recent USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll disclosed that 53 percent of
Americans oppose a law allowing gay couples to marry, while 24 percent
favor it. Moderate voters, who could swing the election one way or the
other, generally oppose gay marriage. While Kerry also opposes it, his
support for civil unions and his links with liberal Massachusetts will
be cooking in the mix.
John Kerry has accused President George Bush of seeking "the lowest
common denominator in American politics" by calling for a
constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage.
But Kerry's flip-flopping and tap-dancing around the issue has earned
him his own share of criticism. Governor Mitt Romney recently reproved
Kerry for what he said were Kerry's confusing positions on gay
marriage:
"In the case of the Massachusetts Constitution, he agrees with me that
we should have an amendment. On the federal Constitution he doesn't
agree with me," Romney said. "And I think the American people are
going to be just as confused as I am as to where he stands."
Meanwhile, New England's largest gay-targeted newspaper, In
Newsweekly, cited Kerry's "flip-flops" on the issue of gay marriage in
an editorial endorsing his rival, Senator John Edwards.
--
Left-wing liberals are EVERYTHING they accuse the right of being. They
are mean, vicious, hateful, greedy, cold-hearted, closed-minded,
selfish, intolerant, bigoted and racist.
Liberals HATE America!
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