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Monthly Archives: January 2012

A Catholic Hero

January 4, 2012 – 12:45 am

Rick Santorum gave a magnificent speech tonight. It was an expression, a flowering in a way I do not think America has seen in my lifetime of Catholic culture. He made his economic message more than a question of self-interest -- he made it a moral cause. He connected the dignity of every human life, with the dignity not only of work, but every human being who is made in the image of his Creator to be a creator -- a worker, and not just a consumer.

God bless him, God bless him. This is a serious fight.

By Maggie Gallagher | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on A Catholic Hero

American Spectator: Santorum Wins Iowa Regardless of the Result

January 4, 2012 – 12:30 am

Aaron Goldstein writes:

It is just past midnight and with 97% of the vote in, Rick Santorum is leading Mitt Romney by 37 votes in Iowa.

Even if Romney should prevail, Santorum is tonight's winner.

A fortnight ago, Santorum was in Bachmann territory and likely headed for the exits.

Now Santorum has a chance to be the Republican nominee. Meanwhile, Romney can't break the glass ceiling of 25%.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on American Spectator: Santorum Wins Iowa Regardless of the Result

NOM Praises Iowa Voters for Selecting Santorum and Romney

January 4, 2012 – 12:05 am

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 4, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

NOM Praises Iowa Voters

Paul’s Poor Finish Reflects Iowans Support for Traditional Marriage

Waterloo, IA – The following statement may be attributed to Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), who attended the Waterloo, Iowa GOP presidential caucus this evening:

“NOM congratulates Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney for their photo-finish in Iowa. Both these candidates, along with Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann are champions for traditional marriage. It’s especially satisfying to see Senator Santorum, a longtime friend and champion for the family, come from behind to mount such a successful campaign. The strong showing by both Santorum and Romney shows that supporting marriage is not only the right thing to do, it is the politically smart thing to do. This is a lesson that Ron Paul may be learning the hard way. Paul suffered a big loss by finishing third in Iowa, a state he was expecting to win. NOM aired television and online ads that were highly critical of Paul’s unacceptable stance on marriage, including his belief that civil marriage should be abolished altogether. No doubt our ads, along with tens of thousands of telephone calls and grassroots work with our thousands of supporters in Iowa were a factor in Ron Paul’s poor showing. We will continue to point out Paul’s unacceptable views on marriage to voters in upcoming states.”

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], at 703-683-5004.

###

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

Brian Brown Quoted in Sioux City Journal on Iowa Caucuses

January 3, 2012 – 11:40 pm

The Sioux City Journal reporting tonight:

Vander Plaats was joined in Cedar Falls by Brian Brown, leader of the National Organization for Marriage, one of the primary funders of the 2010 push to remove three judges from the Iowa Supreme Court.

He said their opposition to gay marriage has gained steam in states across the nation and Iowans would be like other states in banning gay marriage if they had the chance.

"All we're asking for is the people of Iowa have the same opportunity the people of 31 other states have had, to have a vote on it," Brown said.

NOM worked with the Family Leader on a pledge signed by all major candidates except U.S. Rep. Ron Paul to support traditional marriage. Brown said caucus goers need to know Paul's words and actions don't make him a good candidate for family values.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on Brian Brown Quoted in Sioux City Journal on Iowa Caucuses

Live Coverage of the Iowa Caucuses

January 3, 2012 – 8:50 pm

C-SPAN is airing two of the Iowa Caucus meetings, in Urbandale and Council Bluffs.

Be sure to check back here after the results are tallied for a statement from our President, Brian Brown, who is attending the GOP presidential caucus in Waterloo, Iowa this evening.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch | Comments Off on Live Coverage of the Iowa Caucuses

NY Daily News: Bob Vander Plaats Hits Hard for Santorum in Iowa Caucuses

January 3, 2012 – 4:45 pm

New York Daily News Daily Politics blog:

“I am going to try to make the closing argument that Santorum not only has the core values and economic plan needed, but that he can beat Obama - and the proof is that he defeated three incumbent Democrats,” he added.

...“I will be Rick Santorum’s surrogate,” Vander Plaats said, with a five-minute speech that hits hard on Santorum having the best record in terms of being pro-life, against an interventionist court and a vocal proponent of marriage reserved for between a man and a woman.

“He has the values – and with a strong showing in Iowa lots of donors who have been sitting on the fence will make a decision for an alternative to Romney who can defeat Barack Obama,” he said. “With some 41 percent of caucus-goers still undecided, this is the time to make a closing argument, and nothing succeeds like success, and Santorum has the momentum now.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa | Comments (1)

Concord Monitor Editors Blithely Ignore Good Arguments for Marriage

January 3, 2012 – 4:30 pm

The editors of the Concord Monitor supposedly examine the arguments for reestablishing our marriage tradition in New Hampshire law and proclaim: "Examined dispassionately, none of them should sway any votes in the weeks ahead".

Let's look at the first "argument" for marriage they say shouldn't sway lawmakers:

"Marriage is between one man and one woman. This is more of a declaration than an actual argument. In fact, it's a declaration of bigotry. After all, who gets to define marriage? Those already married? Without a compelling reason to deny marriage to gay people, a statement like this is hard to take seriously."

Talk about a straw man! In fact, proponents of marriage say that "marriage is between one man and one woman because children deserve a mom and a dad." That's a compelling argument. Therefore it's no surprise that the editors of the Monitor conveniently chop off the second part of the sentence giving one of the many reasons why marriage is what it is.

In fact, here are 76 more reasons to support one-man, one-woman marriage. Here is a compelling scholarly argument for marriage published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy by NOM Founding Chairman Robert George (which has been read over 100,000 times now).

Again, the editors conveniently chose not to mention any of these good arguments for marriage.

Of course, the editors go even farther than ignoring good arguments when they claim believing in our marriage tradition is "a declaration of bigotry." How can they claim there will be no consequences to redefining marriage when they also try to claim that their opponents are guilty of something as despicable as bigotry?

For all of their talk about it being "hard to take seriously" arguments for marriage, its even harder to take seriously their conclusions when they decide to stack the rhetorical deck so blatantly.

By Thomas Peters | Posted in Marriage, New Hampshire, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (26)

Rev. Jackson: Words That Mean Everything Mean Nothing, And The Same Goes for Marriage

January 3, 2012 – 4:16 pm

Rev. Harry R. Jackson, Jr. writes in Town Hall about why marriage must mean something rather than whatever we want it to mean:

... I would be among the first to admit that marriage as an institution was terribly weakened by both the no-fault divorce laws first passed in the 1970s and by a general willingness of our culture to separate marriage from childbearing. Neither of these factors had anything to do with homosexuality, and both dealt severe blows to the strength of American families. However, these are not reasons to further weaken marriage by defining it out of existence. (I am not the first to observe that words that mean everything mean nothing, and “marriage” is headed down that very road.) The enfeebled state of marriage today is all the more reason to fight to preserve it and hopefully to restore it to its former strength.

At the heart of the marriage argument is whether marriage exists primarily to satisfy the needs and wants of adults, or to provide the optimal environment for nurturing the next generation. If marriage is only for individual gratification, then there is no reason to restrict it to opposite sex couples. Marriage has always been the union of one man and one woman because children need one mother and one father.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Divorce, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (32)

New Yorker Blogger: Support for SSM is Still "Political Poison"

January 3, 2012 – 2:00 pm

Azriel James Ralph of The New Yorker parrots the progressive belief that gay marriage is inevitable, and therefore can't figure out why national political figures (of both major parties) are hesitant to endorse redefining marriage ... could it be because such support is indeed political "poison"?

...This week in Iowa – where same-sex marriage was legalized in 2009 – The National Organization for Marriage, a conservative group that opposes marriage equality, started running ads attacking Ron Paul for being the only GOP presidential candidate to support giving same-sex couples the right to marry. The ad notes that Paul said “sure” to same-sex marriage and calls this position “radical.”

Of course, Paul’s “sure” comment is not only radical when compared to the GOP field, but also to President Obama, whose views on the issue are apparently still “evolving.”

As support for gay rights has grown, Obama has attempted to perform an election year balancing act of appearing to be the equality candidate to supportive voters, without saying anything to alienate conservatives on a contentious cultural issue.

... unless Ron Paul wins the Republican nomination or Obama suddenly decides it is safe to say out loud exactly how his views on same-sex marriage have evolved, there is unlikely to be a presidential candidate in 2012 that has caught up with public opinion on the issue.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (9)

New Bishop of New Hampshire Calls for Strengthening Marriage and Family

January 3, 2012 – 1:00 pm

The new bishop for catholics in New Hampshire, Bishop Peter Libasci, shares his prayer to strengthen marriages and families, and mentions the upcoming vote to restore marriage in that state:

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” I do now add to this prayer: help us to rediscover and strengthen the bonds of marriage and family. Human attempts to replace or redefine marriage do not respond adequately to the present situation of isolation, grief, and confusion. The wisdom of many millennia of human experience is not to cast aside truth, but to uphold it if society is to prosper and find peace.

In this regard, I am encouraged that the New Hampshire General Court will have the opportunity in this coming year to vote to restore the traditional understanding of marriage, and I sincerely hope that the General Court will accomplish this important task. And if such will be the case, then we must, as a people dedicated to the common good, “be there” as our young people say, for married couples and their family bond. May the year 2012 be a year in which we recapture the age-old knowledge of the place of marriage and the family as the foundations of society.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Catholic Church, Marriage, New Hampshire, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on New Bishop of New Hampshire Calls for Strengthening Marriage and Family

Hindu Leaders Decry Katy Perry Divorce

January 3, 2012 – 12:15 pm

The celebrities married in India in a Hindu ceremony, which no doubt they thought kind of cool.

Hindu leaders are protesting the misuse of what is a "sacred rite" in their religion that demands "commitment, devotion, responsibility, sanctity, and morals":

Hollywood was probably impressed that Russell Brand's marriage to Katy Perry lasted an entire 14 months—but Hindu leaders, not so much, the New York Daily News reports. Brand and Perry married in a Hindu ceremony in Rajasthan, India, and as such, "they should have taken marriage more seriously as it is a sacred rite in Hinduism," the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism tells WENN. "If celebrities opt for a Hindu wedding, they should be prepared to adhere to the commitment, devotion, responsibility, sanctity, and morals which are attached to it."-- Newser

By NOM Staff | Posted in Same Sex Marriage | Comments (10)

IBTimes: NOM Leading Charge to Educate Voters on Ron Paul's Marriage Stance

January 3, 2012 – 11:00 am

The International Business Times:

...The majority of the attacks have focused on Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy views and on the racist and anti-Semitic statements made in his old newsletters, which he has disavowed and maintained he was unaware of. His economic and social policies have been addressed less frequently.

One group, however -- the National Organization for Marriage -- is homing in on Paul's stance on same-sex marriage. As a libertarian, he believes the issue should be left up to the states, and he and Huntsman are the only candidates who have not signed the group's pledge to support a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

NOM just released a TV ad blasting Paul's views on marriage, and in an accompanying press release, NOM President Brian Brown called those views "far out of the mainstream" and "simply unacceptable."

"Marriage between one man and one woman has been the foundation of American society and American families," Brown said. "It is truly radical for a serious presidential candidate to blithely cast marriage aside, suggesting that any private arrangement between adults can be called marriage."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (7)

Guy Benson on The Iowa Air Wars

January 3, 2012 – 10:45 am

Guy Benson, Townhall.com's political editor, mentions our ad among the many Iowans have been seeing:

It was a lucrative Christmas season for Iowa television and radio stations, as GOP presidential candidates and outside groups hungrily gobbled up countless advertising slots leading up to the first-in-the-nation caucuses.  Since I returned in the state capital after the New Year, I've taken mental note of the spots I -- and millions of Iowans -- have seen on local broadcast affiliates and cable TV.  Here is a completely random sampling of the ads I was able to locate online:

... (2) The National Organization for Marriage is running this tough spot against Ron Paul, calling him a "radical" on the issue.  The icing on this cake is the prominent inclusion of what may be the least flattering photograph ever taken of Rep. Paul:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa | Comments Off on Guy Benson on The Iowa Air Wars

NOM's President Attends Waterloo, Iowa Caucus With Family Leader President

January 3, 2012 – 10:24 am

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

National Organization for Marriage and Family Leader Work Hand-in-Hand to Restore Traditional Marriage in Iowa

Waterloo, IA – The president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) will observe the outcome of the important Waterloo presidential caucus this evening as the culmination of NOM's extensive work in Iowa leading up to this first-in-the-nation presidential vote. Brian Brown, NOM's president, will join Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader at the Waterloo caucus.

"NOM has played an integral role in this year's presidential campaign," said Brown. "We developed a marriage pledge signed by every major candidate except for Ron Paul that commits candidates to very specific actions if they are elected. We supported the Family Leader's Presidential Lecture series, which afforded the leading candidates an opportunity to address Iowans across the state. And we co-hosted the Thanksgiving Family Forum in November, where I had the opportunity to question candidates about critical issues facing American families. "

NOM and the Family Leader have been close allies since the two joined forces in 2010 to defeat three Iowa Supreme Court justices who were facing judicial retention elections following their imposition of same-sex marriage in 2009. All three justices, including the sitting Chief Justice, were removed from office as a result of the NOM/Family Leader campaign. The two organizations are working closely to elect a pro-marriage majority in the legislature so that a Marriage Protection Amendment can be brought before voters, giving the electorate the opportunity to repeal gay marriage in Iowa.

"While NOM has not endorsed a candidate in Iowa, we have been highly critical in the media and in ads of Ron Paul for his cavalier ‘anything goes' attitude toward marriage including his willingness to end civil marriage in the country altogether," Brown said. "Paul is simply unacceptable and we will continue to work to ensure he is not the Republican nominee. At the same time, we applaud Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann for their strong, principled stance in support of traditional marriage and we wish each of them luck in the caucuses."

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], at 703-683-5004.

###

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Press Releases, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

Dr. Morse on Why Privatizing Marriage Doesn't Work

January 3, 2012 – 10:00 am

Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute in National Review Online:

Celebrity therapist and “life coach” Dr. Keith Ablow just jumped on the “let’s get the government out of the marriage business” bandwagon. I have been writing against the “privatizing marriage” mantra, going all the way back to 2005. (See also here and here.) I do not wish to rehearse those arguments here. But Dr. Ablow’s contribution to this unfortunate genre is doubly regrettable.

He is, first of all, deeply mistaken about the government’s role in discouraging people from marriage. As a psychiatrist, he has no particular expertise in policy analysis, and I am sorry to say, it shows. My second regret about his foray into policy analysis is that he forsakes the area of his greatest expertise, namely, helping people live happier lives. His proposal to “get the government out of the marriage business” substitutes an easy exit strategy for the genuine work of building up marriage and family relationships.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)
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