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Washington State Senator: No SSM Without Public Vote -- Protecting Marriage Is Not Apartheid!

January 10, 2012 at 11:15 am

Seattle PI:

Same-sex marriage will not become law in Washington without voter approval, an influential state senator told a raucous Saturday town meeting on Whidbey Island packed with gay rights supporters.

“I will tell you they will not have the votes in the state Senate without a vote of the people,” said state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano, a 20-year veteran of the Legislature’s upper chamber.

Haugen represents a Republican-leaning Island and Skagit County district that includes liberal pockets, notably South Whidbey, as well as very conservative Oak Harbor. She is usually its only Democratic legislator.

She was confronted Saturday with intense emotion from the liberal end of her constituency. At times, the town hall seemed like a Tea Party confrontation in reverse.

“I must represent the entire 10th District and we have a lot of evangelicals . . .,” Haugen began.

“Don’t even go on,” shouted Laura Taylor, a Clinton resident.

... “There will be no bill in the state Senate if it does not go to the people,” said Haugen.

One exchange was particularly passionate:

The veteran senator was not afraid to mix it.

One constituent likened denial of marriage rights to gays and lesbians to racial apartheid in South Africa. “I saw apartheid, I was in South Africa and I can tell you this is different,” Haugen shot back. She recalled the “necklacing” practice in which victims were stuffed in a tire which was then set afire.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (5)

Early NH Voting: Romney - 7, Paul - 5, Huntsman - 4, Obama - 3

January 10, 2012 at 10:30 am

The Washington Post on the first results of primary day in New Hampshire:

Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location — the two northern New Hampshire communities that traditionally vote at midnight on primary day — cast the first votes of the first-in-the-nation primary early Tuesday.

Romney tied with former Utah governor Jon Huntsman (R) in Dixville Notch, with each candidate winning a total of two votes out of nine cast. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) took one vote, as did Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). The remaining three voters cast their ballots for President Obama.

In Hart’s Location, Romney took five votes, compared to four votes for Paul. Huntsman took two votes, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) took one and Gingrich took one.

The results mean that — at least for the few hours until the rest of the Granite State awakens — Romney leads the field with seven votes, while Paul has a total of five, Huntsman has a total of four, and Gingrich takes two.

Hat tip: NRO's Brian Bolduc.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New Hampshire | Comments (2)

Gary Johnson: Obama "Opposes" Same-Sex Marriage Because of Black Voters

January 10, 2012 at 10:00 am

Long-shot presidential candidate Gary Johnson (who recently came out for SSM himself) is now issuing press releases explaining why he thinks President Obama does not support SSM:

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, currently running as a Libertarian Party candidate for president, lashed out at President Barack Obama in a Monday press release regarding same-sex marriage.

Referencing a New York Times report, Johnson said that Obama “gives lip service to gay equality,” but “will not support gay marriage before the election because of the opposition of African Americans, as reflected in his polling, and the need to assure maximum support from African American voters in November.”

Meanwhile, Johnson declared, Obama “sends out surrogates to imply that he will support gay marriage in a second term.” -- The Daily Caller

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama | Comments Off on Gary Johnson: Obama "Opposes" Same-Sex Marriage Because of Black Voters

David Brooks: "The Country Doesn’t Want an Election that is Harvard Law Vs. Harvard Law."

January 10, 2012 at 9:30 am

David Brooks in the New York Times talks about a neglected core constituency of the Republican party:

Occasionally you get a candidate, like Tim Pawlenty, who grew up working class. But he gets sucked up by the consultants, the donors and the professional party members and he ends up sounding like every other Republican. Other times a candidate will emerge who taps into a working-class vibe — Pat Buchanan, Mike Huckabee or Sarah Palin. But, so far, these have been flawed candidates who get buried under an avalanche of negative ads and brutal coverage.

... I suspect [Santorum will do better post-Iowa than most people think — before being buried under a wave of money and negative ads. And I do believe that he represents sensibility and a viewpoint that is being suppressed by the political system. Perhaps, in less rigid and ideological form, this working-class experience will someday find a champion.

If you took a working-class candidate from the right, like Santorum, and a working-class candidate from the left, like Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and you found a few islands of common ground, you could win this election by a landslide. The country doesn’t want an election that is Harvard Law versus Harvard Law.

Rod Dreher, commenting on Brooks' "The country doesn't want an election that is Harvard Law versus Harvard Law line" adds:

That’s what it’s almost certainly going to get. Why does it have to be that way?

... I do strongly agree with Brooks that Santorum “represents sensibility and a viewpoint that is being suppressed by the political system.” Back in 2005, the Pew political typology indicated that the least representative viewpoints on the American spectrum were those most people identify as generally “liberal” and generically “conservative.” The great center of American politics, according to Pew’s finding, is socially conservative but economically “liberal” in the sense of being more or less skeptical of laissez-faire capitalism, and more open to a role for government in public life. Why is it being “suppressed”? I think part of the explanation is that the people who give money to both parties, and those who are most active in partisan causes, come from the extremes. Another part of the explanation is that Republicans and Democrats have gerrymandered Congressional districts such that the kinds of candidates who come out of them have a built-in reason to hew to partisan orthodoxies.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Politics | Comments (3)

National Organization for Marriage Pledges Major Fight in New Jersey to Prevent Passage of Same-Sex Marriage

January 9, 2012 at 2:44 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 19, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"The people of New Jersey can and will stop this bill."
—Brian Brown, NOM president—

Trenton, N.J. – The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today pledged an all-out effort to prevent same-sex marriage from becoming law in New Jersey, and said it would spend upward of $500,000 to support legislators who stood to preserve traditional marriage and hold those accountable who impose same-sex marriage in the state. Backers of gay marriage today unveiled yet another legislative attempt to redefine marriage in New Jersey.

"The media is reporting that gay marriage is sure to pass through the Legislature, but we heard the same false story in 2009 and 2010. The people of New Jersey can and will stop this bill." said Brian Brown, NOM's president.

Governor Chris Christie has previously pledged to veto any same-sex marriage legislation that is passed by the Legislature.

"We commend Governor Christie for his position that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, just as it has been throughout history. Even though the governor has pledged to veto the legislation, we are committed to holding legislators accountable for their own views and will work to assure that he never has to exercise his veto power," Brown said. "NOM will spend $500,000 in New Jersey legislative races to support those who stand with us in defense of traditional marriage, and hold those who abandon marriage accountable to voters."

NOM cautioned legislators that imposing gay marriage will have profound consequences for children and eliminate children from the marriage equation in New Jersey.

"States license marriage because of their inherent interest in ensuring that any children born of the sexual union of men and women have the best opportunity to be raised by their own mother and father," Brown said. "Same-sex marriage changes the focus of our marriage laws from a child-centered institution to one that exists only to satisfy the demands of adults. Children suffer because of this."

Brown noted that in other states that have legalized gay marriage children as young as second grade have been taught it in public school. This has already occurred in Massachusetts, New York and California.

"Legislators need to know that a vote for same-sex marriage is a vote to have it taught to kids in public schools, including to seven and eight year old children," Brown said. "This is not a ‘feel good' vote for political correctness; it will have profound consequences on families and especially children in New Jersey. It has happened in Massachusetts and right across the river in New York, and that is what legislators are being asked to support in New Jersey."

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).

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in New Jersey, Press Releases, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (7)

Colorado Churches Could be Forced to Host Same-Sex Civil Unions in Legal Loophole

January 9, 2012 at 2:30 pm

The Greeley Gazette:

A recent decision by a judge in Hawaii could open the door for churches in Colorado to be forced to allow same-sex couples to use their facilities for civil unions.

In February, Hawaii passed a law permitting civil unions. The law is similar to Colorado’s domestic partner bill. It contains a religious exemption saying, “Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any person authorized to perform solemnizations of marriages or civil unions to perform a solemnization of a civil union, and no such authorized person who fails or refuses for any reason to join persons in a civil union shall be subject to any fine or other penalty for the failure or refusal.”

Colorado’s Domestic Partnership law has a similar provision saying, “No priest, minister, rabbi, or other official of any religious institution or denomination shall be required to certify any domestic partnership in violation of his or her right to the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by Section 4 of Article II of the Colorado Constitution.”

While the exemptions state that no one is required to certify the partnership, the question is; does that apply to an equal access use of the church, synagogue or mosque’s facilities? Some homosexual activist groups are saying that when the church opens up its facilities it is engaging in commerce and becomes subject to anti-discrimination laws.

Churches have a right to be concerned. In 2007, a lesbian couple in New Jersey sued a Methodist church association after the church refused to rent the couple a private campground for their civil union ceremony. The ministry lost its tax-exempt status over the issue.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Civil Unions, Colorado, Religious Liberty | Comments (44)

WaPo Blogger: Why Town Hall Protesters Are Helping Rick Santorum

January 9, 2012 at 2:00 pm

Aaron Blake at Washington Post's The Fix blog:

If you didn’t know better, you’d think Rick Santorum enjoys being grilled by protesters.

In fact, he probably does. And he should.

The former Pennsylvania senator has been inundated at his New Hampshire events with questions from unsympathetic voices in recent days, pressing him mostly on gay rights but also on issues like the separation of church and state...

...The questions are generally posed by members of a coterie of young political activists who stake out Santorum’s appearances early in hopes of catching him off-guard with questions on social issues.

It hasn’t worked yet. And in fact, one could argue that this is exactly what Santorum wants.

By debating social issues with what are often not-so-versed young antagonists, Santorum is creating oodles of YouTube clips and conflicts that the media loves to cover. And that footage can probably only help him in a Republican presidential contest.

It’s essentially Chris Christie light (so to speak). Santorum invites the jousting because he knows he can handle it and come out on top – at least in the eyes of the socially conservative voters he relies upon.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New Hampshire | Comments (7)

Dying Meme Alert: Redefining Marriage Won't Stimulate New Jersey's Economy

January 9, 2012 at 1:30 pm

Maggie Gallagher has already debunked the false argument that gay marriage is an economic stimulus plan. Tami Fitzgerald has also countered the same claim in North Carolina and Minnesota State Rep. Steve Drazkowski has called this argument "desperate".

Now gay marriage activists are once again attempting to claim that if New Jersey redefines marriage it would result in the state bringing in an extra $500 million dollars over three years. That figure is based on the claims Brad Sears of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law made back in 2008.

Really it confounds me why gay marriage activists continue to lead with this argument, because it's hard to find one more obviously false.

For instance, the Williams Institute claimed that Washington, DC's economy would be boosted by over $50 million dollars once they legalized gay marriage. That hasn't remotely materialized, as a local businessman explained last month. Last year the New York City's Comptroller office claimed legalizing gay marriage would boost the city's economy by almost $150 million dollars over three years. The clock is ticking on this claim now, and I'm not holding my breath.

In fact, California's non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office and Department of Finance, when they examined the economic impact of redefining marriage back in 2008, found that it would be "negligible" over the long run. And as we wrote a couple weeks ago, there's plenty of evidence they didn't take into account that discarding our marriage traditional will result in real economic harm.

Meanwhile, the arguments proposed by Rick Santorum and other GOP presidential candidates on the campaign trail that healthy families and an intact marriage culture will result in less government spending and more economic output continues to gain traction -- and, most importantly -- a growing listening audience, especially as the harmful economic consequences of a weakened marriage culture become more apparent all around us.

Thomas Peters
By Thomas Peters | Posted in Economics, Marriage, New Jersey, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (12)

Ken Starr: Can I Vote for a Mormon?

January 9, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Ken Starr in the Washington Post:

Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary looms large on the political horizon. In the midst of lively public debates over taxes, jobs, the national debt and similarly important questions related to the future vitality of our nation, a different kind of question continues to privately occupy the minds of some prospective voters: Can I vote for a Mormon?

This is an important question in our constitutional democracy. Without endorsing or even praising (much less criticizing) any candidate, I strongly encourage Americans who would ask this question of themselves to consider and weigh thoughtfully our nation’s constitutional traditions. At their best, those are traditions of welcoming religious forbearance.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New Hampshire | Comments (3)

The National Organization for Marriage Continues Campaign in New Hampshire Opposing Ron Paul's Position on Marriage

January 9, 2012 at 11:47 am

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"Many people think that Ron Paul is a conservative, but his 'anything goes' position on marriage isn't conservative—it's radical." —Brian Brown, NOM President—

Manchester, NH – The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today announced that it is mounting a $50,000 independent expenditure effort in New Hampshire to educate state voters about Ron Paul's "unacceptable" position on marriage. The group began running television commercials online last Friday, as well as calling tens of thousands of voters to bring Paul's position to the attention of voters.

"Many people think that Ron Paul is a conservative, but his 'anything goes' position on marriage isn't conservative—it's radical," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "NOM helped drop Paul from first to third in Iowa, and we are committed to making sure that New Hampshire voters know the truth about Ron Paul's views on marriage."

Paul is the only major candidate in the race to refuse to sign NOM's Marriage Pledge, committing himself to take specific actions as president to support marriage. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry have each signed NOM's pledge. Paul has said "sure" to gay marriage. He even believes that civil marriage should be eliminated altogether.

"We encourage voters to go to www.wrongonmarriage.com to learn more about Ron Paul's dangerous position on marriage. We have not endorsed a candidate in the race and support each of those who have signed our pledge. However, Ron Paul is unacceptable as a Republican nominee and we urge New Hampshire voters to reject him on Tuesday."

NOM will continue its campaign against Paul in South Carolina and other 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).

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New Hampshire, Press Releases | Comments (7)

New National Poll: "Romney Leads, Santorum Surges into Top 3"

January 9, 2012 at 11:30 am

CBS News:

On the heels of the Iowa caucuses last week, Mitt Romney now leads the field of Republican presidential candidates. Newt Gingrich is in second place, and Rick Santorum has leapt into the top tier and is now right behind Gingrich in the latest CBS News national poll.

In the race for the nomination, 19 percent of Republican primary voters support Romney, followed by Gingrich with 15 percent, and Santorum right behind him with 14 percent. This is an increase of 11 points for Santorum since last month, but a five point decline for Gingrich.

... Each of the candidates receives their support from different factions of the Republican Party. Romney's core backing comes primarily from moderates, women and non-Tea Party supporters, while Santorum's support comes from evangelicals and voters who are very conservative, the poll shows.

Gingrich seems to be losing some of his traction with Tea Party-supporters to Santorum - a social-values conservative from Pennsylvania.

While Santorum and Gingrich are now tied among Republican primary voters who support the Tea Party movement, Gingrich led this group by 16 points as recently as December. White evangelicals now seem to firmly back Santorum in this race.

However, while Santorum leads among Republican voters who identify themselves as very conservative, Gingrich is ahead among those who say they are only somewhat conservative.

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

Video: GOP Candidates Debate Marriage in New Hampshire

January 9, 2012 at 11:00 am

The GOP candidates all do a good job (with the exception of Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul) of defending the institution of marriage and distinguishing the reasons to support it from the false excuses used by activists to redefine it.

The moderators clearly think opposing gay marriage is a losing issue for the candidates, but the candidates in their articulate defense of marriage prove how much the media has to learn about the issue:

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New Hampshire | Comments (9)

Video: Romney and Santorum Repel MSM Attempts to Portray Their Marriage Views as Bigotry

January 9, 2012 at 10:30 am

NBC, not to be left out of the mainstream media effort to equate protecting marriage with bigoted views, goes after Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum for their views on marriage. Both men handle the line of attack easily. The last jab at Santorum, asking him what he would do if one of his sons were to come out to him as gay, well - see for yourself:

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Media, New Hampshire | Comments (19)

Gary Bauer Campaigns For Santorum in South Carolina

January 9, 2012 at 10:00 am

ABC News reports:

At Stax Restaurant, where the fundraiser was held, he was endorsed by Christian conservative leader Gary Bauer. Bauer lauded Santorum saying since he worked for Ronald Reagan he “gave up on the idea that I would ever find another Ronald Reagan.”

“Then over the last year or so, I’ve known Sen. Santorum for a while and I’ve liked him, I’ve watched him in the debates. I’ve watched him take a stand on things that other people wouldn’t take a stand on, but over the last year I’ve watched him as he’s gone out among the American people to talk about how to make this country a shining city upon a hill again,” Bauer said. “And suddenly I listened to him and I realized that the next Ronald Reagan was standing in front of me this whole time and I just hadn’t been paying much attention.”

Despite Santorum’s consistent campaign trail comparisons of himself and Reagan he said he “shrink(s) from that to be compared with Ronald Reagan because he was my hero.”

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, South Carolina | Comments (5)

Newt Gingrich Turns Table on Media and Asks: "Why Aren't You Asking About Obama's Bigotry?"

January 9, 2012 at 9:45 am

At last Saturday's GOP debate in New Hampshire, Newt Gingrich jumps in to ask why the moderators aren't asking about President Obama's discrimination against Catholic institutions? Mitt Romney steps in to affirm Gingrich's concerns as valid and says "3000 years of human history shouldn't be discarded so quickly."

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Same Sex Marriage | Comments (36)
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