NYT: G.O.P. Tries to Use Marriage Ruling to Rally Base

[DeepModem Mom]

G.O.P. Tries to Use Marriage Ruling to Rally Base
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: October 26, 2006

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 — The divisive debate over same-sex marriage, which played a prominent role in 2004 campaigns but this year largely faded from view, erupted anew today as President Bush and Republicans around the country tried to use a New Jersey court ruling to rally dispirited conservatives to the polls.

Wednesday’s ruling, in which the New Jersey Supreme Court decided that gay couples are entitled to the same legal rights and financial benefits as heterosexual couples, had immediate ripple effects, especially in Senate races in some of the eight states where voters are considering constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage.

President Bush put a spotlight on the issue while campaigning in Iowa, which does not have a proposal on the ballot....“Yesterday in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage,” Mr. Bush said at a luncheon at the Iowa State Fairgrounds that raised $400,000 for Mr. Lamberti....

***

In Virginia, the court decision could not have come at a better time for Senator George Allen, a Republican whose campaign for re-election has been thrown off course by allegations he used racially insensitive remarks. The Virginia ballot includes a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Mr. Allen supports it; his Democratic opponent, Jim Webb, argues the ban is unnecessary....

***

In Tennessee, another state with a proposal to ban gay marriage, Representative Harold E. Ford Jr., a Democrat running for Senate, was sparring with Republicans over an advertisement in which the National Republican Senatorial Committee asserts Mr. Ford supports gay marriage — an assertion Mr. Ford says is wrong. Today, he responded with his own advertisement, calling the Republican ad “despicable rotten lies.”...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/washington/26cnd-marriage.html?hp&ex=1161921600&en=ac60a5a80249aa4f&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Eric J in MN]

1. Why couldn't the court in New Jersey contemplate the case...

...until mid-November?

[rodeodance]

8. I think a judge was age 70 in a few days and they had to get it out-an

article on DU today about this.

[Lautremont]

2. The operative word being "tries." (nt)

[greeneyedboy]

3. exactly. this is a 2-day blip that they'll try to drag out for a week, but

no way is it going to help them in the big picture. the people who care about opposing marriage equality are already GOP activists, and they can't vote twice.

[customerserviceguy]

26. No, but they can vote once

and if they were feeling disgusted by the Foley case, this re-energizes them. The timing of this ruling may well have affected the control of Congress.

[Zhade]

29. If there's any effect, it's the BIGOTRY of homophobes to blame...

...NOT the timing OR the ruling.

[Thickasabrick]

4. Who appointed the judges on the case - does anyone know?

[Bitwit1234]

5. Activist Judge WAS a Republican

The main judge in the ruling was republican. And they say the reason the verdict was released yesterday is because she is retiring today. I did not see the article it was a post.

[karlrschneider]

10. I also saw that somewhere and if true I have to think about it this way:

She is a Republican. Relevant.
She retires today. Irrelevant.
The timing. Very relevant.

[marmar]

6. I think the demonization of equal marriage is falling on deaf blue state ears...

People are too focused on the things that actually will have a negative impact on their lives - a disastrous war, disastrous economic policies, the cash-and-carry government by Congressional Republicans and a future that's looking bleak.

[karlrschneider]

7. Anybody who did NOT think this would be seized on by the RW

was just being obtuse. Some of us who bemoaned the fact this ruling (absolutely a proper one) came out
13 days before the mid-terms were roundly excoriated by others who can't figure out the difference
between a battle and a war.

We accuse sheep-Americans of wanting instant gratification then bitch when -we- can't have it.
Nobody yet knows how MUCH of a kick this will be toward motivating neocon voters who may have
otherwise been apathetic (and stayed home) but there's no possible way this benefits those of us who
work for equal rights.

[aquart]

12. The only people it affects were already Republican locks.

Michael J. Fox matters to everyone. This? Pfui.

[Boo Boo]

15. Allen in VA isn't a lock. That's a huge race for the Evil Ones.

Repubs are looking for something to motivate "values voters" to show up at the polls. It seems the whole Congressman Foley, "send me a picture of your cock" thing didn't quite do the trick. They're desperate. They'll hype this shit as much as they can, because as things stand a sizeable portion of their base is bailing on them.

I've no idea just how much it'll help them, but it sure doesn't help us.

[aquart]

27. Yeah, I notice the "sex book" crap today.

[geek tragedy]

21. The difference is between them voting and them staying home.

We want the wackos staying home.

[JudyM]

23. Exactly. Here in VA it could turn the election because of that.

We need to all work that much harder now to have a hope of Webb winning.

Anyone wanting to help get out the Dem. vote in Virginia - even if you can just put in a couple hours - you can make calls to Dem. voters from your home, to urge them to vote this year. Use link below and click on "phone from home." Anyone in Northern Virginia who would like to get involved at any level, even just a couple hours on a weekend or whenever it's convenient for you - send me a message and I'll hook you up with some good people.


http://www.webbforsenate.com/home.php

:headbang: :patriot:

[aquart]

14. They seized it like they seized Iraq.

How are they doing with that?

[Ms. Toad]

28. Since when is 20 years

instant gratification?

We celebrated our 25th anniversary this fall, and we have been actively working to gain legal recognition of our marriage for 20 years, beginning with our request to our faith community to marry us in 1986. We were far from the first in the country, although we were the first in the local branch of our faith community. Our 16 year old daughter has been waiting her entire life to be legally acquainted with one of her parents; currently we would need to move to another state or challenge our state to recognize our Canadian marriage in the same manner they recognize every other Canadian marriage.

My comments in several threads is not bitching because we're not getting instant gratification. It is justified outrage that the individuals who should be supporting our right to legal recognition of our family are telling us, yet again, that we need to be quiet because it is not yet the right time.

[Zhade]

30. If you know politics, you know neocons don't give a fuck about this.

Their interest is not domestic social issues, at all.

[onehandle]

9. Yep. Bad timing. Fundies will be voting in force. nt

[aquart]

13. Sure. Because BushCo is their friend and they love him....

Only not so much anymore.

[Zhade]

31. Considering the current fundie backlash...

...due to their learning they've been used, where do you see that?

We're NOT taking blame again, so just know that.

[AIJ Alom]

11. How the heck is a president that has accomplished nothing for

values voters and a Republican Congress that has no morals and is plagued by scandal after scandal supposed to enact legislation that supports the value voter? Nay, I say this shall not make any hay.

[JudyM]

24. You're using logic, but the fundies are zombie followers, not thinkers. nt

[rodeodance]

16. G.O.P. Moves Fast to Reignite Issue of Gay Marriage (Bush helps them)

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/27/us/politics/27marriage.html?_r=1&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pagewanted=print

October 27, 2006
G.O.P. Moves Fast to Reignite Issue of Gay Marriage
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 — The divisive debate over gay marriage, which played a prominent role in 2004 campaigns but this year largely faded from view, erupted anew on Thursday as President Bush and Republicans across the country tried to use a court ruling in New Jersey to rally dispirited conservatives to the polls.
........

President Bush put a spotlight on the issue while campaigning in Iowa, which does not have a proposal on the ballot. With the Republican House candidate, Jeff Lamberti, by his side, Mr. Bush — who has not been talking about gay marriage in recent weeks — took pains to insert a reference into his stump speech warning that Democrats would raise taxes and make America less safe.

“Yesterday in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage,” Mr. Bush said at a luncheon at the Iowa State Fairgrounds that raised $400,000 for Mr. Lamberti.

The president drew applause when he reiterated his long-held stance that marriage was “a union between a man and a woman,” adding, “I believe it’s a sacred institution that is critical to the health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be defended.”...........

[rodeodance]

17. Allen campaign is going to use it.

In Virginia, the court decision could not have come at a better time for Senator George Allen, a Republican whose campaign for re-election had been thrown off course by allegations that he had used racially insensitive remarks. The Virginia ballot includes a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Mr. Allen supports it; his Democratic opponent, Jim Webb, argues that the ban is unnecessary.

On Thursday, Mr. Allen could be found in Roanoke at a rally held by backers of a ballot initiative to ban gay marriage. Victoria Cobb, an organizer of the events, said the New Jersey ruling was giving the cause “a new momentum.”

“It’s an issue that’s going to play a big role in the next 12 days,” Mr. Allen’s campaign manager, Dick Wadhams, said in an interview.

In Tennessee, another state with a proposal to ban gay marriage, Representative Harold E. Ford Jr., a Democrat running for the Senate, was sparring with Republicans over an advertisement in which the Republican National Committee asserts that Mr. Ford supports gay marriage — an assertion Mr. Ford says is wrong. On Thursday, he responded with his own advertisement, calling the Republican ad “despicable, rotten lies.”

[terrya]

18. Not going to fly this time.

Not when our servicemen and women are dying in a very unpopular war right now.

[bigscott]

19. i completely disagree with you

the people this will bring out - the right wing evangelical wackos - dont give a shit about the troops. Those who care about the war and the troops were going to vote anyway - the wackos were more likely to just stay home - now they come to the polls and vote for the Pukes

[soup]

20. In FL, they couldn't get enough signatures

in time to get it on the ballot this year.

Apparently, there are now enough signatures, so we can 'look forward' to this being revisited here yet again in 2008.

[Politicub]

22. Bigotry is all they have

Of course they are using the gay marriage ruling. When the chips are down (and even when they're not), the GOP removes all stops to using bigotry to project its image.

[Zhade]

32. I wish people would remember that it's the bigotry to blame for fundies coming out...

...not the timing, and not the decision itself.

BLAME THE BIGOTS. They're the ones who deserve to be maligned (which I can see you agree with)!

[sampsonblk]

25. Just as I thought...

It has worked well for them in the past, and now they have something concrete (the court ruling) to point to. Oh boy...here with this garbage again.

[Zhade]

33. Oh, like Mr. "homosexuality is a choice" cares.

Please. We haven't forgotten YOUR bigotry, you know.

[sampsonblk]

34. You aren't going to win this one...

probably best to leave it alone, lest someone notice your poor behavior.

[BLUEBOY]

35. Best defensive move is to change the subject

I think the Democrats need to immediately ask the question "Is there really a more important issue then the Iraq war right now?" followed by "Ask a mother or father who has to bury their child blown up by a car bomb or shot by a sniper". Sorry but people are not dieing every day over whether gays should be allowed the same marriage rights.