Cheney Backs Gay Marriage “Freedom”
The Washington Post reports:
Asked his position on the subject at a town hall meeting here, Cheney replied: "Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue that our family is very familiar with. . . . With respect to the question of relationships, my general view is that freedom means freedom for everyone. People . . . ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to."
He noted, however, that Bush has endorsed a constitutional amendment preventing the states from recognizing such marriages. ... Although Bush has rarely discussed his support for the amendment, conservatives viewed his stance as one of the most important social statements of his term. Republican strategists said it would motivate Christian voters to the polls even though it risks alienating swing voters.
This position is drawing fire from administration supporters:
The Family Research Council, a conservative group with close White House ties, called Cheney's remarks disappointing. "Unfortunately, protection of our values is made more difficult when mixed messages emanate from the White House," said Tony Perkins, the group's president. "We support President Bush's commitment to a constitutional amendment on marriage, but we are left to wonder why the vice president is allowed to depart from this position when the top of the ticket is unified on all other issues."
He wonders why the vice president is allowed to disagree with Bush? This seems a pretty clear statement that disagreement an dissent just isn’t tolerated in the Christian Right and they expect to extend this attitude towards all levels of government they want to control
As The Mercury News notes, though, the official GOP platform will probably include very strong language condemning gay marriage and supporting a constitutional ban on it:
If the marriage plank is approved as expected, it would mark the first time the GOP has gone on record in its platform as supporting an amendment against those unions. The last platform settled for a more general statement supporting the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. ... Republicans who back gay rights and abortion rights had little chance of shaping those planks more to their liking. But they hoped, at least, to have the party offer a strong statement declaring its openness to opposing views on those subjects.
The draft's "big tent" language, patterned on words of the last platform, says "we welcome into our ranks all who may hold differing positions" but it avoids naming the issues. The gay-rights group Log Cabin Republicans, abortion-rights group Republicans for Choice and the Republican Youth Majority have proposed a much more expansive "unity" plank that promised to be a hard sell in the hearings.
It reads: "We recognize and respect that Republicans of good faith may not agree with all the planks in the party's platform. This is particularly the case with regard to those planks dealing with abortion, family planning, and gay and lesbian issues. The Republican Party welcomes all people on all sides of these complex issues and encourages their active participation as we work together on those issues upon which we agree."
It’s a “hard sell” because Republican leaders tend to be Christian Right leaders, and like the Family Research Council they don’t tolerate dissent or disagreement on fundamental issues. Their uncompromising political and social positions are, I think, a direct consequence of their uncompromising religious beliefs: they possess The Truth in religious matters which, in turn, provides them with The Truth on political and social questions.
Disagreement with them is the same as disagreement with their religion — and that, in turn, is the same as disagreement with God. Why would they consent to anti-God language like the above being added to the platform of God’s Own Party? Republicans can’t possibly disagree with God in “good faith” because only Satan would prompt them to disagree like that. Either you support the Republican position (which is God’s position) on abortion, family planning, and gay rights or you support Satan’s. There is no other option.
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