GOP
Its official, I'm a born again Democrat. Not so much by choice, but out of the necessity of choosing the lesser of two evils. Bush and the fucking crazy christian conservatives have hijacked the party. Go Kerry!
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9494186.htm?1c
NEW YORK - Republicans endorsed an uncompromising position against gay unions Wednesday in a manifesto that contrasts with Vice President Dick Cheney's supportive comments about gay rights and the moderate face the party will show at next week's national convention.
A panel made up largely of conservative delegates approved platform language that calls for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and opposes legal recognition of any sort for gay civil unions.
Gary Bauer, who has campaigned for the marriage amendment and against abortion rights as president of the group American Values, said the platform draft solidifies the GOP as the "party of hearth and home."
The draft urges a constitutional ban on abortion, echoing a call from previous platforms, and endorses President Bush's restrictions on federal financing of stem cell research. Some Republicans want the restrictions loosened.
Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition advised the network of conservative churches not to worry about the religious right's exclusion from prime time next week, given the advances against gay rights.
"Don't be distracted by Schwarzenegger or Giuliani or even the vice president," she said. "It is what George Bush says that counts and he has been faithful and fearless on this important issue."
Bauer, for example, said Cheney's comments making clear his opposition to a constitutional ban on gay marriage were "just the sort of thing that discourages and demoralizes voters the administration desperately needs."
Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist, platform committee chairman, said in an interview he expected the party to make it clearer that it welcomes people who hold opposing positions. But the party was not likely to single out gay rights and abortion rights as acceptable areas of disagreement, he said.
The panel toughened language endorsing sexual-abstinence education but turned aside a proposal to call for the elimination of family planning programs for teens.
http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=13495&sd=08/25/04
"Today's decision--refusing to unite our party and refusing to recognize that people of good faith can disagree over contentious social issues--sends the wrong message to fair-minded voters," said Log Cabin executive director Patrick Guerriero. "What is the message that today's platform language sends to Republicans like Vice President Cheney, Governor Schwarzenegger, Mayor Giuliani, and Senator McCain? How can you have a platform that fails to recognize that people of good faith, like Vice President Cheney, can disagree over complex social issues. The far right's agenda is dividing our families, our party, our nation, and even our president and vice president."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9494186.htm?1c
NEW YORK - Republicans endorsed an uncompromising position against gay unions Wednesday in a manifesto that contrasts with Vice President Dick Cheney's supportive comments about gay rights and the moderate face the party will show at next week's national convention.
A panel made up largely of conservative delegates approved platform language that calls for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and opposes legal recognition of any sort for gay civil unions.
Gary Bauer, who has campaigned for the marriage amendment and against abortion rights as president of the group American Values, said the platform draft solidifies the GOP as the "party of hearth and home."
The draft urges a constitutional ban on abortion, echoing a call from previous platforms, and endorses President Bush's restrictions on federal financing of stem cell research. Some Republicans want the restrictions loosened.
Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition advised the network of conservative churches not to worry about the religious right's exclusion from prime time next week, given the advances against gay rights.
"Don't be distracted by Schwarzenegger or Giuliani or even the vice president," she said. "It is what George Bush says that counts and he has been faithful and fearless on this important issue."
Bauer, for example, said Cheney's comments making clear his opposition to a constitutional ban on gay marriage were "just the sort of thing that discourages and demoralizes voters the administration desperately needs."
Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist, platform committee chairman, said in an interview he expected the party to make it clearer that it welcomes people who hold opposing positions. But the party was not likely to single out gay rights and abortion rights as acceptable areas of disagreement, he said.
The panel toughened language endorsing sexual-abstinence education but turned aside a proposal to call for the elimination of family planning programs for teens.
http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=13495&sd=08/25/04
"Today's decision--refusing to unite our party and refusing to recognize that people of good faith can disagree over contentious social issues--sends the wrong message to fair-minded voters," said Log Cabin executive director Patrick Guerriero. "What is the message that today's platform language sends to Republicans like Vice President Cheney, Governor Schwarzenegger, Mayor Giuliani, and Senator McCain? How can you have a platform that fails to recognize that people of good faith, like Vice President Cheney, can disagree over complex social issues. The far right's agenda is dividing our families, our party, our nation, and even our president and vice president."