Mass. Gov. Romney vows support for initiative to ban gay marriage in only

[Judi Lynn]

Mass. Gov. Romney vows support for initiative to ban gay marriage in only state where it is legal

ASSOCIATED PRESS
7:41 a.m. June 16, 2005

BOSTON – Gov. Mitt Romney will support a citizen-led effort to put a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages on a statewide ballot, a spokesman said Thursday.

The proposed initiative would also not allow civil unions for same-sex couples. A separate, proposed amendment now pending before the Legislature would ban gay marriages but legalize Vermont-style civil unions.

"Governor Romney believes that voters should be given a straightforward amendment to decide the definition of marriage and not one that muddies the water by creating civil unions that would be equivalent of marriage in all respects but name," said Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom.

Opponents of gay marriage plan to annouce the new citizen initiative later Thursday.
(snip/...)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050616-0741-gaymarriage.html

[rox63]

1. One of a multitude of reasons

Why we must be rid of Mittens here in MA.

[Scooter24]

2. Why don't they

get a group of citizens to propose an amendment for equal marriage rights. There needs to be an alternative to this so the spotlight isn't only on the opponents.

[MarkTwain]

3. Just how the hell...

.... did this fundie piece of shit ever get elected in that fine state?

This is a vile proposal on his part that is beyond just nasty, it is evil. His going after civil unions, as well as marriage, is just plain contemptible.

Burn in hell you bastard, just burn in hell.

[midnight armadillo]

4. By the Dems running yet another poor candidate

Former state treasurer Shannon O'Brien would have made a fine governor, but her campaign was crap, her ideas were not interesting, and she had trouble competing in media imagery with pretty-boy Mitt (he even had a campaign ad featuring him running shirtless on a beach. Really).

Plus the press loved Olympic-saving Romney. He's not going to run for re-election since his record is so lackluster he'll have a tough time defeating the state attorney general, Tom O'Reilly. So he'll just go straight for the White House in 2008. His lieutenant gov, Kerry Healey, our invisible l. gov whose campaign role was to slander Democrats, has been anointed Romney's Repuke successor for the 2006 gov race. Romney is running around making anti-gay statements and such to bolster his right-wing creds.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

7. Yep. My one Republican friend

(He's very wealthy, so I forgive him a little bit) is insistent that Romney is going to run for Pres. and will be the next President.

I think this is simply posturing to give a Mass-hole (no offense, MA DU-ers) some conservative cred in the more typical red states.

[Sandpiper]

9. Romney will never get the presidential nomination

Right wing fundies hate Mormons almost as much as they hate gays.

[shantipriya]

6. Romney

Yes, I am also wondering how did this piece of Repug get elected in the most liberal of all the states.It is a puzzle.

[MidwestTransplant]

5. What I want to know is how MA still exists?

I thought gay marraige would basically end civilization there.

[Sandpiper]

8. How did this Utah, Mormon, carpetbagger ever get elected

In one of the bluest states in the union?

Arnold can at least be explained by celebrity worship. What's the explanation for Mittens?

[geckosfeet]

22. Good question considering Robert Reich ran for the democratic

nomination. The eventual democratic nominee was a local political insider who never should have been nominated and I can't for the life of me remember her name.

God. I can't imagine where we would be if Reich had won. I still can't believe that an empty suit like Romney is our governor.

[Maven]

10. What are the chances of this passing?

Anyone have recent polls?

[RalphReedsWreckedEm]

11. This from a man who believes Jesus walked in Utah

When pinned down in a 1999 interview, Romney said "Yes, I know from the prophet that Jesus Christ walked in Utah and in the great American West. This was his home."

Okay....uh.....whatever.

[TommyO]

12. TommyO vows support to defeat Romney in 2006

Even though I'm not from MA, I have friends there, and I will contribute to whoever is nominated (Democrat, of course) to run against Romney in 2006! It will also help to derail his presidential aspirations.

[ToeBot]

13. I take it Massachusetts doesn't have a recall law? n/t

[Moderator]

14. kick

[Logician]

15. No Rest for the Wicked in Massachusetts (Mitt Romney)

From the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/06/17/romney_backs_new_effort_to_prohibit_gay_marriages/


Romney Backs New Effort to Prohibit Gay Marriages

By Raphael Lewis, Globe Staff | June 17, 2005

Governor Mitt Romney yesterday endorsed a grass-roots effort to pass a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in Massachusetts in 2008, abandoning his support for what he called a ''muddied" compromise measure that would also ban gay marriages but allow gays to enter into civil unions.

Romney, who is courting conservative voters for a possible presidential run in 2008, said the newly proposed ban would give voters a chance to consider a ''clean, straightforward, unambiguous amendment" that does not include civil unions.

''I'm concerned that the amendment currently under consideration by the Legislature is somewhat confused or muddied by the combination of two things: One is the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, which I support, and the other is the requirement that there be civil unions in the Commonwealth, which is a provision I do not support," Romney told reporters after a group of same-sex marriage opponents unveiled the new proposed amendment in a separate press conference.

In announcing their plans to back a new proposed amendment, opponents of same-sex marriage said they believe that the compromise amendment before the Legislature would be defeated because conservative lawmakers who had backed it last year would join them to support the new alternative that simply bans gay marriage....

After one quiet year and more than 6,000 marriages, the Commonwealth's own toxic Ken doll has presidential ambitions and is actively courting Right Wing-Nuts. He needs to be stopped in Massachusetts, to be politically taken out as Governor.

He has no chance nationally.... he is a total light-weight....and has done really nothing for the state.

[billybob537]

16. Mitt Romney

TWO WORDS -- SUCKUP WANNABEE

[Caution]

17. LBN requires that you use the article headline as the subject of your post

Other than that, Welcome to DU!

[Logician]

23. thanks!

Being a newbie, I need the pointers!

[dbeach]

18. MA residents who voted for this yet another fascist

gotta be uninformed

As I former MA resident of 50 yrs..

Romney is a fascist son of privlege and welath hiding in Morman clothing
Another chikenhawk and emperor wanna be..




Live now in RI with yet another Fasicst grunenator and wanna be

I don't think these 2 govs are bush insiders BUT will continue selling out their individual states ..and eventually become busheviks

No where to run
know where to hide

[Cobalt Violet]

19. Willard needs to go back to Utah. We don't want that shit here!

[chelsea0011]

20. I honestly can't think of one thing he has done for Mass.

He has attacked gay marriage(he's a bigot. he once called gays deviants), he's complained about the Big Dig (and offered no solutions), and he's against stem cell research. Six years and that's it. What a platform to hang his gat on.

[geckosfeet]

21. I now have the opportunity to pay double the property taxes

I was paying before he took office. This is wonderful because it lets corporate taxpayers pay less and attracts corporate development and flocks of new companies who will bring lots of shiny new jobs (but not for gay people) to our state.

Even though I lost my job in 10/2003 I am trying to not be discouraged by the employment situation. I know Mitt's time proven development strategies will pay off for the state, just like they have for the national economy.

[Logician]

24. kickin' butt

So, like, how do we start a grass roots movement to fully stop his actions *now* (on all fronts) and work to totally stop him in Massachusetts.

Are there any local lefty political blogs/sites? We really need to humiliate this privileged Mormon butt-hole! A huge landslide against him would be so nice.

[silvermachine]

25. While this is true...

<<<He has no chance nationally.... he is a total light-weight....and has done really nothing for the state.>>>

Instinct and common sense both tell me the above is true. However, I felt precisely the same way about the idiot that currently has been squatting in the White House...and with Diebold, the media lapdogs, the power of big business, anything is possible.