Monday, February 23, 2004
SEN. JOHN KERRY’S KERRYMANDERING
VOL. 2, ISSUE 1
Kerry Evasive And Confusing On Gay Marriage
_________________________________________________________
FACING POLITICAL PRESSURE, KERRY SAYS HE MIGHT
SUPPORT AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE
Kerry Won’t Rule Out Supporting Amendment To Massachusetts Constitution Banning Gay Marriage. “Asked if he would support a state constitutional amendment barring gay and lesbian marriages, Kerry didn’t rule out the possibility. ‘I’ll have to see what language there is,’ he said.” (Susan Milligan, “Kerry Says GOP May Target Him On ‘Wedge Issue,’” The Boston Globe, 2/6/04)
BUT IN 2003, KERRY SUGGESTED HE MIGHT SUPPORT
GAY MARRIAGE IF IT BECAME PUBLICLY ACCEPTABLE
On Question Of Gay Marriage, Kerry Said, “We Need To Achieve What We Can, And Then We Will See Where We Are.” Kerry believes civil unions “would be more acceptable to the public than marriage for homosexual couples. Kerry indicated he might eventually back gay marriages if a public consensus developed for them. ‘We need to achieve what we can, and then we will see where we are,’ he said.” (Ronald Brownstein, “Gay Issues Get Democratic Field’s Backing,” Los Angeles Times, 7/16/03)
IN 2002, HE SIGNED LETTER REJECTING MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE
Kerry Said It Would Be “Grave Error” For Massachusetts To Adopt Amendment Banning Gay Marriage. “We believe it would be a grave error for Massachusetts to enshrine in our Constitution a provision which would have such a negative effect on so many of our fellow residents. … We are therefore united in urging you to reject this Constitutional amendment and avoid stigmatizing so many of our fellow citizens who do not deserve to be treated in such a manner.” (Sen. John Kerry, et al, Letter To Members Of The Massachusetts Legislature, 7/12/02)
AND IN 1996, HE VOTED AGAINST DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT
Kerry Was One Of Only 14 Senators To Vote Against 1996 Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA), Which Banned Federal Recognition Of Gay Marriage And Same-Sex Partner Benefits. (H.R. 3396, CQ Vote #280: Passed 85-14: R 53-0; D 32-14, 9/10/96, Kerry Voted Nay)
Kerry Called DOMA “Unconstitutional, Unprecedented And Unnecessary,” And “Politics At Its Worst.” “DOMA is unconstitutional, unprecedented and unnecessary. Again, I return to the original questions: What is its legislative purpose? What is its motivation? What does passage of this bill mean for the country? It is hard to believe that this bill is anything other than a thinly veiled attempt to score political debating points by scapegoating gay and lesbian Americans. That is politics at its worst …” (Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Congressional Record, 9/10/96, p. 10108)
… Confused? We Are, Too.
VOL. 2, ISSUE 1
Kerry Evasive And Confusing On Gay Marriage
_________________________________________________________
FACING POLITICAL PRESSURE, KERRY SAYS HE MIGHT
SUPPORT AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE
Kerry Won’t Rule Out Supporting Amendment To Massachusetts Constitution Banning Gay Marriage. “Asked if he would support a state constitutional amendment barring gay and lesbian marriages, Kerry didn’t rule out the possibility. ‘I’ll have to see what language there is,’ he said.” (Susan Milligan, “Kerry Says GOP May Target Him On ‘Wedge Issue,’” The Boston Globe, 2/6/04)
BUT IN 2003, KERRY SUGGESTED HE MIGHT SUPPORT
GAY MARRIAGE IF IT BECAME PUBLICLY ACCEPTABLE
On Question Of Gay Marriage, Kerry Said, “We Need To Achieve What We Can, And Then We Will See Where We Are.” Kerry believes civil unions “would be more acceptable to the public than marriage for homosexual couples. Kerry indicated he might eventually back gay marriages if a public consensus developed for them. ‘We need to achieve what we can, and then we will see where we are,’ he said.” (Ronald Brownstein, “Gay Issues Get Democratic Field’s Backing,” Los Angeles Times, 7/16/03)
IN 2002, HE SIGNED LETTER REJECTING MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE
Kerry Said It Would Be “Grave Error” For Massachusetts To Adopt Amendment Banning Gay Marriage. “We believe it would be a grave error for Massachusetts to enshrine in our Constitution a provision which would have such a negative effect on so many of our fellow residents. … We are therefore united in urging you to reject this Constitutional amendment and avoid stigmatizing so many of our fellow citizens who do not deserve to be treated in such a manner.” (Sen. John Kerry, et al, Letter To Members Of The Massachusetts Legislature, 7/12/02)
AND IN 1996, HE VOTED AGAINST DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT
Kerry Was One Of Only 14 Senators To Vote Against 1996 Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA), Which Banned Federal Recognition Of Gay Marriage And Same-Sex Partner Benefits. (H.R. 3396, CQ Vote #280: Passed 85-14: R 53-0; D 32-14, 9/10/96, Kerry Voted Nay)
Kerry Called DOMA “Unconstitutional, Unprecedented And Unnecessary,” And “Politics At Its Worst.” “DOMA is unconstitutional, unprecedented and unnecessary. Again, I return to the original questions: What is its legislative purpose? What is its motivation? What does passage of this bill mean for the country? It is hard to believe that this bill is anything other than a thinly veiled attempt to score political debating points by scapegoating gay and lesbian Americans. That is politics at its worst …” (Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Congressional Record, 9/10/96, p. 10108)
… Confused? We Are, Too.
