Arnold Splits with Bush over Gay Marriage

[freepotter]

http://www.gayworld.com/content/stories/article_2004_03_2_2503.php

Arnold Splits From Bush, Would Support Gay Marriage
Mar 2, 2004


(Los Angeles, CA) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a 180 degree shift and now says he doesn't object to same-sex marriage, if the law were changed to permit it.

Appearing Monday night on NBC's Tonight Show, Schwarzenegger said gay marriage would be "fine with me" if it were enshrined in state law or ruled legal by the courts.

Host Jay Leno asked, "Would you have any problem if they changed the law?" the governor replied: "No, I don't have a problem. Let the court decide. Let the people decide."

Assembly Member Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has introduced a bill in the legislature to allow gays and lesbians to obtain marriage licenses and Schwarzenegger's remarks are seen as an endorsement.

Pressed about Proposition 22 which is broadly interpreted as limiting marriage to a man and a woman, Schwarzenegger indicated he would be supportive of moves to repeal the contentious law.


:toast:

[Turbineguy]

1. Well, that's it

The recall is on! Rev. Jerry (Stinking Bag of Guts) Falwell, California needs you now!

[Terran]

2. This is great news. You don't approve?

or was that humor? Maybe I missed the breeze as it went over my head!

[Turbineguy]

3. Sorry, should have

ended the post with: Sarcasm switch back off. But I figured "Stinking Bag of Guts" connected with Falwell would do the trick.

As for Gay Marriage (speaking as a married man): If it makes two people happy, I'm for it.

[KAZ]

16. Couldn't agree more. n/t

n/t

[Room101]

4. Arnold is a corrupt lying politician but … .......

.....also a master of mass communication injecting his desired portrait of himself into the public perception.

Politics is acting for ugly people. When you get a good-looking actor in state politics its as if the entire state has become a movie set. Arnold is a proven blockbuster commodity now staring in his latest role “The Governor.”

<How sad>

California,leading the charge for equal rights on the bright side. :thumbsup:

[asjr]

5. I am all for equal

rights. Arnold knows which way the wind is blowing and he will agree. I don't blame him for doing that as long as that is what the electorate is for. He may turn out to be a real politician.

[joeunderdog]

12. Arnold isn't so stupid after all. Never thought he was. Think about it...

The gay marriage issue is a phantom fight anyway--just a smokescreen so that no one notices the house is burning. Most of the GOP knows that full well. So AH-nold throws the socially-liberal Californians a bone that will cost him nothing, increase his popularity and make him appear to be a free-thinking maverick. Meanwhile, he slides thru his bond plan, and his energy giveback and makes billions for his pals. All the while claiming "anti-establishment."

Arnold's ties to the banking and energy group are notorious, right up to Ken Lay and co. His portfolio before and after his term will make the $110K salary that he gave up look like the best investment he ever made. Anyone know where we can find out what his portfolio looked like when he took office?



"Quick, look at all the nice gays getting married. Pay no attention to the cha-ching, cha-ching sound."

Just good business.

[Not Me]

9. Don't laugh

I heard on CNN this afternoon that the far right is already launching a formal recall of the Attorney General because he failed to act quickly enough.

[Art_from_Ark]

6. Ahnuld must've had an epiphany

because just a few days ago, he tried to sic the CA attorney general on the mayor of San Francisco for "breaking the law".

[FlashHarry]

13. Actually, he only did that because it went against California law.

From what I know, he's more a Libertarian when it comes to social/privacy issues. That being said, he's still sleeping in Gray Davis' bed...

[Art_from_Ark]

18. If Ahnuld was interested in pursuing illegality,

there are plenty of other things he could sic the AG after, such as Enron.

Oh, wait, he called off THAT investigation...

[maxsolomon]

7. that's it! the arnold amendment is OFF THE TABLE!

we were going to change the constitution so you could be president, but you had to go & be open minded & tolerant!

the GOP does not forget nor forgive!

[htuttle]

8. Hmm...wonder if this monkey wrenches Rove's big plan?

They back Arnold over the 'real' Republicans running, so that Bush can stand next to him in photo ops this summer and fall. Angering a fair number of CA conservatives along the way, I might add.

Then Rove decides to make the big issue for the election 'gay marriage'.

Then Arnold, taking a whiff of the prevailing breeze in California, quickly realizes what side of the bread his butter is on, as far as gay marriage is concerned, and comes out in favor of gay marriage.

So then can Rove still count on all those 'Terminator photo-ops' having the same effect? How can he 'energize his base' with the anti-gay message while he's standing next to a governor who says he's in favor of changing the law to allow it?

Fascinating...Rove ain't nuthin but shit.

[acmavm]

10. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, KKKarl isn't the boy wonder

everyone gives him credit for being. He's been really, really lucky so far. His tricks got him fired working for Poppy's campaign, but Junior's and idiot and an lazy, amoral jerk so KKKarl can just keep trying to pull one stunt after another and he keeps his job. He knows Bush* is too lazy and has always let everyone else do the work for him, so he just sits back and plays the 'working-man's pResident' and takes it for granted that everyone believes him. I think Bush has told so many lies during his lifetime, that he even believes them himself.

But I would like to hear the conversation going on in the White House now that Ahnold has decided not to back their big issue. I bet it's a hoot.

[Disturbed]

11. Maybe...

Arnold actually wants to run or another term as Gov.? He is not a predictable person and that is in his favor.

[rocktivity]

14. I think you're absolutely right

It certainly explains this article I ran across yesterday--it's practically an apology for even bringing up the subject:
...Mr. Bush...forcefully defended the union of a man and a woman as "the most fundamental institution of civilization," but...(w)hen (he) finished...he abruptly turned on his heel and strode from the room, ignoring all questions...Mr. Bush was acting under enormous pressure from his evangelical Christian supporters...His more moderate supporters...worried that he might look like a gay basher...Mr. Bush's friends say that the president is quite comfortable with gays.

But why didn't the gay marriage "crisis" work? The idea of giving gays more rights should have been as scary as the idea of blacks and women having more rights in the 60's and 70's. And with an army of Christian soliders screaming for their favorite sins to be turned into federal crimes, the resulting tidal wave of moral outrage might just be big enough to wash over Bush's character and policy deficiencies.

I think the reason why Bush and now Arnold are backpedaling is because too many Americans watched gay and lesbian couples leaving the San Francisco city hall with marriage licenses (http://www.blah3.com/love.html) and were surprised by how human it all looked. Or maybe it's because they realized that all that stuff about heterosexual marriage being degraded and threatened is crap. Or maybe it's because they have more pressing things on their minds like unemployment, a runaway deficit and dead American soldiers!

:headbang:
rocknation

P.S:

[erpowers]

15. Just playing both sides of the field.

I think Schwarzenegger is just playing both sides of the field. He came out against gay marriage to energize his republican base. Now he is saying that he will support gay marriage if it becomes the law. I think he is doing this to cover himself. He wants/needs to get his bond passed. In order to do this he get a large amount of people on his side. If a law is passed he can say to his conservative base he is only doing what is the will of the people. He does not have to say he wanted or pushed for gay marriage, he just accepted what the people asked for. Schwarzenegger is just doing what is best for him.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi erpowers!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[gasperc]

19. conventions over..time to flip flop

what a dick

[Dogmudgeon]

20. The Gift Horse and the Mouth

Schwartzenegger is a major source of anxiety for the GOP, too. The dynamics of GOP ideology are breaking much as they are for Arlen Spector here in Pennsylvania.

Backgrounder: A super-right-winger named Toomey is challenging Arlen for his senatorial seat. He's lined up a lot of heavy-hitter neo-con GOP money. Although Bush and Santor(ect)um still support him, there's been a shitstorm over this in non-urban PA.

The likley winner? Joe Hoeffel -- Democratic.

Ahnold is turning out to be very easy to play. The California Democratic party should take advantage of it. You don't throw the game when the shuttlecock is between the raquets.

--bkl