Romney Promises Judicial Litmus Test on Gay Marriage

While he may have been silent during the entire debt-ceiling debacle, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been very vocal about his support of a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Romney took that support even further and signed a pledge sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage promising future support.

At first blush such an act may seem purely symbolic. But the pledge pushed by NOM goes much further than simply promising to push amending the Constitution. It includes a promise to establish a presidential commission on “religious liberty” whose sole purpose is to investigate alleged harassment of opponents of same-sex marriage and to nominate federal judges who “reject the idea that our Founding Fathers inserted a right to gay marriage into our Constitution.”

Other Republican candidates including Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann signed the pledge as well. Tim Pawlenty refused the pledge, preferring to express his “commitment to the institution of marriage” in his own words.

That the Republican party plans to campaign on wedge issues should come as no surprise. But given the dramatic increase in support nationwide for same sex marriage, this move seems especially out of touch with most American voters. It also shows a significant unwillingness to deal seriously with the economic issues facing this country.

Photo from steakpinball via flickr.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Glen P.

3:00PM PDT on Oct 6, 2011

The founding fathers didn't extend equal rights to all Americans. That was done unequivocally by the 14th Amendment, which provides for equal protection of the laws to all citizens.

Why did these protections not necessarily extend to gay people when the 14th Amendment was ratified?

Because back then we understood MUCH less about who gay people are and that sexual orientation is an inherent part of a person's being. It's only in the last few decades that any serious attempts at understanding sexual orientation and with gay people being open and honest not only to themselves but to their friends, family, and nation have we begun to understand that they are systematically being denied the equal rights they have always been entitled to.

send a green star

Annmari L.

12:39PM PDT on Aug 16, 2011

The Founding Fathers didn't give any rights to women, African Americans, Native Americans, poor people, etc. So should we dismantle those achieved rights for these and other groups in our society just because the repukes and teabags are scared of their own hidden gayness?
I mean the Founding Fathers didn't forsee that LGBT would be so demanding some 200 years later that they actually took to the streets and said "Enough is enough"!
And the Black Civil Rights Movement. The Women's Liberation. They didn't see that coming either. Why can't those Medieval Inquisition wannabes stop worrying about LGBT and women and start engaging all that effort into making USA great and beautiful by making sure everyone has health protection, a job, somewhere decent to live, cut down on social injustices and crimes and other good initiatives that would SERVE the people instead of their fat bellys and wallets?

mary l.

7:46PM PDT on Aug 12, 2011

Just leave these people alone. Who cares just because they are different that is their choice. We are different to them and I'm sure they don't care either. To each their own.

Winn A.

7:41PM PDT on Aug 12, 2011

Another Republican Wacko! He needs a muzzle and to use all of his mental health benefits.

Jane H.

1:56PM PDT on Aug 9, 2011

Let's hope all those who support gay marriage, as I do vote for the entire Democratic ticket!!!

Marilyn L.

11:27AM PDT on Aug 9, 2011

Romney's Mormon religion hates LGBT people and they have proven that over and over again by their teachings and actions. We have a lot of rigid right-winger and religious right-wingers running to obtain the Republican nomination for Presidents. We should all be very, very wary of these folks.

Ellen M.

11:50PM PDT on Aug 8, 2011

He should have kept his mouth shut...but no, now he's decided to throw his hat in the ring to try to prove whose the most homophobic, therein winning the repug vote as the most rightously deserving of their backing.

Don N.

8:53PM PDT on Aug 8, 2011

Derp H,
That is exactly how I got gay! There I was in the locker room minding my own business when all of a sudden this linebacker tripped me and I fell on his massive penis. Of course I had my mouth open as I was falling. Darn the luck.

4:13PM PDT on Aug 8, 2011

In order to be a homophobe it has to occupy a significant part of your brain, and this means that homophobes are thinking about men/women rubbing penises/vaginas together in a 24/7 gay porno. That’s an awful lot of gay thoughts for supposedly straight people who hate gays. I bet even gay people don’t think about gay stuff as much as homophobes do.

Homophobes (aka Anti-Gay Movement) are not protesting against bestiality, pedophilia (with/without a priest involved), rape, sexual exploitation, or any other form of non-consensual sexual act in which a victim is forced against their will to participate

The Homophobes are protesting a private sexual act being performed by two consenting adults.

HOMOPHOBE = I DON’T LIKE GAY (SUPPOSEDLY) THEREFORE NO ONE SHOULD BE GAY.

I don’t like stupid, so stop being stupid homophobes. Put down the anti-gay sign, mind your own business, and stick a (same sex genital) in your mouth because we all know you want to.

4:12PM PDT on Aug 8, 2011

A year from now Mitt Romney will be caught sucking penis in an airport bathroom.

He'll make some kind of excuse like "I tripped, and my mouth accidentally fell on his penis, and got stuck there. I tried to pull off, but the floor was slippery...and ...I kept slipping..."

For 10 minutes?

"Yeah...I kept slipping for 10 minutes. The force of the man cumming in my mouth helped me stand up."

You are gay.

"Am not...I think."