The liberal/moderate wing of the GOP...

[BOBO]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me. Maybe their afraid of losing their slice of the power play over others??? What gets to me is marriage is not even a federal issue, at least by our fed Constitution... what is a state issue doing on Capital Hill???
Either way, the GOP is now in a fight for it's very survival. The 25% liberal, 60% moderate & 15% conservative makeup of the current GOP has split the GOP into useless scattered factions of incompetence. With loony's like below...

Brother Jed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

...backed by the so called GOP social conservatives, it's small wonder why the GOP is viewed as a tragicomedy by the rational thinking among the American constituency. Will the GOP go the way of the old Whig party? Unless the Libertarian influence can hammer in some common sense into the GOP constituency, I see the GOP as a non existent, or at least irrelevant party within eight to ten years.

 

[rdean]

I noticed this had ZERO replies. The same number of liberals and moderates in the Republican Party.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

It would at least be consistent with the Party’s original principles.

 

[SniperFire]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

We aren't homos.

 

[rdean]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

We aren't homos.

At least not outside of an airport men's room.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right, dey shouldn't be forced to go against dey's religion fer the gay agenda - it be a violation of the separation of church an' state...

House Armed Services Committee: Chaplains Cannot be Forced to Perform Same-Sex Marriages
May 10, 2012 – Just hours after President Obama came out Wednesday in favor of homosexual "marriage," members of the House Armed Services Committee voted 36 to 25 to adopt an amendment protecting the religious liberty of military service members, especially chaplains, on the issue of same-sex marriage.

The amendment would effectively protect chaplains from being forced to perform same-sex marriages and from being disciplined for maintaining traditionalist moral views about human sexuality. “Moral or religious concerns about same-sex marriage or the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell have become potentially career-ending,” said the amendment's sponsor, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.). Akin, the chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, said the pressure in the military to conform to Obama’s view on homosexuality has become particularly acute since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell last year.

In fact, Akin said his amendment actually came in response to requests from military chaplain organizations “who have reported an uptick in censorship and recriminations for chaplains and servicemembers who have moral or religious concerns about same-sex marriage” since the military’s policy on homosexuality was lifted last year. “Our service members are putting their life on the line for our country,” the Missouri Republican said. “We should not respond by limiting their religious freedom. These heroes are fighting to defend the Constitution and our freedom. We cannot allow their constitutional freedoms to be violated.”

Earlier in the day, Wednesday, Obama cited the inability of homosexual soldiers to marry as a reason why he was changing his mind to support homosexual marriage. He told ABC News: “When I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Akin criticized the president for using the military “as a campaign prop to advance the liberal agenda.”

“Whatever Obama’s views may be, I find it appalling that he would so blatantly use the military for political cover on this controversial issue,” Akin said. “Our sons and daughters don’t volunteer for the military to be used to promote a political agenda.” Now, with Obama coming out in favor of gay "marriage," the pressure to conform is bound to intensify, the Missouri Republican said. “Obama’s use of the military to justify his new support for same-sex marriage will only add fuel to this fire, potentially forcing service members and chaplains to violate their own conscience or face recriminations,” the congressman added. The Akin amendment creates a statutory conscience protection clause for members of the military in general and military chaplains in particular.

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[HomeInspect]

I could care less if homos got married. They have the right to be miserable too !

 

[California Girl]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

We aren't homos.

That's bullshit. I know several gays who are also members of your party.

 

[jillian]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

We aren't homos.

you aren't black either, but i'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you aren't for jim crow laws.

 

[jillian]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

We aren't homos.

That's bullshit. I know several gays who are also members of your party.

yah, but they keep them in the closet.

 

[Mac1958]

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

The GOP is currently controlled by its absolutist loons. They're not terribly difficult to recognize. I have absolutely no doubt there are many well-known members of the party who are either agnostic to or sympathetic with gay marriage, but they know damn well that they'd be ostracized if they publicly admitted it. They'd sure as hell ultimately be voted out, because the loons currently control most of the electoral energy of the party.

I also suspect this environment is why so many possible presidential contenders decided to stay out of this election, despite the fact that the incumbent is so vulnerable. They know they'd end up having several of those absurd "pledges" shoved in their face by the party's absolutist loons, and they knew enough to stay the hell out.

Everything is cyclical. I suspect the party will recover from this at some point, when the loons lose control and sanity returns.


.

 

[Ringel05]

...is now suggesting for the GOP to back same sex marriage...

Republican ex-Congressman Tom Davis: Gay marriage opposition

Why the entire GOP & it's constituency cannot accept same sex marriage is beyond me.

We aren't homos.

Speak for yourself.... oh, you are........ Helix.........

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Speaking of rightwing loons:

Rick Santorum is urging Mitt Romney to "step up" and weaponize the issue of same-sex marriage.

"This is a very potent weapon, if you will, for Governor Romney if he's willing to step up and take advantage of a president who is very much out of touch with the values of America," Santorum said in an eye-opening live interview with Arkansas TV station KARK, a CNN affiliate.

Santorum to Romney: ‘Step up’ and use ‘potent weapon’ of same sex marriage – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Eye-opening indeed, as it’s Santorum who is ‘out of touch,’ given the fact a majority of Americans support same-sex couples and the boost in support the president realized this week after his announcement.

It’s also telling that ‘values voters’ don’t value the Constitution and individual liberty.

 

[waltky]

Obama & Nancy violatin' the separation of church an' state...

White House 'Strongly Objects' to Legislation Protecting Military Chaplains from Doing Same-Sex Weddings or Being Forced to Act Against Conscience
May 16, 2012 : The Obama administration “strongly objects” to provisions in a House defense authorization bill that would prohibit the use of military property for same-sex “marriage or marriage-like” ceremonies, and protect military chaplains from negative repercussions for refusing to act against their consciences, as, for example, in being ordered to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony.

In a policy statement released Wednesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget outlined numerous objections to aspects of the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 4310). The bill was reported out of the House Armed Services Committee last week and is set to be debated in the House, beginning Wednesday. Overall, it recommends that President Obama veto H.R. 4310 if its cumulative effects “impede the ability of the Administration to execute the new defense strategy and to properly direct scarce resources.”

The veto warning is not specifically linked to the two provisions dealing with marriage, but they are listed among parts of the bill which the administration finds objectionable. The memo said the two provisions “adopt unnecessary and ill-advised policies that would inhibit the ability of same-sex couples to marry or enter a recognized relationship under State law.”

Section 536 of H.R. 4310 states in part that no member of the armed forces may “direct, order, or require a chaplain to perform any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service, or function that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the chaplain, or contrary to the moral principles and religious beliefs of the endorsing faith group of the chaplain.” Further, no member of the armed forces may “discriminate or take any adverse personnel action against a chaplain, including denial of promotion, schooling, training, or assignment, on the basis of the refusal by the chaplain to comply with a direction, order, or requirement” that is prohibited by the previous clause.

The OMB complained that, “in its overbroad terms,” section 536 “is potentially harmful to good order and discipline.” Section 537 of H.R. 4310 states that “[a] military installation or other property owned or rented by, or otherwise under the jurisdiction or control of, the Department of Defense may not be used to officiate, solemnize, or perform a marriage or marriage-like ceremony involving anything other than the union of one man with one woman.”

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See also:

Pelosi: No to Provision Protecting Chaplains From Being Ordered to Act Against Faith: 'It's A Fraud'
May 17, 2012 - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she stands with the White House in opposing a provision in the House defense authorization bill that would prohibit anyone in the military from ordering a chaplain to act against his or her "conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs" or against the religious beliefs of the denomination to which he or she belongs.

Pelosi described the conscience-protection provision as a “fraud." The provision is broadly written to deny anyone in the armed forces the authority to "direct, order, or require a chaplain to perform any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, or function" that is contrary to his or her conscience, moral principles or religious beliefs or the principles or beliefs of his or her religious denomination. Among other things, the provision would protect a chaplain from deleterious career repercussions if he or she refused to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony because it violated their religious beliefs.

During her weekly press conference with reporters on Thursday, CNSNews.com asked Pelosi: “The White House issued a statement this week saying it strongly objects to Section 536 of the Defense authorization bill, which protects military chaplains from being ordered to act against their conscience or religious beliefs. Do you support that provision that prohibits the military from ordering chaplains to act against their faith?” Pelosi said, “I do not support that provision in the bill, that part of the bill. I agree with the administration. “And there’s nothing that says that chaplains act against their faith,” she said. “I don’t agree to that stipulation, fact, unless I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying.”

CNSNews.com followed up, “But by ordering the chaplains that don’t believe in performing same-sex marriages, by ordering them to do that, do you think that is—”

“Nobody is ordering them to do that,” Pelosi said. “I’ve never seen any suggestion that we’re ordering chaplains to perform same-sex--where is that? I haven’t seen it and I’ve been around this issue for a long time. “I think that they can rest assured that if they don’t believe in that, they don’t have to perform those,” Pelosi said.

CNSNews.com then asked, “So why would you not support the provision that protects them?” “Because it’s a fraud,” Pelosi said. “It’s a--Welcome to the world of manufactured crises. Here’s one.” “Nobody’s suggesting that, so why would you have a provision in the bill that says such a thing?” Pelosi said. “Manufactured crisis, let’s go to the bigger issue of our statement of values with the budget. Let’s just get together, sit down, and come to a balanced approach on how we do this, rather than manufacturing a crisis on the full faith and credit of our country.”

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[francoHFW]

"long gone"

 

[HomeInspect]

"long gone"

When people are so naive, or refuse to accept things that make their heros look bad, they call it propanganda

 

[waltky]

Granny says dey oughta call her 'Wrong-headed Pelosi'...

Chaplain's Group Says Pelosi's Wrong About Need to Protect Conscience Rights of Chaplains
May 18, 2012 – A group representing more than 2,500 Evangelical Christian military chaplains says House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was wrong on Thursday when she called a provision in the House defense authorization bill designed to protect military chaplains “a fraud.”

“I think she misses the point entirely,” said Dr. Ron Crews, executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty. “Right now this administration has created an environment in the Department of Defense that if you are in favor of same-sex relationships, you may speak. If you are not in favor, you cannot speak,” Crews said. During her weekly press conference with reporters on Thursday, Pelosi told CNSNews.com that she agrees with the Obama administration – and opposes the provision, Section 536 of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Section 536 states that no member of the armed forces may “direct, order, or require a chaplain to perform any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service, or function that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the chaplain, or contrary to the moral principles and religious beliefs of the endorsing faith group of the chaplain.” The Democratic Leader said the idea that military chaplains would be forced to perform same-sex marriages against their will is “a manufactured crisis.” “Nobody is ordering them to do that,” Pelosi said. “I’ve never seen any suggestion that we’re ordering chaplains to perform same-sex—where is that? I haven’t seen it and I’ve been around this issue for a long time.”

Crews, whose group represents over half of all chaplains serving on active duty, agreed that no chaplains have yet been ordered to perform same-sex ceremonies. But the retired military chaplain told CNSNews.com that military chaplains have increasingly been facing negative repercussions since the military policy on homosexuality (“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”) was lifted. “We already have some examples of a chaplain being pulled from an assignment simply because he forwarded an e-mail that was critical of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. He was told that ‘You need to be closely supervised.’ He was threatened that he would have to retire early,” Crews said. “We have another chaplain who asked, “Can I speak about this issue? And the commander told him, ‘If you can’t get in line (with the military policy in support of homosexuality), resign your commission.’ So we have those kind of real life cases that the American public doesn’t realize is going on.”

Section 536 is simply designed to protect chaplains for refusing to act against their religious faith, he said. “So all we are doing in adding to protections in the Defense Authorization Act, is to provide an umbrella covering for our chaplains and those they serve to be able to speak their objections concerning homosexuality based on what Scripture says about homosexuality.”

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See also:

Army General Says He Will Never Fail to Speak Up for 'Moral and Ethical Behavior and Values'
May 18, 2012 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno says after ten years of continuous combat, the U.S. is transitioning to a "leaner," "more agile" Army -- one that retains its "unwavering commitment to the honor of our profession and our values."

As the Army undergoes major organizational changes, including openly homosexual troops in the ranks and women moving closer to the front lines, Odierno reaffirmed the Army's commitment to discipline, ethical behavior and values, saying he will "never pass up an opportunity" to talk about those values: "The military is held to the highest standard since it is entrusted with special responsibilities by the American people," Odierno told a Defense Department briefing on Wednesday. "Trust and respect are paramount. Standards and discipline are fundamental. And I will never pass up an opportunity to talk to our soldiers and our leaders about the sacred trust and our commitment to moral and ethical behavior and values."

At Wednesday's briefing, Odierno did not mention the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which has raised a dilemma for some in the military whose religion teaches that homosexuality is immoral. But Odierno did talk about "new opportunities" for female soldiers, who are now allowed to hold jobs in combat battalions. And he also discussed sexual harassment in the Army: "Last week, we concluded our annual sexual harassment and assault response prevention summit with our Army senior leaders. We discussed efforts to get after curbing sexual assault and sexual harassment in our ranks, something that is absolutely intolerable and inconsistent with our Army values. It is something that I've charged commanders at all levels -- levels to stay focused on, to take care of and protect each other. That's what we do and that's who we are, and we cannot expect anything less."

A military website dedicated to preventing sexual assault in the Army instructs soldiers to "intervene" and "act" when they witness misbehavior: "When I recognize a threat to my fellow soldiers, I will have the personal courage to intervene and prevent sexual assault. I will condemn act of sexual harassment. I will not abide obscene gestures, language or behavior," says a pledge on the website. "You are my brother, my sister, my fellow solider. It is my duty to stand up for you no matter the time or place. I will take action. I will do what's right. I will prevent sexual harassment and assault.... "We are American soldiers, motivated to keep our fellow soldiers safe. It is our mission to prevent sexual harassment and assault..."

Odierno told the briefing that 92,000 U.S. soldiers are currently deployed in support of operations, 68,000 of them in Afghanistan. He says the Army will move to a "regionally aligned force concept," starting next year -- "as we rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region." He said the leaner, more agile Army "will be vastly more capable than our pre-9/11 Army."

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