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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRachel Maddow And David Gregory Destroy The GOP’s Last Argument Against Marriage Equality
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/06/30/2236211/meet-the-press-marriage-equality-debunk-kids/Rachel Maddow And David Gregory Destroy The GOPs Last Argument Against Marriage Equality
By Aviva Shen on Jun 30, 2013 at 10:40 am
Videos at link~
Social conservatives came out in full force on NBCs Meet The Press on the Sunday after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) of the Heritage Foundation and Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) both claimed the courts decision to recognize same-sex marriages sacrificed childrens wellbeing only to have their arguments promptly slapped down by MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and David Gregory.
DeMint said the court had privileged the desires of adults over the best environment for children, arguing that heterosexual marriage is the environment where children can thrive and succeed. Maddow immediately pointed out that this argument ignores the children of same-sex couples, who have up til now been treated as second-class citizens under the law:
Later in the program, Huelskamp tried to justify his introduction of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage by touting debunked research that supposedly shows heterosexual parents are better for kids. Gregory challenged the congressman, insisting that he admit the research is bogus:
GREGORY: Wait, but Justice Kennedy speaks to this. Theres also research that indicates that you know, everyone talks about the interests of children. Children tend to prosper in homes where there is a loving marriage. There is really not evidence to suggest that if you are a same-sex couple or a heterosexual couple that it makes one difference one way or the other.
HUELSKAMP: Well actually the research does not show that, actually the research is very clear as we have indicated here, but
GREGORY: No, no. Everybody throws that out, but the research actually shows that in broken homes, it hurts the children. Which I think most people would say that would be true of same-sex couples or heterosexual couples. We dont really know, do we? But we do have a sense that loving marriages provide a good family life for children, right?
Huelskamp ducked the debunk and again claimed that the court decided the desires of adults should trump the needs of children. Nevertheless, Gregory is correct that the research cited by marriage equality opponents actually has nothing to do with same-sex couples. In fact, the largest study of families with same-sex parents recently concluded these children are not only thriving, but even beat the national average for overall health and family cohesion.
Ilsa
(61,710 posts)I didn't watch MTP today, but this is excellent that DG and RM didn't let them get away with promoting their lies.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)free of charge. How is that excellent? He gave them breakfast and a national platform. Can you arrange for me to not get away with something if not getting away with something includes a legitimizing major media platform for my ideas?
Response to Bluenorthwest (Reply #7)
Ilsa This message was self-deleted by its author.
CtDemoFarmer
(32 posts)These people want a theocracy type government and Gregory just let them spew their ignorance and their religious beliefs without calling them on their anti-1st Amendment views.
okaawhatever
(9,478 posts)will do the same. I'm not a fan of Gregory so I don't expect much from him, but I do agree that the best that can be done with the rwnj's is to give them enough rope and they will hang themselves. If America knew what they really thought, and what their real agenda is they wouldn't vote for them. That's my goal. Reveal them for who and what they are.
K Gardner
(14,933 posts)(3 if you count Helskamp) fossilized white men on "the panel". (Gregory, several times, made the point FOR 20-week abortion and for the right-wing arguments FOR the Texas abortion ban.)
I thought it was typical MTP, typical Gregory. I did not see the GOP side "destroyed" as the article states. I guess you see/hear what you want to see, but Rachel did not get NEARLY enough air time and kept getting cut off by Ralph Reed. Michael Eric Dyson was good, but the show was just a wash.
This is why I quit watching MTP after Russert died, and why I'm sorry I even wasted DVR space on it today.
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)why give you 2 cents of a brain otherwise?
burnodo
(2,017 posts)Deep13
(39,154 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)personally chosen line up of hate mongers which included discredited conman Ralph Reed for some reason, that reason being Gregory. He made a good point or two but he also allowed his 'esteemed' guests to say horrible things.
Not sure why this hagiography of Gregory is suddenly in fashion, but that hack is a hack who today gave a TV platform to Ralph Reed, and that is who he is.
valerief
(53,235 posts)love_katz
(2,585 posts)would float into a warm tropical sea (melting, melting)...filled with hungry sharks.
Did I say that...
undeterred
(34,658 posts)They want to make themselves the victims here. But its not selling any more.
Skittles
(153,261 posts)yes INDEED
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Nothing they say makes a bit of sense or are lies.
okaawhatever
(9,478 posts)for DOMA. There was not a majority of support in America for gay marriage at the time. I think it was like 46-47% Now that support is over 50%. The clear comeback is the elected were dong as their constituents wished. Why won't the gop do that now? They claimed in the show that the majority of Americans don't support gay marriage. I'm sure they came up with some b.s. study that can easily be debunked. If someone knows which study it is please let me know so I can research it.
jazzimov
(1,456 posts)meet their BS head on, and then disprove them with FACTS.
Happy to K&R!
Cha
(297,935 posts)Perfect~Rachel
Mahalo babylonsistah
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Go Rachel I bet that's the first time those Ass holes ever talked with a "Gay" before