Congressman Says Bush Is Open To States Bolstering Gay Rights: NYT

[CShine]

President Bush believes states can use contract law to ensure some of the rights that gay partners are seeking through marriage or civil union, a South Carolina congressman said Sunday.

The subject of contracts and gay marriage came up while the lawmaker, Representative Jim DeMint, was traveling with the president and the rest of the South Carolina Republican delegation on Air Force One last week. He described the conversation, first reported in the new issue of Time magazine, as politicians "shooting the breeze" rather than an in-depth policy discussion.

Paraphrasing the president's remarks, Mr. DeMint said: "He said he was not going to condemn anyone, that the need to have various types of agreement does not mean we need to redefine marriage. `If people want to have contracts on hospital visitation and benefits, that's O.K.' "

Responding to questions on Sunday about the Time article, Claire Buchan, a White House spokeswoman, said: "States, through their contract law, have the ability to address some of the issues that advocates of gay marriage are raising, such as hospital visitation rights and insurance benefits and the ability to pass on one's estates to another. What the president has said is that he strongly believes in the sanctity of marriage, so that's what he is saying."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/09/politics/09GAYS.html

[Malva Zebrina]

1. Something is very amusing about this

Bwahahah--it is desperation and a lack of focus now. I think Bush is going down and is going down fast--incredibly fast.

we must support our nominee, no matter if we cheered for someone else, we must support whoever it is and they were and are all good men and one good woman!

We cannot waver--we must shut up for a short time in order to get our party in there.

[varun]

2. not every benefit can be obtained using a contract...

..for example, a gay US citizen cannot sponsor his/her partner for US Citizenship using such a contract.

But what does * know about the hassles that gay people face?

:eyes:

[foreigncorrespondent]

3. And what about immigration rights????

You arrogant piece of shit! Immigration laws is federal, it isn't something that can be drawn up in a contract.

Oh edit: Fixing a typo

[mitchtv]

5. Sean Leahy's immigration reform bill

must be passed ,for me to accept less than marriage. (as i am with the Mr. for 27 years this Feb 14th, marriage is beside the point for me) Yet,I want to 'sanctify' our relationship like Brittany

[mot78]

4. I wish Roy Moore was reading this

Judge Moore: The Constitution Party and the fundies are calling, will you accept the charges?

[BR_Parkway]

6. So our contract could just eliminate the inheritance taxes?

And what did the idiot say about giving tax credits for the $1,000's of dollars my partner and I would have to pay to have all these contracts drawn up?

Sounds more like "further seperate and even more unequal" to me.