AlonzoMourning23
12-18-2007, 06:42 PM
GOP presidential contender Fred Thompson is charging that Mitt Romney flip-flopped on gay marriage because he approved hundreds of special certificates that allowed regular citizens to officiate scores of same-sex weddings during his tenure as governor.
Romney, who has cast himself as the staunchest Republican defender of traditional marriage, reportedly signed off on almost 200 one-day certificates allowing gay and lesbian couples to use unlicensed friends to preside over their weddings. Under an obscure state law, the certificates can be granted only to couples that get approval from the governor’s office.
“This is why Mitt Romney is having such a hard time in Iowa right now,” said Thompson spokeswoman Karen Hanretty, who called the license approvals another reason to doubt Romney “on matters of principle and conviction.”
“It goes to his character,” Hanretty said. “Voters can see through these conversions on gay rights and a litany of other issues.”
Romney and Thompson have repeatedly traded accusations of flip-flopping in recent months, with each candidate battling to cast themselves as the true conservative in the Republican field.
Thompson has blasted Romney over a 1994 debate against U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in which Romney promised to protect abortion rights and be a stronger advocate for gay people. Romney has criticized Thompson for once lobbying to ease restrictions on abortion counseling.
A spokesman for the former governor dismissed the latest attack, saying it would have been illegal for Romney to deny the certificates to gay couples. “No one fought harder to overturn the court’s gay marriage ruling than Mitt Romney,” Fehrnstrom said in an e-mailed statement. “Until that day arrives, we are all required to follow the law, even though we may disagree with it.”
The governor’s hard line on the issue has offended previous Bay State supporters who remember him being more moderate on gay rights.
Ed Boesel, 61, of Saugus said he received a special certifcate from Romney in 2004 to marry his longtime partner, Darrell Martinie, a local radio astrologer known as the “Cosmic Muffin.”
The couple recruited former WBCN [website] program director Oedipus to officiate their wedding.
Boesel said he and Martinie, who died of cancer last year, developed close political ties to Romney and his wife, Ann, and even hosted the couple at a 1994 fund-raiser in their home. The couple also held a fund-raiser for Romney in 2002.
“We had a very pleasant friendship, and it didn’t seem contrived at all,” Boesel said of Romney. “He’s either being two-faced now, or two-faced when he knew us earlier.”
“The instinct I have is that, if the rest of the (political) world went away, (Romney) would accept same-sex couples quite nicely,” Boesel said. “It’s a very political thing.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1050693
Give the people what they want. If the people are bigots then give them bigotry and discrimination. That seems to be Romney's motto at this point.
Romney, who has cast himself as the staunchest Republican defender of traditional marriage, reportedly signed off on almost 200 one-day certificates allowing gay and lesbian couples to use unlicensed friends to preside over their weddings. Under an obscure state law, the certificates can be granted only to couples that get approval from the governor’s office.
“This is why Mitt Romney is having such a hard time in Iowa right now,” said Thompson spokeswoman Karen Hanretty, who called the license approvals another reason to doubt Romney “on matters of principle and conviction.”
“It goes to his character,” Hanretty said. “Voters can see through these conversions on gay rights and a litany of other issues.”
Romney and Thompson have repeatedly traded accusations of flip-flopping in recent months, with each candidate battling to cast themselves as the true conservative in the Republican field.
Thompson has blasted Romney over a 1994 debate against U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in which Romney promised to protect abortion rights and be a stronger advocate for gay people. Romney has criticized Thompson for once lobbying to ease restrictions on abortion counseling.
A spokesman for the former governor dismissed the latest attack, saying it would have been illegal for Romney to deny the certificates to gay couples. “No one fought harder to overturn the court’s gay marriage ruling than Mitt Romney,” Fehrnstrom said in an e-mailed statement. “Until that day arrives, we are all required to follow the law, even though we may disagree with it.”
The governor’s hard line on the issue has offended previous Bay State supporters who remember him being more moderate on gay rights.
Ed Boesel, 61, of Saugus said he received a special certifcate from Romney in 2004 to marry his longtime partner, Darrell Martinie, a local radio astrologer known as the “Cosmic Muffin.”
The couple recruited former WBCN [website] program director Oedipus to officiate their wedding.
Boesel said he and Martinie, who died of cancer last year, developed close political ties to Romney and his wife, Ann, and even hosted the couple at a 1994 fund-raiser in their home. The couple also held a fund-raiser for Romney in 2002.
“We had a very pleasant friendship, and it didn’t seem contrived at all,” Boesel said of Romney. “He’s either being two-faced now, or two-faced when he knew us earlier.”
“The instinct I have is that, if the rest of the (political) world went away, (Romney) would accept same-sex couples quite nicely,” Boesel said. “It’s a very political thing.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1050693
Give the people what they want. If the people are bigots then give them bigotry and discrimination. That seems to be Romney's motto at this point.