Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Romneys New Radio Ad on Gay Marriage - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog

Romneys New Radio Ad on Gay Marriage - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog

September 18, 2007, 3:24 pm
Romney’s New Radio Ad on Gay Marriage
By Michael Luo
Mitt Romney is counting on his outspokenness on culture war issues to win him crucial support among Christian conservatives who are wary of his Mormon faith.
He is up with a new radio ad in Iowa, trumpeting his role in fighting gay unions in Massachusetts and his support for a federal marriage amendment banning them. The state is now ground zero for the battle over same-sex marriage after a judge overturned the state’s ban on the practice.
Mr. Romney’s campaign strategists are always on the lookout for key differentiators with other candidates, and they clearly believe this one is a winning one for him.
Christian conservative leaders appreciate that Mr. Romney has demonstrated a willingness to be a culture warrior, sounding off more on the issues than even former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, who does not have to work to prove his evangelical credentials.
Mr. Romney’s main rival for the Christian conservative vote among the leading Republican contenders is Fred D. Thompson, who opposes a federal marriage amendment and believes instead that states should settle this issue themselves. It is a stance that has caused alarm among some Christian conservative leaders.
But Mr. Romney has his own complicated history on gay rights to work through as well. He has been consistent in his opposition to gay marriage over the years, but when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994 and then for governor in 2002 his tone on gay rights was decidedly different than it is on the presidential campaign trail today. Back then, he portrayed himself as someone who would fight for gay equality, including partnership rights for same-sex couples. In 1994, when he ran against Senator Edward Kennedy, Mr. Romney said he supported federal legislation to bar discrimination against gays. In 2002, he also promised members of Log Cabin Republicans, a gay organization, according to several people who were at a meeting with him, that he would not champion a fight for or against gay marriage.
Mr. Romney would go on, of course, to become one of the most visible crusaders in the country against same-sex marriage, after a court decision paved the way for it in Massachusetts while he was governor. Mr. Romney is careful on the stump today to say he opposes discrimination against gays, but he sidesteps questions about what that might mean more specifically.
Here is the script for the 60-second spot:
ANNOUNCER: “In 2004, a judge in Massachusetts tipped the balance – paving the way to same-sex marriage for the first time in history.
“But the Governor of Massachusetts stood up, defending conservative values in our most liberal state.
“Governor Mitt Romney – he stood up for traditional marriage and fought the activist ruling every step.”
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “The courtroom should be a place where laws are interpreted, not made.”
ANNOUNCER: “Now, Mitt Romney is standing up for traditional marriage in Iowa, opposing the Polk County decision to permit same-sex marriage.”
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “The court ruling in Iowa is just another example of an activist judge trying to find things in the Constitution that aren’t there. As Republicans, we must oppose discrimination and defend traditional marriage: one man, one woman.”
ANNOUNCER: “That’s why Mitt Romney is supporting a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution.”
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “Not all Republican candidates for president agree, but defending marriage is the right thing to do.”
ANNOUNCER: “Mitt Romney.”
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message.”
ANNOUNCER: “Paid for by Romney For President. MittRomney.com.”

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