Bush voices support for same-sex civil unions

AFP: 10/26/2004

WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush stressed Tuesday that he supports states' rights to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, contrary to his Republican Party's official stance, although he still opposes gay marriage.

"I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what the state chooses to do," Bush said in an interview with ABC television aired Tuesday.

However, he added: "I view the definition of marriage as different than a legal arrangement that enables people to have rights. I strongly believe that marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman."

Asked to comment on his party's opposition to civil unions, Bush said he disagreed with that position. The platform was adopted during the Republican National Convention in New York last month, when Bush officially received the party's nomination for the November 2 presidential election.

Bush favors a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, while his opponent, Democratic Senator John Kerry, feels that each state should decide for itself whether to permit same-sex couples to wed.


10/26/2004 13:21 GMT - AFP

source: http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=31871

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" So the Republican platform on that point, as far as you're concerned, is wrong ? " Gibson asked the president, to which Bush replied: " Right ."

source:
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20041026-121303-1337r.htm

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SAN FRANCISCO
Governor, Newsom campaign to safeguard local tax funds
Schwarzenegger declares Democrat 'a very, very strong mayor'
- Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer
Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is expected to travel to Ohio on Friday to stump for President Bush, campaigned Monday alongside San Francisco Democratic Mayor Gavin Newsom -- underscoring his differences with the White House on two critical issues, same-sex marriage and stem cell research.

Schwarzenegger took the stage with the San Francisco mayor at a press conference to illustrate their bipartisan support for Prop. 1A, a state ballot initiative aimed at preventing the state legislature from taking local tax funds.

But, questioned afterward, the governor downplayed plans for a last- minute campaign swing for Bush, and instead praised Newsom as a "very, very strong mayor, and a good mayor.

source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/26/BAG5V9G8MR1.DTL