BUSH F___-F___S ON CIVIL UNIONS

...in his Good Morning America interview:

In a television interview aired Tuesday, Bush said he doesn't oppose civil unions for same-sex couples even though the Republican Party platform is opposed to them. However, he still supports banning gay marriage through a federal constitutional amendment. "I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what a state chooses to do so," Bush said on ABC's Good Morning America. "I view the definition of marriage different from legal arrangements that enable 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 same-sex marriage, while his opponent, Democrat John Kerry, feels that each state should decide for itself whether to permit same-sex couples to wed.

So George W Bush is expressing his support for civil unions.

And he supports a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Specifically, he threw his support behind the Federal Marriage Amendment (H.J. Res 56) as drafted by Rep. Musgrave of Colorado. Here's the text of that amendment:

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. J. RES. 56 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 21, 2003 Mrs. MUSGRAVE (for herself, Mr. HALL, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, and Mr. VITTER) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage .

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

"Article --

"SECTION 1. Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups." (emphasis mine)

You can argue about legal wiggle-room if you want, but an amendment worded in such a manner would have thrown into jeopardy civil union and domestic partnership legislation in a number of states, Vermont and California included. In short, Bush supported a bill that would have ruled state civil union laws unconstitutional.

But now he suddenly supports civil unions?

*does hand motion* FLIP-FLOP! FLIP-FLOP!

Remember, John Kerry will say anything to get elected!