Clinton Berates Bush Gay Marriage Stand

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Clinton Berates Bush Gay Marriage Stand

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

June 6 2006 - 1:00 pm ET

(New York City) New York Senator Hillary Clinton, widely thought to be preparing for a 2008 White House run, lashed out Republicans for pushing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Debate on the proposed amendment enters a second day today in the Senate.

At a fundraising event Tuesday Sen. Clinton said the move is the work of the "political machine of the White House and the Republican majority."

She said that New Yorkers have more pressing concerns. "[They] worry about everything from terrorism to gas prices to the cost of health care to energy independence."

But in her speech she stayed clear of discussing her position on gay marriage.

Clinton came under fire earlier this year from the head of New York State's largest LGBT civil rights group.

In a confidential memo to the board members of Empire State Pride Agenda, executive director Alan Van Capelle called for an end to financial support by gays of Clinton's re-election campaign because of her refusal to support same-sex marriage. (story)

A copy of the memo was obtained by a New York blogger and distributed on the internet. Van Capelle did not deny making the comment, but has stressed it was an unofficial remark and did not necessarily represent the organization.

In the memo Van Capelle said despite his disappointment with Sen. Clinton he still intended to vote for her in November.

Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton, who signed the federal defense of marriage act which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage told an audience in Maine Monday night that he opposed amending the Constitution.

Clinton, speaking at rally to raise money for Democratic Gov. John E. Baldacci's re-election campaign, stressed that he continues to believe that "the union of a man and woman in marriage is the most enduring and important human institution" but Republicans "see nothing wrong with coming up with divisive issues to try and take people's minds off what's really going on in America."

"This is a debate about amending the Constitution on gay marriage when only one court in the country has legitimized it and the voters in Massachusetts may reverse it. So it's hardly a flaming issue," the former President said.

©365Gay.com 2006

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