Gingrich says Washington state enacting gay marriage 'the right way'
Olympia, Washington (CNN) - GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, an opponent of gay marriage, defended Friday the democratic process by which states are pursuing same-sex marriage legislation.
The Republican presidential candidate and former House speaker is campaigning in Washington state where a same-sex marriage bill was recently passed. The state holds a presidential caucus March 3.
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"I think at least they're doing it the right way, which is going through voters, giving them a chance to vote and not having a handful of judges arbitrarily impose their will," Gingrich told reporters after meeting with Washington's House Republican Caucus at the state capitol.
Gingrich is a fierce critic of courts that rule on same-sex marriage, which he says oversteps courts' constitutional authority. The former House speaker has said he believes same-sex marriage legislation should be stopped by referendum.
"I don't agree with it. I would vote no if it were on a referendum where I was. But at least they're doing it the right way," Gingrich said.
In Washington the marriage bill was signed into law by the governor last week and could take effect in June, but Republicans have vowed to try to halt its implementation by putting it up for a vote in November. Opponents need to collect at least 120,000 signatures to get it on the ballot.
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Unfortunately for Newt, more and more people are supporting equal rights for LGBT's.
Newt will start eating his words pretty soon...not that this is anything new for him.
Only Republicans would advocate that civil liberties should EVER be determined by a polular majority. I guess it goes along with their inherent desire and legacy to oppress minorities of all kinds.
He didn't oppose some "handful of judges" determining W's presidential victory! Hypocrisy is his middle name.
This statement coming from a guy who's been married three times.
The right way ?
I will call him A big lair!!!!
How about Laws banning infedility, concubunes, and open marriage, Newt? How will that work for you, you family values advocate? What a hypocrisy?
I wish this. fat pig would go back and roll in the mud and eat some more slop!!! What a clown!!!
What a pompous nut-job. He criticizes the President for apologizing about burning a holy book. The President is trying to safe military lives, and Gingrich makes it about honor. He's say anything to get elected, as long as his wife is young and pretty enough to be a First Lady.
I thought for a second Gingrich had said something sensible. NOT! people don't need to be able to vote on other people's basic human rights! too many of us are willing to vote away rights of people we don't like or consider lesser beings. this is the very reason we have courts, to say no, you're wrong when you deny your fellow citizens equality. a majority wanting something doesn't make it right. a majority once wanted slavery but that didn't make it right. eventually, the old bigots will die off leaving us a more enlightened country. until then, it's the job of the courts to guarantee every American has the same basic rights. it's a shame we're even having this discussion. equality should be a given, not something poeple have to fight for! and to all you 'good christians' out there, if God was going to judge anyone, i imagine He'd judge people far more harshly for who they hate than for who they love!
And who should know the difference between right and wrong better? The question is: Would he select the right one for you, or just the right one for him? Qui-Bono.
If the majority says yes!! that's Democracy at work but not when activist judge shoves his own narrow minded view on peoples throats like what happened in California.
â–ºGingrich says Washington state enacting gay marriage 'the right way'
And if the voters get it RIGHT the Grinch would still criticize all day
The candidates know how to FLIP just to sound good for the state in question
And once they are no longer trying to win a state, they FLOP and go into regression!!
I notice that ginGRINCH has a way to adapt to wherever he stands; he has the disease more than the other candidates.
Obama 2012!
Finally, as a Canadian viewer, I am forced to speak on the continuing spectacle of the 4 dreadful men who command your non-stop attention!! I am truly sick of seeing their faces and wonder why so much media time is given to an internal campaign for leadership of a political party. Calling it a "Presidential Debate" is quite erroneous as none of them is directly running for President. I am appalled at the money that pours in to the coffers of these people who are so out of touch with the real world of the US where I understand 45 million or so people have no health coverage and many millions live in abject poverty. When this is all over I plan to return to watching CNN but in the meantime I will leave you and find another source of news........
"I think at least they're doing it the right way, which is going through voters, giving them a chance to vote and not having a handful of judges arbitrarily impose their will." Wonder how that would play to the masses if we were talking about civil rights for african-americans? It was a "handful of judges arbitrarily impos[ing] their will" who decided african-americans could drink from any fountain, sit anywhere on a bus, eat at any restaurant, sleep in any motel, attend any school, etc.
Who is Newtie Mac to make any comments on marriage? He's not only opposed to gay marriage, he is obviously opposed to keep any fidelity vows in straight marriage.
Plain Idiot from Reagan Junk....Next.,
Like many in his GOBP deathcult, Newt refuses to acknowledge why civil rights are not, and should not be, determined by majority votes. As a "historian" however, is it too much to ask him to be at least slightly more informed on this subject than the rest of the rightwing extremists in his party?