Gee, ya think?
Date: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:50 pm ((PDT))
NEW YORK - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says she
supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a break with
John McCain who has said he believes states should be left to define
what marriage is. In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network,
the Alaska governor said she had voted in 1998 for a state amendment
banning same sex marriage and hoped to see a federal ban on such unions.
"I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the
opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as
between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that's where
we would go. I don't support gay marriage," Palin said. She said she
believed traditional marriage is the foundation for strong families.
McCain, an Arizona senator, is supporting a ballot initiative in his
state this year that would ban gay marriage. But he has consistently
and forcefully opposed a federal marriage amendment, saying it would
usurp states' authority on such matters.
As governor, Palin vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to
the partners of gay state employees. In a debate with Democratic rival
Joe Biden, Palin said she was "tolerant" of gays and said she
supported certain legal protections for same-sex couples, like
hospital visitation rights.
In the CBN interview, Palin also said she would speak out if she heard
a supporter at a rally yell violent or threatening comments about
Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee.
"What we have heard through some mainstream media is that folks have
hollered out some atrocious and unacceptable things like 'kill him,'"
Palin said, referring to a Washington Post story two weeks ago about
angry supporters at a Palin rally in Florida. "If I ever were to hear
that standing up there at the podium with the mike, I would call them
out on that, and I would tell these people, no, that's unacceptable."
CBN released excerpts of the interview Monday and planned to broadcast
it in its entirety Tuesday.
Palin also claimed religion and God had been "mocked" during the
campaign, although she offered no evidence to support that.
"Faith in God in general has been mocked through this campaign, and
that breaks my heart and that is unfair for others who share a faith
in God and choose to worship our Lord in whatever private manner that
they deem fit," she said.
Palin is a conservative Christian who was baptized and grew up
attending Pentecostal churches. In September, Obama defended Palin's
religious beliefs and said it would be "offensive" to portray her
faith as strange or wrong.
Palin also reaffirmed her view that Obama had been "palling around
with terrorists" because of his association with Bill Ayers, a
1960s-era radical who helped found the violent Weather Underground
group to protest the Vietnam war. The group was responsible for
bombings of several government buildings.
"I would say it again," she said.
Ayers and Obama live in the same Chicago neighborhood and have served
together on charity boards. Ayers also hosted a house party for Obama
when he was first running for the Illinois state Senate.
NEW YORK - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says she
supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a break with
John McCain who has said he believes states should be left to define
what marriage is. In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network,
the Alaska governor said she had voted in 1998 for a state amendment
banning same sex marriage and hoped to see a federal ban on such unions.
"I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the
opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as
between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that's where
we would go. I don't support gay marriage," Palin said. She said she
believed traditional marriage is the foundation for strong families.
McCain, an Arizona senator, is supporting a ballot initiative in his
state this year that would ban gay marriage. But he has consistently
and forcefully opposed a federal marriage amendment, saying it would
usurp states' authority on such matters.
As governor, Palin vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to
the partners of gay state employees. In a debate with Democratic rival
Joe Biden, Palin said she was "tolerant" of gays and said she
supported certain legal protections for same-sex couples, like
hospital visitation rights.
In the CBN interview, Palin also said she would speak out if she heard
a supporter at a rally yell violent or threatening comments about
Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee.
"What we have heard through some mainstream media is that folks have
hollered out some atrocious and unacceptable things like 'kill him,'"
Palin said, referring to a Washington Post story two weeks ago about
angry supporters at a Palin rally in Florida. "If I ever were to hear
that standing up there at the podium with the mike, I would call them
out on that, and I would tell these people, no, that's unacceptable."
CBN released excerpts of the interview Monday and planned to broadcast
it in its entirety Tuesday.
Palin also claimed religion and God had been "mocked" during the
campaign, although she offered no evidence to support that.
"Faith in God in general has been mocked through this campaign, and
that breaks my heart and that is unfair for others who share a faith
in God and choose to worship our Lord in whatever private manner that
they deem fit," she said.
Palin is a conservative Christian who was baptized and grew up
attending Pentecostal churches. In September, Obama defended Palin's
religious beliefs and said it would be "offensive" to portray her
faith as strange or wrong.
Palin also reaffirmed her view that Obama had been "palling around
with terrorists" because of his association with Bill Ayers, a
1960s-era radical who helped found the violent Weather Underground
group to protest the Vietnam war. The group was responsible for
bombings of several government buildings.
"I would say it again," she said.
Ayers and Obama live in the same Chicago neighborhood and have served
together on charity boards. Ayers also hosted a house party for Obama
when he was first running for the Illinois state Senate.