even more arguments about keeping children away from "the gays." again.
Struggling to convince GOP voters of his conservative credentials, Bill McCollum said he not only backs Florida's gay adoption ban - he also favors stopping gay people from being foster parents.
In an interview published on Monday, the GOP gubernatorial candidate told the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper that "it would be advisable" to change the state's law that currently permits homosexuals to act as foster parents.
"I really do not think that we should have homosexuals guiding our children," McCollum went on to say. "It's not a natural thing. You need a mother and a father. You need a man and a woman. That's what God intended."
During an appearance in Tampa on Monday, McCollum told reporters that it's inconsistent to allow homosexuals to be foster parents when they are banned from adopting.
"I don't think that is the right kid of parenting," he said, responding to a question about gay foster parents.
He refined his position on changing the law, however. Making it consistent, he said, will depend on whether the courts uphold Florida's gay adoption ban. "We're going to find out a whole more about it when we resolve this issue and get the constitutional questions resolved," said McCollum, who expects the case to reach the state Supreme Court.
As state attorney general, McCollum is defending the state's controversial gay adoption ban, the only one of its kind in the nation.
His defense became equally controversial when an alternative Miami newspaper reported in May that a male expert witness hired by the state to testify about the dangers of gay adoption had hired a male prostitute.
The episode wasn't the first time that gay issues had created headaches for McCollum. In 2004, when he was running for U.S. Senate against Mel Martinez, social conservatives lambasted McCollum for supporting hate crimes protections for homosexuals.
It has taken time for McCollum to heal the rift, culminating in endorsements this year from key conservative groups like the Florida Family Policy Council.
But McCollum continues to battle attacks by Rick Scott, McCollum's primary opponent who has accused him of being more liberal. A poll released by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute on July 29 showed that more GOP primary voters think that Scott is more conservative.
Scott, also told the Florida Baptist Witness that he opposes gay adoption and does not personally think gay people should be foster parents. He stopped short, however, of saying that the law should be changed.
"Step one is, let's focus on making sure that we improve our adoption laws so that we have more children adopted by couples," Scott told the religious conservative newspaper. "I don't believe that foster care should be done by single-sex couples. But my first focus would be on trying to improve our adoption so that we don't have that same issue."
His campaign did not respond to a request for further comment.
Aubrey Jewett, political scientist at the University of Central Florida, said McCollum's statement on the issue bespeaks his poor showing in recent polls. "He's searching for anything he can find to try to rally conservative Republicans who are going to turn out for this primary."
If McCollum wins the primary, such statements could give presumptive Democratic nominee Alex Sink an opportunity to bill herself as the more moderate choice, Jewett said. But overall, the risk is small.
"It seems like a pretty extreme position, and a lot of Florida voters probably wouldn't agree, but in this particular election cycle, it's somewhat of a peripheral issue," he said. "The economy is going to be dominant."
McCollum's comments alarmed Christina Spudeas, director of the Florida's Children First advocacy group.
"Everyone involved in the system knows that it's an ongoing need to consistently recruit good people to be foster parents," she said. "There are, currently, people around the state of Florida that are foster parents, to my knowledge, that are gay … and they are providing a home that's loving and supportive for children. It would be, to us, a problem if one child was removed, or didn't have the ability to have that kind of home."
John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family Policy Council, called gay foster parenting a "bad policy" and "not in the child's best interest."
"When there are gays involved, no one asks what's best for the children," said Stemberger, who led the successful campaign in 2008 to ban gay marriage in Florida.
But he distinguishes, he said, between adoption and foster parenting, since the latter is meant to be a temporary or transitional arrangement. Until there are enough heterosexual foster parents available, he said gay foster parents fill an important need.
"When that gap is closed, it would make sense to [change the law] because that will be in children's best interest."
Source: Tampa Bay Online
I saw something this in my local paper tonight at work, and had to find it to post here as soon as I got home. I don't feel fully capable of commenting on this, I'm too upset about it right now. Thoughts?
In an interview published on Monday, the GOP gubernatorial candidate told the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper that "it would be advisable" to change the state's law that currently permits homosexuals to act as foster parents.
"I really do not think that we should have homosexuals guiding our children," McCollum went on to say. "It's not a natural thing. You need a mother and a father. You need a man and a woman. That's what God intended."
During an appearance in Tampa on Monday, McCollum told reporters that it's inconsistent to allow homosexuals to be foster parents when they are banned from adopting.
"I don't think that is the right kid of parenting," he said, responding to a question about gay foster parents.
He refined his position on changing the law, however. Making it consistent, he said, will depend on whether the courts uphold Florida's gay adoption ban. "We're going to find out a whole more about it when we resolve this issue and get the constitutional questions resolved," said McCollum, who expects the case to reach the state Supreme Court.
As state attorney general, McCollum is defending the state's controversial gay adoption ban, the only one of its kind in the nation.
His defense became equally controversial when an alternative Miami newspaper reported in May that a male expert witness hired by the state to testify about the dangers of gay adoption had hired a male prostitute.
The episode wasn't the first time that gay issues had created headaches for McCollum. In 2004, when he was running for U.S. Senate against Mel Martinez, social conservatives lambasted McCollum for supporting hate crimes protections for homosexuals.
It has taken time for McCollum to heal the rift, culminating in endorsements this year from key conservative groups like the Florida Family Policy Council.
But McCollum continues to battle attacks by Rick Scott, McCollum's primary opponent who has accused him of being more liberal. A poll released by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute on July 29 showed that more GOP primary voters think that Scott is more conservative.
Scott, also told the Florida Baptist Witness that he opposes gay adoption and does not personally think gay people should be foster parents. He stopped short, however, of saying that the law should be changed.
"Step one is, let's focus on making sure that we improve our adoption laws so that we have more children adopted by couples," Scott told the religious conservative newspaper. "I don't believe that foster care should be done by single-sex couples. But my first focus would be on trying to improve our adoption so that we don't have that same issue."
His campaign did not respond to a request for further comment.
Aubrey Jewett, political scientist at the University of Central Florida, said McCollum's statement on the issue bespeaks his poor showing in recent polls. "He's searching for anything he can find to try to rally conservative Republicans who are going to turn out for this primary."
If McCollum wins the primary, such statements could give presumptive Democratic nominee Alex Sink an opportunity to bill herself as the more moderate choice, Jewett said. But overall, the risk is small.
"It seems like a pretty extreme position, and a lot of Florida voters probably wouldn't agree, but in this particular election cycle, it's somewhat of a peripheral issue," he said. "The economy is going to be dominant."
McCollum's comments alarmed Christina Spudeas, director of the Florida's Children First advocacy group.
"Everyone involved in the system knows that it's an ongoing need to consistently recruit good people to be foster parents," she said. "There are, currently, people around the state of Florida that are foster parents, to my knowledge, that are gay … and they are providing a home that's loving and supportive for children. It would be, to us, a problem if one child was removed, or didn't have the ability to have that kind of home."
John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family Policy Council, called gay foster parenting a "bad policy" and "not in the child's best interest."
"When there are gays involved, no one asks what's best for the children," said Stemberger, who led the successful campaign in 2008 to ban gay marriage in Florida.
But he distinguishes, he said, between adoption and foster parenting, since the latter is meant to be a temporary or transitional arrangement. Until there are enough heterosexual foster parents available, he said gay foster parents fill an important need.
"When that gap is closed, it would make sense to [change the law] because that will be in children's best interest."
Source: Tampa Bay Online
I saw something this in my local paper tonight at work, and had to find it to post here as soon as I got home. I don't feel fully capable of commenting on this, I'm too upset about it right now. Thoughts?