When asked to comment on the hundreds of same-sex marriages being performed in San Francisco, President Bush had the following response, reports the Washington Post:
"I strongly believe that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman," Bush said. "I am troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage. I have watched carefully what's happened in San Francisco, where licenses were being issued even though the law states otherwise. I have consistently stated that if -- I'll support law to protect marriage between a man and a woman. And obviously, these events are influencing my decision."
But, of course, in San Francisco it's the top elected official,
Mayor Gavin Newsom, who ordered that the city begin issuing
gender-neutral marriage licenses, not "activist judges." And the
proposed Federal Marriage Amendment would, it's believed, nullify
state marriage and domestic partner laws passed by legislatures and
signed by governors (by prohibiting courts from enforcing these
laws). So it's marriage opponents who are seeking to limit
both states rights and the democratic process in these
circumstances.