Right Threatens Bush Over Marriage Ban

January 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC — A coalition of the nation's largest right wing pro-family organizations is reportedly threatening to stall the White House's plans for Social Security reform unless the President becomes more active in the push for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

The Arlington Group, in a letter to Carl Rove obtained by The New York Times, says that conservatives are angry that President Bush has placed Social Security reform ahead of the proposed amendment on its 'to do' list for Congress.

The letter, according to The Times, points out that many social conservatives voted for Bush because of his stance on same-sex marriage and reminds Rove that the President will need all the support he can muster to pass Social Security legislation.

We couldn't help but notice the contrast between how the president is approaching the difficult issue of Social Security privatization where the public is deeply divided and the marriage issue where public opinion is overwhelmingly on his side, the letter said.

Is he prepared to spend significant political capital on privatization but reluctant to devote the same energy to preserving traditional marriage? If so it would create outrage with countless voters who stood with him just a few weeks ago, including an unprecedented number of African-Americans, Latinos and Catholics who broke with tradition and supported the president solely because of this issue.

The letter also criticizes the President for telling the Washington Post that he does not think an anti-gay marriage amendment can pass the Senate.

But, within hours of the Post hitting newsstands the White House was denying the President had thrown in the towel on the amendment.

Nevertheless, the Arlington Group is not satisfied, noting that in his interview with the Post, He even declined to answer a simple question about whether he would use his bully pulpit to overcome this Senate foot-dragging.

The group calls for Bush to appoint a top level White House official to coordinate opposition to same-sex marriage, as a show of commitment.