"Yesterday, in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage," Bush said while fund-raising. Republicans, he said, "believe values are important, and we believe marriage is a fundamental institution of civilization."
Bush held up the decision as an example of what could happen nationwide if Democrats retake control of Congress in crucial midterm elections.
Democrats would "redefine marriage" if they become the majority party. Such an agenda "doesn't reflect the priorities or values that the majority of Americans expect."
GOP Seizes On N.J. Ruling To Rally Religious Conservatives
Presses Voters To Back Bans On Same-Sex Nuptials
WASHINGTON -- President Bush and Republican Party activists yesterday seized on the New Jersey Supreme Court's ruling in favor of equal rights for same-sex couples as motivation for religious conservatives to vote for their candidates on Nov. 7 -- and to back initiatives banning gay marriage, which are on ballots in eight states.
Bush, campaigning for a congressional candidate in Iowa, held up the decision as an example of what could happen nationwide if Democrats retake control of Congress in crucial midterm elections in 11 days. Public opinion polls indicate that the Democrats are close to that goal.
"Yesterday, in New Jersey, we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage," Bush said while fund-raising. Republicans, he said, "believe values are important, and we believe marriage is a fundamental institution of civilization."
On Wednesday, New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled that gay couples are entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals, a decision that could pave the way for same-sex marriages in the state.
Some analysts contend that the decision could prompt a Republican backlash and push conservative voter turnout, which is critical to GOP prospects. While opinion polls have indicated that loyal Republican voters are disillusioned this year, most oppose same-sex marriage, and the issue might help motivate them.
But other analysts doubted that the heated gay marriage debate can trump other issues -- like the Iraq war, the economy, and political scandals -- that have turned public opinion against the GOP.
"I don't think it is on voters' minds as much as it was in 2004," when Massachusetts became the first in the nation to rule in favor of same-sex marriage, said Joe Solomese , president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights group in Washington. "There are other things on voter's minds, such as Iraq."
Nevertheless, GOP officials and evangelical Christian groups used the New Jersey decision to try to energize their supporters.
In Indiana, one of the eight states with a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot this year, Republican lawmakers promised to pass a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage if they maintain control of the state Legislature. Republicans running for the US House of Representatives in the Hoosier State could get a boost from any backlash to the New Jersey ruling, according to Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report in Washington.
"Indiana has three of the most vulnerable House seats in the country," he said. "There is a need for the Republican incumbents to energize and consolidate the GOP base."
Representative Mike Pence , an Indiana Republican and a strong conservative, warned yesterday that Democrats would "redefine marriage" if they become the majority party. Such an agenda "doesn't reflect the priorities or values that the majority of Americans expect," Pence said in a statement.
One senior GOP official predicted that new political ads raising gay marriage as a campaign issue could influence some hotly-contested Senate races, convincing voters that Democrats want more left-leaning federal judges who agree with the New Jersey court. Polls suggest that most Americans do not favor same-sex marriage.
In Pennsylvania, where Rick Santorum , a conservative Republican, is struggling to keep his Senate seat, the Pennsylvania Family Institute mailed fliers to potential voters, warning that "homosexual legal activists in Pennsylvania and elsewhere will make good on their agenda to exploit rulings like New Jersey's to force homosexual marriages or marriage benefits on our commonwealth."
And the Cornerstone Institute, a conservative political interest group in Idaho, declared that "activist judges" on New Jersey's high court "have chosen to throw the Constitution out on its ear" with their ruling. Unless Idahoans approve a state ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage, the group warned, their state could be next.
"If you ever wonder if it really is necessary to secure the definition of natural marriage in Idaho's Constitution, just look to New Jersey," the group told its supporters.
Bender can be reached at bender@globe.com.
This report included material from the Associated Press.
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