9:37 p.m.: "I can't imagine a state banning contraception," Romney said, asking about Santorum's policy of giving states the right to ban contraceptives. "We could ask our constitutionalist. (looks at Ron Paul, to laughs) I believe the law of the land is as spoken by the Supreme Court, and if we disagree as I have before on a few issues...we have an amendment process. We should have a federal mandate that marriage is between a man and a woman."
9:40 p.m.: Ron Paul said the fourth amendment is very clear on the matter. "This is why the Patriot Act is wrong...as far as selling contraceptives, the Interstate Commerce clause has this."
9:42 p.m.: "I sort of agree with Gov. Romney's legal assessment," Santorum said, "I am for overturning Roe v. Wade. I don't think we have the right to take a human life."
9:43 p.m.: "It is a huge jump from being considerate and concerned" to allowing gay marriage, said Gingrich. "Simply deciding it applies everywhere and it's a civil right, it's not."
9:44 p.m.: Huntsman said he supports civil unions and equality under the law. "I believe it brings a level of dignity to relationships," he said, "and states should be able to have this conversation."
9:45 p.m.: "This isn't a federal issue, but a state issue," said Santorum, on same-sex adoption. "I believe marriage itself is a federal issue...and we need to have a singular law on this issue. If we don't have a federal law, I am certainly not going to have a federal law on same-sex adoption if it isn't a federal issue." He went on to say if the constitution is between a man and a woman, gay couples "would not be married."
9:47 p.m.: "That's a wonderful thing to do," Romney said, about gay couples, "but they don't have to call it marriage. There can be domestic partnership benefits or contractual relationships. But to say marriage is anything different than between a man and a woman is a mistake. Not that we want to discriminate against anyone...the nation would be better off if children are raised in a place where there is a male and a female."
9:48 p.m.: "I just want to raise an issue about media bias," Gingrich interrupted. "There is a lot more anti-Christian bigotry going on in the news media today than there is about these issues."
9:50 p.m.: Romney said he agreed with Gingrich, having seen increased scrutiny on Catholic charities placing children for adoption in Massachusetts. "Three-thousand years of human history shouldn't be discarded," he said.
9:51 p.m.: "I essentially have, because I don't like absolutes," Paul said, about running as a third-party candidate. "But, I don't know why someone can't reserve a judgement and see how things turn out. I'd like to see changes where they talk a little different about foreign policy... we haven't talked even one minute about cutting spending." Paul said he wants to cut $1 trillion in his first year as president, should he win. "Catching up to Mitt every single day!"
9:52 p.m.: "I am for a constitutional amendment that marriage is between a man and a woman, but this administration's war on religion is a problem," Perry said.
--Brandon De Hoyos, Guide to IM
Comments
My daughter was married by her husband-to-be’s mom after she got a $35 internet ordination. My son was married by a judge in a courthouse. What is this with Newt saying it is a sacrament? We’re talking civil marriage here. Churches will continue to decide what couples they wish to marry, like they always have.
A true conservative would realize that forcing gay couples into cohabitation, with the many heterosexuals already choosing that, makes the example of love, romance and sex flourishing entirely outside of marriage, increasingly fashionable. They should worry less about the example of gays marrying than the example gays are already setting by not marrying. Gay couples want what all loving committed couples want. And don’t they realize they are forcing children in gay households to have unmarried parents!!! That’s a great lesson for them to learn. It is these conservatives who will wonder someday why they undermined marriage in an effort to keep homosexuals out.