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Palin Differs With McCain on Federal Marriage Amendment

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October 20, 2008 9:14 AM

ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin has signaled support for a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as between a man and woman – a position inconsistent with Sen. John McCain, who has opposed such a measure, as well as with her own previously stated position of letting states decide on such issues.

In an interview to air tomorrow on The 700 Club, Christian Broadcasting News senior correspondent David Brody asked Palin, "On constitutional marriage amendment, are, are you for something like that?"

"I am, in my own, state, I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman," Palin said, citing the 1998 initiative that banned gay marriage in her home state.

"I wish on a federal level that that's where we would go because I don't support gay marriage," Palin added, taking a position at odds with McCain, who voted against efforts for a proposed Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006. Earlier this month, McCain told the Washington Blade, a gay newspaper, that he continues to oppose such an amendment today because he thinks the definition of marriage should be a state matter and not one for the federal government "as long as no state is forced to adopt some other state's standard."

While Palin's position differs from McCain's, it is also seemingly at odds with statements she has made calling herself a "federalist" who supports letting individual states decide on such matters.

When asked last month by CBS' Katie Couric why she considered Roe v. Wade a bad decision, Palin said she believed states and not the federal government should decide the legality of the issue.

"I think it should be a states' issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I'm, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas," Palin said. "And I believe that individual states can best handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in an issue like that."

McCain, who often calls himself a "federalist," has tied together his opposition to Roe v. Wade as well as a Federal Marriage Amendment as consistent with the position of letting states make such decisions.

"I'm a federalist. Just as I believe that the issue of gay marriage should be decided by the states, so do I believe that we would be better off by having Roe v. Wade return to the states," McCain said in an interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos in November 2006. "And I don't believe the Supreme Court should be legislating in the way that they did on Roe v. Wade."

As she has said in previous interviews, Palin told CBN’s Brody that she would not "judge" gay individuals, but said that she will continue "casting my votes and speaking up for traditional marriage."

"I'm not going to be out there judging individuals, sitting in a seat of judgment telling what they can and can't do, should and should not do," Palin told Brody. "But I certainly can express my own opinion here and take actions that I believe would be best for traditional marriage, and that's casting my votes and speaking up for traditional marriage that, that instrument that it's the foundation of our society is that strong family and that's based on that traditional definition of marriage, so I do support that."

October 20, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (424)

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This is only the beginning of S.Palin. If they get in you will see her pushing for more and more of her beliefs no matter what McCain thinks. He has opened Pandora's box with her as she still says she will get him to change his mind on Amwar drilling. Who knows what else she will try to change his mind. And, will her husband be attending all the meetings she does as he does in Alaska? Security ones and all? For someone who professes such love of country...how come her husband belongs to a group who wants to annex Alaska. She also attended these meetings so I question McCain's judgement on this v.p. selection.

Posted by: Pat Napolitano Marietta. Ga. | Oct 20, 2008 9:21:30 AM

Did anyone see the video and the story about John Stewart telling Palin to %$&# off? or Madonna telling her concert crowd that she would beat up Palin? Or Sandra Bernhard telling an audience that her black male friends would rape Palin? Oh that's right, the alleged incitement of hate is only reported on when it comes from people on the right!

Posted by: Olivia | Oct 20, 2008 9:29:48 AM

whacko right wing

took the party away from it's fiscal and economic health center.

get this virus out of the party...

she is a direct result of our lack of education run amock.

Posted by: dl | Oct 20, 2008 9:36:04 AM

Olivia

there are klan meetings and groups who think rape is a good thing too

the difference is moron... they are not chanting the stuff at a Presidential political rally

and if they are ...one side calls them on it and tells them to stop

Palin smiles and has a twinkle in her eye that her plan is working.

disgusting

throw these bums out!

Posted by: dl | Oct 20, 2008 9:39:08 AM

She keeps this up I may have to vote for putrid McCain over cesspool Obama. Boy, gotta love that Democracy! And this is the system were slaughtering people worldwide to impose???

Posted by: hmn | Oct 20, 2008 9:43:43 AM

REPUBLICANS KILL ME THEY SAY NO BIG GOVERMENT! BUT GETTING ALL THEY WANT TO TELL A WOMAN WHAT SHE CAN DO WITH HER PERSONAL CHOICES, THEY WANT TO TELL PEOPLE WHO THEY CAN LOVE AND MARRY REPUBLICANS WANT TO CONTROL PEOPLE! KEEP GOVERMENT OUT OF PEOPLES PERSONAL PRIVATE AFFAIRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: ANGIE | Oct 20, 2008 9:44:24 AM

Palin is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Far Right she stinks! thats why Moderate Republicans as well as Independents dont support her, She is More to the Right then Bush she really is a religious far right NUT JOB!

Posted by: ANGIE | Oct 20, 2008 9:46:27 AM

After November 4th, when she goes back to Alaska, and he goes back to Arizona... will it matter that they don't agree on things?

Posted by: Deep Release | Oct 20, 2008 9:47:09 AM

Olivia....Those sick remarks came from individuals who have no official ties with the Obama campaign and don't deserve the media coverage that a campaigne rally deserves. We expect such remarks from those people. That being the case, both Palin and McCain had opportunities to correct the behavior of people at their rallys and failed to do so. In contrast, when folks at an Obama rally started to "boo" McCain, Obam said "Now, now...we don't need any of that. We just need to vote." That's what a leader is supposed to do.

Posted by: Low | Oct 20, 2008 9:48:32 AM

McCain + Palin = VERY ERRATIC!

Posted by: Howard Gallas | Oct 20, 2008 9:57:07 AM

to Pat Napolitano Marietta. Ga.,

KNOW YOUR CONSTITUTION: TO OVERTHROW ROE VS WADE.... IT WOULD TAKE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. THAT WOULD TAKE DECADES AND WILL NEVER HAPPEN.......PALIN'S OPINION IS HER OWN PERSONAL OPINION OR IN YOUR SOCIALISTS DREAM WORLD IS THAT NO LONGER ALLOWED???? WILL WE ALL HAVE TO START DRESSING THE SAME TOO LIKE IN CHINA?

You have got to stop reading Liberal propaganda web sites. Todd Palin belong BRIEFLY TO THE GROUP YOU MENTIONED AS MANY INDIGENOUS TRIBE PEOPLE FROM ALASKA DO. Its sort of like the American Plain Indians having their own reservations. It represented tribal pride. He was a member for a little over a year until he decided the group was too politically extreme and he quit. His wife, Gov. Palin NEVER BELONG TO THE GROUP, and if she attended a meeting to see what is was about isn't that what you should do? ........check out www.factcheck.org and learn something.
I see you have no issue with Obama's DALIANCES WITH THE FAR EXTREME LEFT? BILL AYRES WAS UNREPENTED WHEN HE HAND SELECTED AND WORKED WITH OBAMA ON TWO COMMITTEES. OBAMA WAS IN HIS LATE 30'S AND NOT 8 YEARS OLD THEN !!Or how about his working for a long time with ACORN. Training their legends of fake voter registras??? ACORN picketed banks into making fake loans to unstable applicants and see where that got us??? OBAMA like DOWD made out like a rat with kick back money given to him and he inturn gave nearly $800,000 to an ACORN side group from his campaign money donated in under $200 amounts( this skirts the naming law) by ARAB extremeist groups to his fake "election". HOW ABOUT THAT BLACK NATIONALIST, ANTI-WHITE, ANTI-AMERICAN PREACHER HE ATTENDED CHURCH WITH FOR 2O YEARS ???(IT DIDN'T TAKE THE PALIN'S 20 YEARS TO FIGURE OUT THE ALASKAN SEPARATISTS GROUP WAS A BAD IDEA.) THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST HE IS MARRIED TO AN OUT AND OUT BLACK PANTHER WANNA BE, WHO BELIEVES IN REPERATIONS AND BLACK SUPREMISTS IDEALOLGY.

YOU CANNOT SEE THE FOREST FOR YOUR BIAS TREES. OBAMA is merely the head of the snake. He is a plant operated by very anti-American dark forces back by Socialists and Communists and the ill informed like you who vote on "feelings" rather than facts can only take their bait fed to you about Palin. Shame on you for being so gullable and willing to overthrow your own country !!! Shame on you for being so stupid.

Posted by: b. | Oct 20, 2008 9:59:35 AM

Note to the McCain Campaign:

Give this lady an ear implant so someone can speak for her and keep her on message.

PLEASE.

Posted by: Omentum | Oct 20, 2008 10:03:33 AM

Palin differs with McCain on a lot of issues. That must be ticking gramps off a lot about now. She is so outspoken about it and saying "if it were my campaign, I would run it differently."

The worst is that she keeps agreeing with Obama on foreign policy, oopsy.

Posted by: Funny | Oct 20, 2008 10:04:55 AM

She called herself a Federalist because her handlers told her to call herself that. Then she promptly forgot about it.

Posted by: helloworld | Oct 20, 2008 10:07:43 AM

What this shows is that Sarah Palin is not a puppet on a string.

This type of a thing is actually good for America, reguardless of what liberals want you to think.

Posted by: One Nation Under God | Oct 20, 2008 10:09:50 AM

ok, why is this a problem, this is her opinion and she is sticking to it, but she will not let it affect her governing, that is with most individuals in politics, they have their own personal beliefs but they don't let that get in the way of governing. Just like the Abortion issue. I'm sure that there are many Dems that hate the idea of Abortion, but they don't think that they have the right to judge those that have to make the decision. You people are always looking for something to malign this Lady. I prefer to have a VP that is not a yes man, than to have one that agrees with everything the President believes in even if he doesn't.

Posted by: Kim | Oct 20, 2008 10:10:26 AM

Palin is the best example of the Howard Stern poll against Obama. It's clear that Palin does not know where her running-mate (McCain) stands on issues. LOL

Posted by: Your Guide | Oct 20, 2008 10:10:35 AM

State level for abortion, Federal level for gay marriage.

If Abortion were at the state level, she'd be pushing it to be at the Federal level, just as she's pushing gay marriage. If abortion were illegal at the Federal level she's be saying it's a perfectly fine law.

Her rule for being American is being just like her. No equality needed, we just all need to be alike with the same bias values.

She's just pandering to get the religious vote to get out and vote... giving them something to go into their polling booths, so the Republican's have chance.

I'm beginning to believe voting folks in office and voting in law changes should be done at different times. This would keep folks like Palin on track.

Posted by: whymelord | Oct 20, 2008 10:10:38 AM

Palin, the "maverick", loves to kick everyone's butt except her own.

As a "federalist", she loves to see states decide on women's right of abortion but not gay marriage.

There is definitely some consistency in her inconsistent positions, don't you think?

Posted by: teddymaniac | Oct 20, 2008 10:11:48 AM

Based on her "intellectual" justification of her positions, she is an idiot.

Posted by: Mr. Coffee | Oct 20, 2008 10:12:14 AM

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