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Bush says gay marriages not the will of the people

"I strongly believe that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman. I am troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage."

US President George W. Bush

US President George W. Bush said on Wednesday he was troubled San Francisco was issuing marriage licenses to gays and lesbians "even though the law states otherwise" and moved closer to endorsing a constitutional ban sought by many of his conservative backers.

Same-sex marriage has become a hot-button issue in this presidential election year, with opponents saying it would destroy the institution of marriage. Bush's stance could help him energize his conservative base before the November vote.

"I'm troubled by what I've seen," Bush told reporters in his first public comments on the flood of City Hall weddings that have made San Francisco the focus of the gay marriage movement.

"I have consistently stated that I'll support [a] law to protect marriage between a man and a woman. And, obviously, these events are influencing my decision," Bush said during a picture-taking session with the president of Tunisia and after meeting with Catholic leaders at the White House.

Congressional backers of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage expect Bush to embrace their legislation soon.

"The time for that leadership is now," the conservative Weekly Standard said in a column.

Amending the Constitution is a difficult task. It can take years to win the support of two-thirds of the House of Representatives, two-thirds of the Senate and ratification by three-quarters of the states.

However, Democrats expect conservatives to push the gay marriage issue intensely in an election year in which jobs, health care and the economy are on voters' minds.

Recent polls show the issue could be a winner for Bush, who has long courted Christian conservatives as a key element of his political base.

According to a recent Zogby International poll, 51 percent of voters want a constitutional amendment passed that recognizes marriage only as union between a man and a woman. More than 60 percent of daily and weekly church-goers support a constitutional amendment.

Bush has yet to formally embrace a constitutional amendment in public, although he has made statements stepping closer to an endorsement, and the president's congressional allies say he is poised to make it formal.

"If necessary, he [Bush] would be prepared to look to the constitutional process because that would be the only alternative available if activist judges continue to redefine marriage," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Bush made his comments one day after a California judge gave the city of San Francisco a green light to keep on issuing marriage licenses to gays and lesbians until late March at least. Conservative family groups had asked two courts to halt the flood of City Hall weddings.

"I strongly believe that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman. I am troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage," Bush said.

"People need to be involved with this decision. Marriage ought to be defined by the people, not by the courts. And watching it carefully," he added.

The White House is also paying close attention to Massachusetts, where legislators are debating what to do after a state court ruling that gay couples have the right to wed.

Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry, a Massachusetts native himself, says he favors civil unions for gays but not the court's marriage ruling. He also says his position is the same as that of Bush's Vice President, Dick Cheney, one of whose daughters is openly gay.

McClellan said Cheney "very much knows the president's views ... They discuss important issues like that."

"The president has always said it's important to treat all people with dignity and respect. But this is an issue of principle. This is an issue that he feels very strongly about," McClellan added.
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