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Four games left in Ducks' season Page 5A
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 107
Bush trying to stop
same-sex marriages
President George W. Bush
is pleding support for a proposal
for a constitutional amendment
to ban gay marriages
By Bob Kemper
Chicago Tribune (KRT)
WASHINGTON — President Bush on
Tuesday called for a constitutional amend
ment to prevent people of the same sex
from marrying, saying homosexual mar
riages threaten "the most fundamental in
stitution of civilization."
Aligning himself with conservative vot
ers as he begins his campaign for re-elec
tion, Bush said growing support for same
sex marriages in Massachusetts, California
and New Mexico is "an aggressive attempt
to redefine marriage" for the nation and
must be halted before it progresses further.
"If we are to prevent the meaning of
marriage from being changed forever, our
nation must enact a constitutional
amendment to protect marriage in Ameri
ca," Bush said at a hastily called appear
ance in the White House's Roosevelt
Room.
"Decisive and democratic action is
needed, because attempts to redefine mar
riage in a single state or city could have se
rious consequences throughout the coun
try," the president said.
A constitutional amendment, already
under consideration in Congress, would
most likely define marriage as a union be
tween a man and a woman. But Bush said
he would leave it to states to determine
whether to legalize same-sex "civil
unions," which provide gay couples with
many of the same legal rights as married
couples.
As a candidate in 2000, Bush declined
to back a marriage amendment, saying
states should be allowed to decide whether
to permit same-sex marriages. But he said
he has grown convinced that marriage is
an institution threatened by a Massachu
setts court ruling legalizing gay marriage
and by the issuing of thousands of mar
riage licenses to same-sex couples in San
Francisco and New Mexico.
"Their actions have created confusion
on an issue that requires clarity," Bush
said.
Conservative groups, which have been
pressuring Bush to show more assertive
leadership in protecting marriage, wel
comed his endorsement. James Dobson,
chairman of Focus on the Family, called
Bush's statement "the linchpin in efforts to
protect marriage in our country."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family
Research Council, said conservatives wel
comed Bush's endorsement but also ex
pected him to put his political clout be
hind the measure.
"Just as the president used the weight of
his office to secure drug benefits for sen
iors and tax cuts for families, we fully ex
pect him to use his influence to preserve
the institution of marriage for the future of
our country," Perkins said.
Democrats and civil libertarians imme
diately assailed Bush's proposal.
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the
leading contender for the Democratic
presidential nomination, issued a state
ment accusing Bush of "toying with the
Constitution for political purposes."
Later, talking with reporters in Ohio,
Kerry was more guarded, taking care not to
alienate voters who oppose legalizing gay
marriage. "I believe, as a matter of belief,
that marriage is between a man and a
woman," Kerry said.
But Kerry said he opposes a constitu
tional amendment that would override
state authority. "The states for 200 years
have had the right to make this decision,
and there is nothing to suggest that they're
Turn to AMENDMENT, page 4A
TEMPESTUOUS TUESDAY
L..... - I
Lauren Wimer Photographer
Tuesday’s weather was a mix of sunshine, rain and clouds. In a break between showers, the Quadrangle near
Chapman Hall reflects the calm before more storms.
Melton appoints students to Con Court
The ASUO Student Senate will review
ASUO President Maddy Melton’s
selections during tonight’s meeting
By Chuck Slothower
News Reporter
ASUO President Maddy Melton appointed
three students to the ASUO Constitution Court
on Tuesday. The appointments give the ASUO
Student Senate a chance to fill the court's three
vacancies, one of which has existed since
Melton took office on May 25.
The Senate, which confirms nominees, plans
to consider the appointments at its 7 p.m.
meeting tonight.
The vacancies had become a point of con
tention between Melton and the court, which
ordered her to appear at a hearing on Feb. 16 to
explain why the vacancies had not been filled.
Melton's appointments met the court's dead
line to fill the longest-vacant position by Tues
day. The appointments should have been made
within 30 days of the positions becoming va
cant, according to the ASUO Constitution.
Melton's move belatedly fulfills her constitu
tionally mandated duty to fill the vacancies.
Melton appointed former ASUO legislative
intern Randy Derrick, former ASUO Elections
Coordinator Andrea Hall and former ASUO
legislative associate Stefan Myers to the court.
All three nominees, who were picked from a
pool of six applicants, are undergraduates.
"We had a heavily qualified pool of appli
cants," Melton said. "They're all (ASUO) mem
bers that have been involved in various branch
es of student government."
Melton said she examined the candidates'
leadership experience, knowledge of the ASUO
Constitution and ability to interpret ASUO
rules in a dispassionate, "viewpoint-neutral"
manner.
"You have to assess whether or not members
will be able to follow the mles and interpret the
Constitution," she said.
Melton said past experience in student gov
ernment was a key factor in selecting the ap
pointees.
"It's valuable to have individuals who know
the ASUO — and I mean that in the broadest
sense — so that they can better interpret the
rules," Melton said.
ASUO Student Senate President Ben Strawn,
who evaluated the applicants with Melton, said
the appointees would make good court justices.
"I feel great about them," he said. "They're
highly qualified individuals."
Turn to JUSTICES, page 4A
NEWS BRIEF
ASUO vice president's
trial postponed
Morales
ASUO Vice
President
ASUO Vice President
Eduardo Morales, who
is facing charges of as
sault and second-degree
criminal mischief, had
his trial postponed
Tuesday to an undeter
mined date.
Morales appeared at
Eugene Municipal Court
on Tuesday afternoon,
but Morales' lawyer,
ASUO Legal Services Di
rector Ilona Koleszar, was
the only one taking ac
tion. She presented City
Prosecutor Liz Carle
Turn to TRIAL, page 4A
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University Theatre
presents
“Wild Nights
with Emily”