Take a step back

A list of Bush and Republican failures ...

Lied about WMD.

Unilaterally invaded a sovereign nation without provocation and justification.

Lied during State of the Union speech re: Niger Uranium.

Responsible for pre-9/11 intelligence failures in White House, CIA, FBI.

Allowed 9-11 murderers to remain free while diverting precious military and financial resources to his vanity war in Iraq.

Lied about Saddam/bin Laden connection.

Turned Iraq into a terrorist breeding ground.

Lied about nation-building.

Opposed creation of 9-11 Commission and Homeland Security Department.

Disrespected and alienated the U.S. from French, German and other key allies.

Lied to Americans about the real cost of war.

Fostered an environment of torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.

Lined Halliburton's pockets in Afghanistan and Iraq with fat no-bid contracts.

Under-manned and under-equipped our armed forces in Iraq, resulting in unnecessary death and injuries.

Ignored the nuclear build-up in both Iran and N.Korea; marginalized Kim Jong Il.

Shunned Kyoto Treaty.

Lied about effects of man-made pollutants on the environment to support corporate pals.

Lied about the insolvency of Social Security.

Gave huge cuts to the wealthiest taxpayers.

Lied about true cost of health care bill.

Lied about Free Trade stand.

Bitterly divided the nation along religious, party and sexual preference lines.

Guilty of numerous cronyism appointments (Homeland Security, Supreme Court, etc)

Rewarded failures of Condi Rice and other cronies with key promotions.

Dreadful energy policies lead to record gas and oil prices.

Responsible for the largest debt in U.S. history.

Colossal failure of preparedness, rescue and relief during Hurricane Katrina.

Fostered a culture of corruption among GOP and top leadership (Tom Delay, etc).

Allowed Donald Rumsfeld to keep job despite utter failure in Iraq.

Presided over the U.S.'s lowest popularity throughout the world.

Saw No Child Left Behind fail.

Lied last week about Iraqi troop strength during Saturday radio address. Directly contradicted by testimony given earlier in the week by Gen. Abizaid.

Colossal failure of preparedness for the transition of Medicare Part D.

Allegations of fraud surrounding the 2000 and 2004 elections.

Not elected by a majority of the popular vote in 2000.

Bush's lied when he said, "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

queenhoneeybee - your constant whining and carping about equality grows old. This is not a "rights" issue but a "special privileges" issue. As in 30 other states, Mainers voted down your attempt to change a thousands-of-years-old God-given institution between a man and a woman. Accept it. When 3% of the population engages in homosexual relationships, you cannot force it down the throats of people as you have attempted and get us to put a "stamp of approval" on such an anomaly. Even if the courts go radical and force it, you and your sexual behavior will never be accepted.
This is you queenhoneeybee:
Romans 1:26,17 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Yes, there is a God and he abhors sin because He is holy and pure. He hates all sin - homosexuality among them. There is a choice people. Thousands of people have left the destructive homosexual lifestyle. There is no gay gene - don't be fed such a lie. queenhoneeybee - even you can turn from your sexual perversions. It is not too late!

Alas! Our forefathers wanted to recognize EQUALITY ( =] )... Our Constitution stands for EQUALITY for all. I think by now that would take precedence.

This is not about rights. This is about marriage. The people of Maine thought marriage was so important to society, they codified it in State Law. How has this changed? If it was true then, it is still true today.

Maine Revised Statute
Title 19-A, Chapter 23

§650. Findings and purposes

(WHOLE SECTION TEXT IN EFFECT PENDING REFERENDUM ON 11/3/09)

All municipal clerks and courts of this State shall have a duty and shall be legally required to construe the provisions of Maine's marriage laws in accordance with the following findings and purposes: [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]

1. Findings. The people of the State of Maine find that:

A. The union of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage is of inestimable value to society; the State has a compelling interest to nurture and promote the unique institution of traditional monogamous marriage in the support of harmonious families and the physical and mental health of children; and that the State has the compelling interest in promoting the moral values inherent in traditional monogamous marriage. [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
[ 1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW) .]

2. Purposes. The purposes of this chapter are:

A. To encourage the traditional monogamous family unit as the basic building block of our society, the foundation of harmonious and enriching family life; [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
B. To nurture, sustain and protect the traditional monogamous family unit in Maine society, its moral imperatives, its economic function and its unique contribution to the rearing of healthy children; and [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
C. To support and strengthen traditional monogamous Maine families against improper interference from out-of-state influences or edicts. [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]

[ 1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW) .]

SECTION HISTORY
1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW). 2009, c. 82, §1 (RP).

John A. Chick

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey (January 6, 1816)

Guess we'd better all get geared up for the next election.

Just for the record we live in a "Republic" not a "Democrcy".

Read my post, queen. Two men marrying each other is not a constitutional right. Yes, we are all equal, but we don't all prefer "equal" things. Therein lies the problem.

Fear not the enemy at the gate, for it is the enemy within that will devour you.

It took decades for slaves to be freed, because people kept "rethinking" the issues. Our forefathers were owners of slaves until someone came to their senses. Just food for thought.

1) This issue has not come up multiple times. This is the FIRST time Maine has voted on gay marriage.
2) Democracy is majority rule with RESPECT to minority rights. Chew on that for a moment.

Rethinking the issue and it still comes down to the fact of our nation and Constitution. Equality. Level ground is just that.