Blogcabin California

SEE THE EMOTIONAL VIDEO-HERE

“With me this afternoon is my wife, Rana.

“I am here this afternoon to announce that I will sign the resolution that the City Council passed yesterday directing the City Attorney to file a brief in support of gay marriage.

“My plan, that has been reported publicly, was to veto the resolution, so I feel like I owe all San Diegans right now an explanation for this change of heart. During the campaign two years ago, I announced that I did not support gay marriage and instead supported civil unions and domestic partnerships.

“I have personally wrestled with that position ever since.  My opinions on this issue has evolved significantly, as I think the opinions of millions of Americans from all walks of life have. In order to be consistent with the position I took during the mayoral election, I intended to veto the Council resolution. As late as yesterday afternoon, that was my position.

“The arrival of the resolution, to sign or veto, in my office late last night forced me to reflect and search my soul for the right thing to do. I have decided to lead with my heart, to do what I think is right, and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice. The right thing for me to do is to sign this resolution.

“For three decades, I have worked to bring enlightenment, justice and equality to all parts of our community. As I reflected on the choices that I had before me last night, I just could not bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community they were less important, less worthy or less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage, than anyone else — simply because of their sexual orientation.

“A decision to veto this resolution would have been inconsistent with the values I have embraced over the past 30 years. I do believe that times have changed. And with changing time, and new life experiences, come different opinions. I think that’s natural, and certainly it is true in my case.

“Two years ago, I believed that civil unions were a fair alternative. Those beliefs, in my case, have since changed. The concept of a “separate but equal” institution is not something that I can support.

“I acknowledge that not all members of our community will agree or perhaps even understand my decision today. All I can offer them is that I am trying to do what I believe is right. I have close family members and friends who are members of the gay and lesbian community. Those folks include my daughter Lisa, as well as members of my personal staff. I want for them the same thing that we all want for our loved ones, for each of them to find a mate whom they love deeply and who loves them back, someone with whom they can grow old together and share life’s experiences. And I want their relationships to be protected equally under the law. In the end, I couldn’t look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationships — their very lives — were any less meaningful than the marriage that I share with my wife Rana. Thank you.”

The Most Recent Mitt Romney Radio AD In IOWA:

ANNOUNCER: “In 2004, a judge in Massachusetts tipped the balance – paving the way to same-sex marriage for the first time in history.

“But the Governor of Massachusetts stood up, defending conservative values in our most liberal state.

“Governor Mitt Romney – he stood up for traditional marriage and fought the activist ruling every step.”

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “The courtroom should be a place where laws are interpreted, not made.”

ANNOUNCER: “Now, Mitt Romney is standing up for traditional marriage in Iowa, opposing the Polk County decision to permit same-sex marriage.”

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “The court ruling in Iowa is just another example of an activist judge trying to find things in the Constitution that aren’t there. As Republicans, we must oppose discrimination and defend traditional marriage: one man, one woman.”

ANNOUNCER: “That’s why Mitt Romney is supporting a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution.”

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “Not all Republican candidates for president agree, but defending marriage is the right thing to do.”

ANNOUNCER: “Mitt Romney.”

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message.”

ANNOUNCER: “Paid for by Romney For President. MittRomney.com.”

Well I just returned from Indian Wells and the California Republican Bi-Annual Convention (where I did not run into the BoiFromTroy) and Arnold Schwarzenegger caused a lot of controversy.  Arnold basically admonished his own California Republican Party during an address Friday telling the state GOP that it may have a defeatist mentality and Arnold called on the party to woo independent voters to regain power.
The moderate Schwarzenegger has been at odds with his party’s conservative base, but his tone Friday was the most critical of California Republicans than any other time in his governorship and I applaud it.
“In movie terms, we would say we are dying at the box office,” Schwarzenegger declared, according to an audio recording. “We are not filling the seats.”
Schwarzenegger cited statistics showing what he termed the “astonishing” decline in Republican registration throughout California. He also criticized Republican leaders for blocking independents from voting in next year’s GOP primaries while Democrats allow those voters to cast ballots.
Arnold also portrayed Republicans in California as seemingly unwilling to fight to reclaim majority status.
“In business, if you lose market share, you do something about it,” Schwarzenegger said. “But I wonder if we have been so beaten down by our minority status that we’ve developed a bunker mentality. I wonder if we’ve come to believe that our only remaining power is to say, ‘No.’ ”
Naturally, the governor received standing ovations before and after the speech, according to the Associated Press.
Of course, my friend (?) Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, which represents conservatives, blamed the party’s troubles on Schwarzenegger’s lack of inspiring leadership.
But I respectfully disagree with Spence.
Schwarzenegger said independent voters may outnumber Republicans and Democrats in two decades. He described their views as conservative on fiscal policy and law and order but liberal on social and environmental issues — in other words, more like Schwarzenegger and me and less like the conservative base that runs the state Republican Party.
Arnold called on Republicans to solve the problems of global warming, aging public works and health care — issues he has championed in the last two years.
“The road to our comeback is clear,” he said. “The California Republican Party should be a right-of-the-center party that occupies the broad middle of California.”
Schwarzenegger suggested that the party has driven away voters by clinging too closely to a set of archaic 20^th Century conservative ideals. “The goal of any political party is to win elections, to become a majority and to advance its ideals,” he said. “How do we succeed at that? By including, not excluding. By being open to new ideas, not rejecting them out of hand.”
Despite the disillusionment of conservatives, 69 percent of Republicans approve of Schwarzenegger’s job performance, according to a Field Poll conducted in August. He had an overall approval rating of 57 percent, including 48 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents.
The governor supports abortion rights, a break from the party’s current platform.
Last year, Schwarzenegger addressed our Republican Club and said he shared their values and was “proud to be on the same team with all of you.” In contrast, the current state GOP platform says public schools and public policy should not recognize homosexuality.
For Instance the current outdated policy states:

“EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 

The Republican party is the party of equal opportunity. It is the 

 Republican party that abolished slavery and stands for the right of all 

 persons to succeed based on merit rather than the color their skin or other 

 non-merit based considerations. We oppose quotas, set asides, or 

 guaranteed equality of results. We support laws prohibiting discrimination 

 in employment and housing based on race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, or 

 religion. We oppose any special rights based on sexual or behavioral 

 preferences. 

FAMILY 

The family is a basic building block upon which American society has 

 grown and prospered for over 200 years. Family and parents should be the central place where 

 decisions are made. It is important to define marriage as being between one 

 man and one woman  We support that the two parent family as the best 

 environment for raising children. We believe that 

 homosexuality should not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” 

 lifestyle for public education and policy We oppose same sex partner benefits, child custody, or 

 adoption for homosexuals.” 

Let’s face it, the people controlling the party (and not the general member that I met at the convention), are behind the times.  Domestic partnership rights already exist, adoptions laws already exist, and equal opportunity laws apply to the LGB T community in California. My freidns recoil from the party and register as “Declined To state” because policies such as that make them SICK.  I represent change but yes, those plicies make me sick too.

Nevertheless, our Luau was the best it has ever been and we had a blast.
Schwarzenegger energizes Log Cabin Republicans and that is way since June of 2006 you have seen our presence in the state increase.  We stand for the party’s original platform that is conservative and includes “personal liberty” and small-government.
Schwarzenegger has the strength to bring the party in line where a majority of republican Californians stand. And he like he did for LCR, he CAN energize the Republican base.

[See “Schwarzenegger Call  for GOP to Wake Up” in DONKLEPHANT.]