VIDEO: Snow Compares Gay Marriage Ban With ‘Civil Rights’ Legislation
Filed Under: Civil Rights
By on Jun 5th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
VIDEO: Snow Compares Gay Marriage Ban With ‘Civil Rights’ Legislation
At this afternoon’s press conference, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow compared the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage supported by President Bush to historic “civil rights” legislation. Later Snow was asked if he really meant to equate banning gay marriage with “civil rights.” Snow responded, “How do you define civil rights?” Watch it:
Raw Story has the transcript.
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74 Responses to “VIDEO: Snow Compares Gay Marriage Ban With ‘Civil Rights’ Legislation”
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whiplash………
June 5th, 2006 at 3:29 pmNo Liar Left Behind.
Congrats Tony, while Shrub is focusing on the gay marriage scam, the stock market is tanking by 170 points.
-GSD
June 5th, 2006 at 3:29 pmWhat a Sleaze Ball……
June 5th, 2006 at 3:33 pmDefine Civil Rights….? How about using the context they have been defined in for the last century as a start?
It would be hard to describe that press conference without having to use the word “cluster” in some form or another.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:38 pmWell, we can all see from this that Snow doesn’t really seem to have what it takes to be a press secretary. If he’s reading from a script (or teleprompter), he does fine; when he has to respond to questions (even from a fairly tame group of reporters), he’s at a loss.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:38 pmMaybe, upon being asked a question, he should ask for a second so he can collect his thoughts before answering. That way he wouldn’t make a complete jackass of himself all the time. He can leave that job to Dubya.
“How do you define civil rights?â€
i’m sure that snow followed up that question with “no, i’m seriously asking. how do you define civil rights? no one around here seems to know.”
June 5th, 2006 at 3:39 pmWhere’s the betting action on how long Snowjob will last (or) will tolerate this sort of humiliation?!?!
Styve
June 5th, 2006 at 3:39 pmHis problem is that he doesn’t want to hug tar babies.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:44 pmAn idiot representing an idiot.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:45 pmHeck, given his recent employment history, why would anyone expect him to know how to define “civil rights”?
To be fair, it is civil right legislation. Sure, it’s an attempt to limit civil rights, but I suppose that’s what makes this so historic …
June 5th, 2006 at 3:45 pmTony Snow is a true racist so I believe he is clueless on the subject of civil rights. As far as Tony Snow cares Bush could dismantel the civil rights bill and bring back slavery as Bush is sending all the spanish field workers home. We need people to do their jobs so why not minorities and lynchings are still legal thanks to Senator Alexander. So on weekends we can have picnics and hangings as we did in the pass. I wonder what will the Bush Administration say about their minority friends the Saudis. I bet they really talk about them as the color of their skin is brown and we know what Bush thinks of people of color just look at the Katrina victims. I just hope Bush as he takes over the world doesn’t treat his Saudi friends like Bush/Cheney/Rummy treat Iraq civilians just murdering them and covering it up. The Saudi’s better what their backs lynching people of color is legal in the United States mistakes happen.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:45 pmPure and simple, “Civil Rights” means nothing to these people. Maybe he should have just said, “if your not like them you have no rights”, period.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:48 pmThe more I hear Pony Blow talk….the more I realize the guy has an extremely low IQ…he is constantly uninfomed of basic policy issues…when hes stuck he makes shit up….and he spews condecending Repub Talking Points like there is no tomorrow
I guess he is the perfect “Media Face of the Bush Admin.”
June 5th, 2006 at 3:52 pmOh, for the record, someone should have reminded Snow that the Supreme Court in its 1967 Loving decision made marriage a civil right to which all Americans are entitled. I know the religious right and the social cons don’t have much respect for the Supreme Court’s previous decisions or civil rights in general, but when the Constitution is changed to “define” marriage, what’s to stop the definition from being expanded to restrict marriage to whites only? Or, what’s to prevent an expansion which mandates marriages are only legal if performed in a certain church? (We’ve already seen that states which have already allowed their constitutions to legalize anti-gay discrimination in regards to marriage have also gone so far as to decide that it doesn’t matter what gender you are at the time of an impending marriage, but what gender you were at birth. Male-to-female transsexuals have been prevented from marrying men, and female-to-male transsexuals have been prevented from marrying women.)
June 5th, 2006 at 3:53 pmOh, by the way, a gay marriage ban is a denial of civil rights measure, not a civil rights measure. DUH.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:53 pmThis has nothing to do with civil rights; its about repealing the estate tax quietly while we debate this nonsense. The rich get richer. Is it time to storm the Bastille yet?
June 5th, 2006 at 3:53 pmWho’da thunk? Holding White House press conferences is a more difficult task than answering prescreened questions that begin, “Hi, I’m Jason from Waco, love your show….” I bet he misses the, “I’ll get to your question after this commercial message,” escape, too.
June 5th, 2006 at 3:55 pmThe DJIA is down 200 and NASDAQ is down 50, but by all means let’s legislate important stuff like who loves who and how they express that. (Yeah, I’m in a bad mood.)
June 5th, 2006 at 3:56 pmUm, Tony, you, not the reporter, brought up the term “civil rights.” And the MPA takes away civil rights, does it not?
June 5th, 2006 at 3:59 pmTo try to equate the proposed amendment to civil rights legislation is comparable to a previous administration’s attempt to have catsup included as a vegetable in the school lunch.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:00 pmOnce again, caught off guard, and unprepared. And HE is a “PROFESSIONAL”??? But it is fun to watch him floundering about, looking for an escape hatch to squeeze into, till it’s all over. But then comes tomorrow, and another press inquiry. Spur of the moment lying is alot harder than having your lies all typed up for you in advance.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:01 pmWhen in doubt, answer a question with a question.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:15 pmSnowy, you’re doin’ a heckuva job!
June 5th, 2006 at 4:15 pmSuddenly Scott McLellan is seeming more and more charming and this guy is giving me a hair across my ass.
Tony, why don’t you break down and weep some more.
-GSD
June 5th, 2006 at 4:17 pmcivil rights
The rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship, especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by subsequent acts of Congress, including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination.
It’s clear to me that Snowflake’s head is firmly, irrevocably, and irretrievably up his ass.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:17 pmso… how does this episode end? does tony get his answer?
June 5th, 2006 at 4:20 pmwhat a sad joke…
this amendment is not even popular with Bush’s party - just the fringe elements…
if this were the 50s or 60s people like Bush and Santorum would be supporting amendments to limits the rights of “nigras,” too…
http://blogdebogs.blogspot.com/ 2006/ 06/ marriage-amendment-not-made-in-heaven.html
June 5th, 2006 at 4:21 pmHe’s studdering now like Bushie…
Birds of a feather, I suppose…
June 5th, 2006 at 4:23 pmWill someone please tell “Yellow Snow” that wig he wears looks silly.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:27 pmSenator Brownback of Kansas is giving his diatribe on defending traditional marriage on the Senate floor at this moment > he said that if Gays are allowed to marry it will undermine marriages between men and women? The Senator is nuts and a crazy bigot who must be removed from the Senate at all costs! Shame on the citizens of Kansas for electing that dirty bigoted slime into the Congress!
June 5th, 2006 at 4:37 pmLemme see now. Snow uses the term civil rights then demands the reporter define the term for him…….WTF
June 5th, 2006 at 4:38 pmLiar.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:39 pmSnow deserves to suffer for his blatant lying. ESADMF-
He’s studdering now like Bushie…
Birds of a feather, I suppose…
Comment by unbelievable
Shrub must have shared a line with him before the press conference.
It is sad when the press secretary for Shrub can’t lie well on his feet, Scotty was much better at lying on his feet.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:39 pmAss backward idiot racist. Hey, another one. Our country is falling down farther and farther. This administration and group think press corps are the worst in the history of this country. What a joke.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:39 pmAbout a half an hour ago several of us had a short but spirited debate with someone on crooksandliars.com about this issue. This person said that just because you have tolerance and respect concerning homosexuals doesn’t mean you have to support same-sex marriage. He also said he does not support the amendment that Bush is pushing.
I asked him what his respect for homosexuals entailed. He said his respect amounted to not discriminating against a group of people because of who they were. I then asked why he was against same-sex marriage. His reply: because it broke with tradition. He also said that marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman who can procreate and thus start a family.
Before I could start round 2 of my questions…including what dangers he thought same-sex marriage brought to traditional marriage…he bailed.
June 5th, 2006 at 4:55 pmWait for the poison pill amendment that will be tacked on at the last minute, just for the Senators who don’t have the conscience to vote for a “flawed” bill. This is all about the Right, posturing before the election to call in a marker for the Social Conservatives in the form of a roll call vote to later be used as a reason to buy some knee pads. This is truly the moment for the social conservatives to see what kind of party George Bush is really running. Where is Tom Delay?
June 5th, 2006 at 4:59 pmYou cannot be free yourself if you accept limitations on anyone’s freedom.
Where are the lines to be drawn? In this area, given it is the most intimate of that which is deemed utterly personal, where no one is harmed, why enter the fray?
How long will the lying gutless use gays as a scapegoat. Even if they don’t energize their base, they will say that it did, and that will again be the reason given for why democrats did not gain control of both houses of congress in November.
Just priming the pump.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:00 pmIt is sad when the press secretary for Shrub can’t lie well on his feet, Scotty was much better at lying on his feet.
Comment by Wayne — June 5, 2006 @ 4:39 pm
I’d rather they just all tell the truth or say “I’ll get back to you on that when I a) know more, b) can, or c) any valid honest reson why you tell someone you’ll get back to them.”
Scotty sweat a lot. To me, it made him look like a liar too. And he had one of those smug faces that you just wanna smack… :D
I don’t think Bush will find anyone who can tell lies this big and not look like a liar. That regime’s telltale heart is deafening…
June 5th, 2006 at 5:02 pm# 35- Things get a bit trickier when you start to get into the details. I think that it would only be fair for a complete “what constitutes the definitions and purposes and responsibilities of Traditional Marriage”, ‘handbook to be created before amending the Constitution. The one man, one woman thing is a place to start, but if it is SO important, tell us why. Justify the reasoning. I don’t think they will be interested in doing this though. To much thinking involved.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:14 pmAs Rome burns Nero pulls wings off of flies. Gay marriage - who gives a flying f**k?
June 5th, 2006 at 5:21 pmIt’s simply hard to imagine that people this stupid can rise to such power. It’s amazing what money can buy. What we are witnessing is the ultimate conclusion of the failure of corrupt pure capitalism.
Even the lifeboats have holes.
But not to worry. There’s no need to march, write letters or make phone calls, it’s way past that, especially thanks to the extraordinary incompetence of this administration. Things are going to change abruptly when the entire system collapses, which it is about to do. Then afterwards, if anyone’s left alive, they can pick-up the pieces and start from scratch.
As Rome burns Nero pulls wings off of flies.
Comment by Gonnuts — June 5, 2006 @ 5:21 pm
Exactly!
June 5th, 2006 at 5:23 pmLook if Snow and all the other neo-cons would just take some Homocil they’d relise what a booming business gay marrage would be , they’d spend a fortune on their weddings and honeymoons .
June 5th, 2006 at 5:24 pmJust emailed this to Andrew Sullivan. I can’t wait for his reaction!
June 5th, 2006 at 5:24 pmTony Snow is getting shredded. Bring out the nachos and beer!
Visit my blog: People For Progress
June 5th, 2006 at 5:40 pmAu contraire, Mr. Snow — this proposed amendment would, indeed, deny civil rights from a segment of the population. Snow has a glib tongue, but he is obviously accustomed to FOX tv where he can something stupid like that and not be challenged; he’s the mouthpiece for Bush&Co and he is not doing such a good job. McClellan answered nothing and deflected every question; this guy answers them stupidly. Which is the better?
June 5th, 2006 at 5:41 pmWhen exactly is government-sponsored prejudice against gay people going to stop. Prejudice is wrong, no matter who it is aimed at. Gay people getting married, having familes, adopting children (who will be brought up healthier and happier than most in heterosexual families — do a little research and find out) has zero effect on marriage, on heterosexuals, on religion, on anything for that matter. Zero effect. Yet, here we are again with Bush pushing this nonsense to the forefront to distract the ignorant bigots in our country from the real issues. Shame on anyone who bites this bait.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:44 pmThis guy must have seen Scotty take it up the ass so many times for not answering the question that he’s decided to make a straightforward fool of himself.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:50 pmCivil Right will be defined at pertaining only to white, born-again Christians if we don’t fight these blurry definitions. I’ll bet Tony Snow is sorry he flubbed that one. Actually aren’t the reporters the ones who are asking the questions?
June 5th, 2006 at 5:56 pmSnow embarrasses himself on ban…
Watch as Think Progress documents White House mouthpiece Tony Snow comparing the federal ban on gay marriage to “civil rights” legislation (transcript available at The Raw Story):SNOW: Whether it passes or not, as you know, Terry, there have been a…
June 5th, 2006 at 6:18 pmCan we please have Squatty back now?
June 5th, 2006 at 6:29 pm1. Snow: Please, Mr. Reporter, define what is to run a country.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:36 pm2. Snow: Asshole? Define what is an asshole.
3. Snow: So Gays dont mean very cheerful people? Ahhhh…
[…] Think Progress » VIDEO: Snow Compares Gay Marriage Ban With - Civil Rights Legislation […]
June 5th, 2006 at 6:41 pmSNOW: “I think what the president is saying is that courts around the country have decided to overturn decisions made by voters in their state based on their view or interpretation of the Constitution. And if it comes to the point where you have to figure out what the Constitution says on such an issue where there are big and important divides in American culture, as this proceeds, it may be necessary to clarify what the Constitution says by amending it.”
***
“What you’re saying is that by coming up with a uniform definition of marriage you’re getting in the way of states. It could be — it is pretty obvious at this point that there are a number of judges around the country who are reading into the Constitution something the president does not believe is there.”
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION,
ARTICLE IV
Section 2. “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.”
AMENDMENT XIV:
Section 1. “…No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the priviledes or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
Apparently Bush does not believe the above clauses are in the Constitution.
How can the FMA do anything but deprive a class of people the equal protection of the laws?
June 5th, 2006 at 6:54 pmNo one should be surprised that Snow..or anyone else in this Administration would have difficulty in defining Civil Rights, Human Rights, Constitutional Rights…or Competence for that matter
June 5th, 2006 at 6:56 pmQuoth WC at #35:
“I then asked why he was against same-sex marriage. His reply: because it broke with tradition.
Other traditions: Lynching. Wifebeating. Monarchical rule. Suttee. Emptying chamberpots in the gutter.
Yep. It’s rilly rilly important that we preserve our cherished old traditions at all costs, no matter how destructive and barbaric they are.
“He also said that marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman who can procreate and thus start a family.”
Which means that infertile hets need not apply. And all marriages must be terminated when the woman reaches menopause, so the man will be free to find a woman he can still procrate with.
No wonder he bailed. Didn’t want to be there when the hooting and catcalls started.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:57 pmThis crock of sh** scam of an issue is just mind-boggling. They are not trying to legislate marriage, they are trying to tell two individuals that they cannot have a CONTRACT that has legitimate legal repurcussions because they do not follow one religions view on marriage. A “marriage” in this country, and in the world at large goes far beyond simple religious implications. It brings with it legal protections and splitting of property, gives a person a right to see a spouse in the hospital, and countless other legal implications. To get the same coverage that a marriage contract covers, legally, would require thousands of dollars to get a lawyer to draw up, check and double check, and so on. As opposed to the $50-100 to get a marriage license, that automatically brings with it all those legal definitions and protections.
Even someone like me, an ATHEIST, can get married to a woman, even though I would absolutely refuse to do it “under God” or through a church, etc.
It is such a red herring “issue”. Gah!
As others have pointed out, this is a civil rights issue. Simple, the neo-cons, and, really, alot of “people of Faith”, are trying very hard to DENY a certain group of people their civil rights. They should be drawn and quartered for it. Hypocrites.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:58 pmNot so long ago, gays were criticised for being promiscuous. Unlike “normal” folk, they did not make a commitment to a loving anf faithfull relationship.
Now the same critics want to deny gays the opportunity to make a formal commitment to a loving faithful relationship - and all the rights that go along with that.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:15 pmThat is actually a very good point, Wallaby. How utterly pathetic of them. You are absolutely correct in what you say. These same exact people WERE the ones saying that one of the REASONS a gay lifestyle is wrong is BECAUSE they do not make a commitment like marriage. They have a very specific (and, BTW, an INCORRECT, biblically) point of view on what people should be allowed to do with their own bodies, and they want to force that view on everyone else.
These are the same people who would rather have women get abortions with coathangers, would rather have prostitute/drugs be illegal (rather than being legal and regulated as a standard industry is, thus making the products artificially cheap (prostitution) or expensive (drugs), not to mentioned taxed, helping the economy out rather than all of that money going to pimps and drug cartels), think that it’s ok to give up freedoms for security (study Benjamin Franklin, please, and learn why our founding fathers disagree with such sentiment), and would rather have fetuses THROWN IN THE TRASH than used to crack the stem-cell puzzle.
I well and truly hate it.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:37 pmRemember the old Jim Crow civil rights legislation? It’s like that…
June 5th, 2006 at 7:41 pmA more precise definition of “civil rights” can be found by looking up the Bill of Rights. If you are still unclear take a look at the constititution of the Untied States. If that is still not enough, then give the ACLU a call, I’m sure they would love to assist.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:53 pmQuite so, Publicus. It is EXACTLY like Jim Crow laws. Scarily so, in fact, since I know for sure that there are (alot of) places where people will not rent housing to gay couples (if privvy to the knowledge before renting ensues), and obviously the gay marriage “issue”, both of which directly parallel Jim Crow laws.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:55 pmThe War of Words …
The law making English our official national language and amendments to protect the flag and the words marriage and gay are just the first counterattacks in what promises to be a long, hard battle against semantical terrorism. …
June 5th, 2006 at 8:36 pmNO REPEAL OF THE ESTATE TAX
June 5th, 2006 at 9:31 pm#63 - I believe this is the heart of the matter.
June 5th, 2006 at 10:12 pmI think you all need to read the transcript and also watch the video. He was not comparing this to a civil right….he was comparing the bring up the issue when it is truly doomed to fail to the number of times civil rights legislation was repeatedly brought prior to its passage. I am not sure he is right on the history but I do think this is the point he was trying to make. He was thrown for a loop when pressed about whether marriage is a civil right and got flustered. I am not a Snow apologist…but I think given the opportunity to explain his train of thought this is what he would say.
June 5th, 2006 at 10:20 pmIf you’re that flustered by a press gaggle, and suddenly don’t know what civil rights are or if marriage is one, maybe you’re not competent to do a public speaking job?
You know what else breaks with tradition? Allowing whites and blacks to marry each other.
You know what else breaks with tradition? Allowing slaves to be free men.
You know what else breaks with tradition? Hiring a Fox News “newsreader” to be WH Press Secretary.
June 5th, 2006 at 11:41 pmTony Snowjob flys like a bee and stings like a butterfly . . .
What a more-roooom!!!!!!
June 5th, 2006 at 11:44 pmYea, worry about the Gays.
Thats the real threat to America today.
You guys work on that for a while, and let us take care of the big people stuff.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:21 amYes, we all realize what this issue is really about. It is rather like all of the desperate tactics taken by the fear-mongers in this campaign year. Divide and conquer. Yes, let us all be racist, facist, gay hating, bigoted, chauvenist, sanctimonious, Christ blessed haters, shall we? That’s what Jesus taught! Not.
Blessed are the intolerant, they shall be thrown from power. Blessed are the haters, they shall cause and be hated. Blessed are the self righteous, they shall be deemed intolerable and thrown from the altar of humanity. Blessed are those who cause fear and unrest to remain in power, they shall be soon found out. Blessed are they who hate all other religions, they shall enjoy closed mindedness. Blessed are they who blame the alien for everything wrong in their midst, they shall have an everlasting scapegoat. Blessed are the loudmouthed, all shall gow numb of their sensless din. Blessed are those self appointed to protect us from all attacks on our religion and society, they will be shown for the snake oil salesmen that they are. Blessed are those who take from the poor and give to the rich, revolution on them shall be their just reward.
One good thing to come from this is that anyone can see that the trend to incompetance continues. At least Scotty looked a little embarrassed from time to time, not so bloody idiotic as this new cartoon character.
June 6th, 2006 at 1:09 amHe’s the same ASS who used the term TAR-BABY. I’m sure that was just a mistake though. cough-cough-cough
June 7th, 2006 at 4:42 amWASP male privilege has blinded the Snow’s/Bushites’ to the TRUE meaning of equality and civil rights…
…THEY have never been hounded, beaten, discriminated against, villified, castigated, lynched (for being different), or otherwise OPPRESSED…
…THEIR hegemony and authority have had no serious challenges (’til now with China, Venezuela et al.), and their gods aren’t up to the global challenge so they trot out this “tarbaby”, strawman of “Defense of Marriage”…
…how do they (Bushiva, L’il Dick, Snow and all the right wing scum) continue to walk/ride the streets of America without massive outpourings of citizens blocking their routes and arresting them?
…they’re TRAITORS, racists, bigots, and downright EVIL America!!!!
June 7th, 2006 at 8:44 amNice post!
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WOW. I would like to know how banning gay marriage increases civil rights…….?? Interesting choice of words there, Mr. Press Secretary.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:02 pmgay celebrities…
I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….
December 6th, 2006 at 4:56 am